As most of you know, I had to bail out of the half marathon due to my stress fracture. I started walking again just two days before we left for Disney. It was pretty depressing to be around all the runners at the expo and race knowing that I wasn't going to be able to do it, especially because this is my favorite race in the entire world. But there were A TON of fun things that happened on this trip that totally made up for it:
Dad finished his first half marathon! He's officially a half marathoner! Even in the cold and rainy conditions, he and Matthew rocked it. I am so, so, so proud of him :-)
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| runDisney events are all about love and friendship. And a little bit of running :-) |
I finished my first post-injury 5k! [Check out the recap here!] It took a little over an hour and we walked the whole time but we made it. Our friend Jenn walked it with us and Nathan grabbed some awesome pictures of us finishing. It truly was a magical moment. I will forever be grateful that the injury gods allowed me to complete my first post-injury race at Disney.
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| So grateful Nathan captured this moment! |
We got to spend a lot of time in the parks with both of our families. Dad and his girlfriend Margie came on the trip with us and Matthew's cousin Bridget and her husband Alan came up for a few days. It was truly a fun vacation in the happiest place on earth. We visited all four parks and rode almost all of our favorite rides. We also got to enjoy amazing food and beverages at Epcot during the Food & Wine Festival.
Overall, it was a kick ass weekend- even without running. If you are considering visiting Disney during the Food & Wine Festival or participating in the Wine & Dine Half Marathon, I highly recommend it. It's a great weekend to be in the parks and the race itself is awesome- even with crappy weather.
In less than two months we'll be back at the World for our Goofy Challenge trip which includes Margie's first 10k and Dad's first marathon. And I know this trip will be just as awesome as the last- Disney sort of has that effect on you :-)
It was a truly awesome weekend! It was so great to finally meet you, even though I was so nervous about the race at the time that I could hardly stand it. When the fireworks went off signaling the start of the race, all of my anxiety turned to excitement, just like you said it would. Aside from having soaked feet and not being able to see out of my glasses the whole time because they were wet (I just followed the blurry, runner-shaped blobs), I had a great time. I was worried that my Achilles would act up, but it didn't. I was very sore for a couple of days afterward, but that's OK, because I FINISHED A FREAKING HALF MARATHON!!! I'm glad to hear that your dad finished his first one too. I will definitely do this race again next year, and I have decided to do my first marathon at WDW in 2016. I have a whole year to train (and remove about 20 excess pounds). A year ago, I would never have believed that I could become a runner. Your blog is so inspirational, and I hope to see you again at another runDisney event! :)
ReplyDeleteLisa! It was so great to meet you! I'm so glad you had a great time- congratulations again :-)
DeleteAnd the marathon?!?!?! Way to go! As you know, Disney is probably the best place to run a distance race- I know you'll love the 26.2 distance. And hopefully the weather will be better.
I am SUPER proud of you! Continue to bask in the glory of your awesomeness... and then start training for the next one! :-)
I love runDisney events! So great to meet you in person, and so very happy you were able to run your first race post-injury there. Glad you were had so much fun with your family and friends :)
ReplyDeleteOh, and PS - what an adorable picture of you and Matthew holding hands! Love it.
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