What a start to 2015
/Going Goofy
All the coffee in the world couldn't keep us up after the past two weeks of runDisney racing we've completed. We started our race calendar out in cold, rainy Orlando, Florida. Wait what? Yes, the weather during the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend was not ideal and it was challenging but we sucked it up and raced the 10 Year Anniversary Goofy Challenge. This consisted of a Half Marathon on Saturday and a Full Marathon on Sunday.
Running my 1st Marathon at Walt Disney World! The Expo was manageable and packet pick up was a breeze.
Because we were running the GoofyChallenge, I just had to.
The Half was so much fun. We agreed to take it easy, save our energy for the Full and snap a few pictures along the way. The course was fun running through two Walt Disney World parks. While it was tempting to run fast to escape the chilly weather we stopped at most of the character stops along the course to preserve memories. We couldn't have asked for a better race. We talked, took pics and even ran with new friends along the way. So far, a great way to start off the new race calendar.
Yeah, it was as cold as it looks. Brrrrrr!
The way @runDisney themes their picture spots was so fun. There was even a fog machine working.
Obligatory Cinderella Castle pic right after running down the entire Main Street, U.S.A.
The following day, after another early wake up call we made our way to the start line of the marathon. This is the Super Bowl race of Marathon Weekend and the fact that it was Paula's very first marathon made it even more exciting. I couldn't help but feel proud of what she's been able to accomplish. Registering and training for your first marathon is daunting on it's own but doing it as part of the Goofy Challenge is borderline crazy.
Mary and Bert picture spot along the Half Marathon course.
The sun started to peek out and lit up our Donald medals. Better late than never i guess.
Since we used the Half Marathon to take pictures the previous day, we focused on the run at hand and kept the phones tucked away. This race holds a special place in my heart since it was my very first marathon as well and running through the four Walt Disney World parks is really something special. The course is amazing. Running around the Walt Disney World Speedway was insane. We felt good running together and could feel the challenge that was Goofy around the later miles of the race.
It's nice that rare characters get to come out for the runners along the Marathon course.
A special thing happened at around mile 19 of the race when Paula's sister surprised her by showing up with our four sons to cheer us on. Her sister and I worked together to complete the surprise which was a perfect boost at the perfect time. We finished the race with smiles on our faces, and even jumped over the the finish line holding hands. (At least we attempted to jump. I don't think either of us got that high). We recovered from the race by exploring some of the resorts on the Disney property and walking the junk out of our legs.
This is why we signed up for WDW Marathon Weekend. The 10 Year Anniversary Goofy Challenge Medal. Goofy spins inside the zero! Coast to Coast challenge, here we come!
May The Course Be With You
Immediately after returning home from WDW Marathon Weekend we did laundry, packed up the suitcase and headed down to Disneyland for the Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend. Since it was an inaugural race, we just had to sign up for it. Coming off of the Goofy Challenge, paula's first marathon, Walt Disney World park touring, and traveling, we vowed to have a fun race and soak up the fun of an inaugural race.
#shutyourface! It's @carleemcdot. Meeting friends at race Expos is so much fun.
Since we didn't have anyone to watch the young ones on Saturday, I did the Star Wars 10k solo. It's part of the Rebel Challenge which consists of a 10k on Saturday and the Half Marathon on Sunday. So let's stop and recap a bit: two @runDisney challenges in two weekends, two different states, 4 races and 58.6 miles of racing. It sounded like a good idea last year when registering for these darn things. The race was fun. Again, I brought my phone and took pics along the course with the cool characters throughout the parks. The course was awesome. We ran inside the parks (some backstage) for the most part and the support was excellent.
I made sure to catch a picture with Chewie! I was in the front pack so the line wasn't long at all.
A little Kids Race action on Saturday after the Star Wars 10k.
The Half Marathon on Sunday was exciting. The course was brand new, and we enjoyed it tremendously. Beware fasties, it's a very fast course and you could easily get carried away and throw down a Disney PR if you tried. I'm a big Star Wars fan and seeing all of the cool creative costumes put a smile on my face. The best part of these races is running them together with @prvilladelgado. When we run together, we finish together. It was an amazing race and one we will continue to do in the future.
It's already been a fast start to 2015 and it's a good sign of things to come. We are tired. So very tired and will rest up in the mean time while planning the rest of our calendar. Was it stressful flying cross-country, and racing at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland two weekends back-to-back? Of course but we wouldn't trade it for anything. Earning a Coast to Coast medal (running at least a half marathon in WDW and Disneyland in the same calendar year) in two weeks is pretty darn cool IMHO. I'm proud of what we just accomplished and even more proud that Paula ran her first marathon. Most importantly we had fun doing it.
Meet @jilliankmf. She's a runner and she's awesome. Oh and she PR'd her 10k this weekend. Boom!
I'm not gonna lie. This is a big reason why we run these races.
Some people take their medal pic in front of the castle. We take ours here.
