2019 WDW Marathon Weekend: Spectating the Half Marathon

For 2019, Matthew and I each chose one race to run during the weekend. I chose the full, he chose the half. So a few Saturdays ago, we woke up at o'dark thirty and headed to Epcot for the start of the 2019 WDW Half Marathon. 

Three Dopeys, a Donald, and a Mickey.

We met up at the usual spot with our ohana (Jeff, Katherine, and Nathan) who were all doing the Dopey Challenge- in fact, they are all PERFECT FREAKING DOPEYS! How amazing are they?

After we chatted for a while and planned where I would see everybody on the course, the runners headed back to the corrals and I headed for the monorail... with a quick pit stop for a coffee and a breakfast sandwich on the way. 😉

Thank you, runDisney, for having quick service meals available at the start. 👊

I walked towards the front of the park and got on the monorail for the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC). This way, I would be able to see Matthew at mile 3.9 and then jump on the monorail to the Grand Floridian and see him again at mile 7.2. 

When I got to the TTC, it was pretty empty and I was able to pick out my spot at the very end of the TTC, right as the runners are leaving and headed back onto the highway. I started chatting with a very nice young man [oh God, does that make me an old lady now?!] who is a sophomore at UCF. His mom and sister-in-law were running the half so we made casual conversation for about 30 minutes before the first runners came through. I didn't catch his name but I did catch a picture of his awesome sign:

Matthew was running with his phone so we had been communicating during the start and the first few miles. He texted me when he was at mile 3 so I knew when to start looking for him. While I waited for him, I got to see Nathan and Katharine and our friend, Justin.

Just a casual hello during a half marathon. Hey, Justin. 😉 

To answer your question, yes, I am available as a race photographer. 😜 Nathan and Katherine kicking ass.

I had a supply of clementines, beef jerky, and crackers available for Matthew and at mile 3.9, he was requesting clementines. So I peeled a baby orange and got it ready for him as he headed towards me with Jeff- they were running the half together. 

What some people will do for a free piece of fruit. Ha!

Can you tell how humid it was?!

After seeing my guys and making sure they were ok, I headed back to the monorail to get to the Grand Floridian. The race route goes right past the Grand Floridian Convention Center so it's very easy to get from where the monorail lets you out to the race course. 

While I rode the monorail, Jeff and Matthew stormed the castle.

Matthew texted me at mile 7 so I knew to when to start looking for him. I had more oranges ready for him as he was just about halfway to the finish.

Have cowbell, will spectate.

There they are!

My sweaty guys. 💜

After seeing them off, I headed back to the monorail to get to Epcot to meet them somewhere between miles 11 and 12. We didn't have a defined meeting spot because I wasn't sure exactly where I'd be able to get to by the time I got back to the park. 

On the monorail, it was very cool to see the sunrise over the Grand Floridian and then see the runners on the highways around Walt Disney World. Having never spectated the half before, it was a pretty awesome experience to watch the race from above. 

Pretty.

That sun is hotter than it looks.

Hi, runners! 👋

When I got to Epcot, I headed over to the park exit near where the buses park. I texted Matthew to let him know where I was. I had gotten there just in time to see him one last time before the finish.

Almost done!

After seeing him start his victory lap of the park, I headed over to the family reunion area near the finish. We had a predetermined meeting place right outside of bag check. When I got there Nathan and Katherine were already waiting and together we waited for Jeff and Matthew. 

Almost to Future World.

Close to mile 13!

Finishers!

Finally, we saw Matthew and Jeff come through bag check and got to congratulate our finishers! After sitting for a while, we headed into Epcot to enjoy a lap around World Showcase before going back to our resort to rest. 

This guy.

Happy finishers.

So proud of my finisher.

While we were in Epcot, the race was actually still going on, so we got to cheer on the last finishers. We also stopped at Starbucks and ran into these two guys, still running, who took a break to grab a frappuccino on their way to the finish. 😂

"I'm going to hang by the bar. Put out the vibe."

And in true Disney wall fashion, Matthew took a picture with the infamous bubblegum wall. 😏

So trendy.

All in all, it was a successful day of running and spectating. Watching other people run sounds like the most boring thing in the world, but it is actually really inspiring. Watching Matthew complete his half marathon made me so proud- he's a freaking rock star. 

So proud. 💙

With the half marathon complete, Matthew and I packed our bags for the marathon and tried to get some rest. We had another long day of running and spectating in front of us! 

Flat runner for the full marathon.

Have you ever spectated a Disney race? 

Five Things Friday: WDW Marathon Edition

THE WALT DISNEY WORLD MARATHON WEEKEND IS NEXT WEEK!

This marathon has really crept up on me- it feels like yesterday Matthew and I were debating about which races we wanted to do this year. Despite feeling a little unprepared, I am so excited for all the fun that comes along with the WDW Marathon Weekend. Without any other fanfare, here's a quick Five Things Friday all about my favorite things at one of my favorite race weekends of the year!

1. The Expo

2018 Expo.

For as crowded as the expo has been the last few years, I still absolutely love checking out all the booths, looking at all the unique Disney and runDisney merchandise, and browsing all the cool running-related vendors. This year, I'm excited that they've made some changes to the layout of the expo (added another building) and I'm hopeful this will cut down on some of the congestion... and maybe have added some new vendors! 

2. Cigna Blogger Meet-Up

Racing through a scavenger hunt in Hollywood Studios in 2017.

For the last few years, I have been invited to the Cigna Blogger Meet-Up at WDW Marathon Weekend. This event is always a blast and I love hanging with new and old friends. This year, we will be in Epcot for the afternoon- keep an eye on instagram and twitter (both @sparklyrunner) for updates about the event!

3. Running Ohana

Meet-up before the 2018 marathon.

Even though we get to see our running Ohana a few times a year, meeting up at Disney is a special event. We met the majority of our crew for the first time during the inaugural Dopey Challenge in 2014 and that's when we established the pre-race meet-up. It's become one of my favorite parts of our "routine" during Marathon Weekend and always helps calm my pre-race nerves when I can hang with dear friends beforehand. 💜 

4. Spectating at Disney

Spectating at Cinderella's Castle in 2015.

Spectating races is fun already, but when you add in thousands and thousands of runners and Mickey Mouse?! So. Much. Fun. Because I'm only running one of the four races this weekend, I'm looking forward to cheering on runners during the other three races. 

5. Running Down Main Street USA

TFW the castle comes into view.

Nothing compares to running down Main Street USA during a race. The picture above is from my first marathon- I'll never forget the overwhelming emotions I experienced when I ran towards the castle back in 2014. It's still one of the main reasons I love this race so much- I can't wait to see it again in just a few days!

Will you be at WDW Marathon Weekend? What are you looking forward to?

WDW Marathon Weekend 2018 Recap: Part I

This recap will cover the WDW Marathon Weekend expo. Stay tuned for recaps of the 5k, 10k, Cigna Blogger Event, the WDW Half Marathon, and the WDW Marathon!

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend holds such a special place in my heart; in 2014 I ran my first marathon as part of the Dopey Challenge (and met all of my running ohana for the first time in person!), in 2015 I got to finish my dad's first marathon with him, and in 2017 Matthew and I ran the full marathon together and then celebrated on a cruise ship. So many great memories are made during this weekend and 2018 was no exception.

For 2018, Matthew and I flew down to Orlando on a Tuesday. We always like to schedule our flight to come down a few days before the first race (5k on Thursday) just in case our flight would get delayed or canceled- we'd still have some time to catch a later flight or arrange other travel arrangements.

This year we stayed at Port Orleans French Quarter which was the first time we didn't stay at a value resort for this particular race weekend- we'd actually stayed at French Quarter for my first runDisney race, the Princess Half Marathon in 2012.

When we got to Disney on that Tuesday, it was too cold to swim (our original plan) with temps in the 40's, so we unpacked a bit and then took the river boat at the resort to Disney Springs instead.

French Quarter is the most beautiful hotel on Disney property. Matthew's not too bad either ;-)

Lucky for us, we were able to meet up with Dani and Tori for dinner at Blaze. The last time we saw them was at our wedding a year and a half ago so it was so awesome to catch up with them before the hustle and bustle of race weekend started. Fun fact, we first met Dani during WDW Marathon Weekend 2014!

Internet friends are the best kind of friends!

After browsing lots of shops at Disney Springs, we said our goodbyes to our friends and headed back to French Quarter to get a good night's sleep before the expo the next day.

On Wednesday morning, Matthew and I went for a short shake-out run around French Quarter and its sister resort, Port Orleans Riverside. There is a 1.7 mile long river-front path that connects the two resorts- I'd argue it the most runner-friendly resort on Disney property. In fact, after staying there for WDW Marathon Weekend, I can confidently say that this resort is my favorite place to stay in Disney :-)

After our run, we got showered and then headed to the buses to get to the expo- it opened at noon and we were able to get on a bus at 11:30 am. We arrived to Wide World of Sports (WWOS) a few minutes after noon.

As soon our bus pulled into WWOS, it started pouring down rain. With temps in the 40's, the rain made it feel 15 degrees colder! We got up towards the building to get Matthew's Dopey Challenge bib and there was a long line outside the HP Field House. So we waited. In the rain. And the wind. It was an unpleasant 15 minutes until we finally got inside.

All smiles... before we saw the lines. 

Once inside, Matthew picked up his bib, got his picture taken (for the challenge medals), and then picked up his race shirts. We thought then we'd be able to go down to the floor level to see the official merchandise like we had in year's past- we were wrong.

Check out that sweet poncho :-)

Official merch area. The line to check out is on the left side.

New for this year, runDisney only allowed a certain number of people into the official merchandise area at a time- similar to a night club. Naturally, a line formed to get into the merch area.

So, we followed directions from cast members and went outside the building to wait in the merchandise line...

Eventually that line circled the field behind it.

...until a cast member told us the estimated wait time was two hours. Two. Whole. Hours. Just to look at shirts and magnets and mugs?! In the freezing cold rain?! No thanks.

We passed on the official merch and headed to the Visa Athletic Center to pick up my bibs and shirts. Once I picked up my bibs and race shirts (which was SUPER easy), we headed to runner relations to see if I could upgrade to the Goofy Challenge. Since I'd registered for the half marathon and marathon separately, I wasn't technically running the Goofy Challenge- I would have had to register for the challenge on its own, not just register for the two separate races. At the runner relations booth, I explained my situation and asked the runDisney staff member if I could possibly be entered into the Goofy Challenge- I told her that I really didn't need the Goofy Medal, I really just wanted the shirt. She told me I couldn't be entered into the challenge but that I could go buy a shirt over in the other building. Whomp, whomp.

Banners hanging inside the Visa Athletic Center.

After that disappointing encounter, we headed into the aisles of booths at the expo. We chatted up folks at the Altra booth (Hi, Kyle!) and waited in line to meet Jeff Galloway- always a favorite at runDisney events! I snagged a clearance Raw Threads tank for $15 (!), a fun pair of rainbow shwings for my shoes from Sparkle Athletic, and a bunch of free food samples :-)

Always making friends.

After visiting all the places we wanted, we headed outside where the sun had finally come out. We stopped for a few pictures and then headed back to French Quarter to get ready for our first of four super early wake up calls.

What's up, Goof?!

All in all, this wasn't the greatest expo experience for us. The super long lines were disappointing, we missed seeing some of the usual vendors (Sparkle Skirts, Champion, New Balance), and the way it was organized and laid out was a bit confusing to navigate.

However, it was awesome to see Altra, chat with Jeff Galloway, and I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly and easily I was able to pick up my bibs and race shirts.

After returning to our room from the expo, Matthew and I laid out our stuff for the next day, set an alarm for 2:30 am (and a back up for 2:45!), and climbed into bed by 7 pm. The Dopey schedule might be tough but we were tougher! :-)

Stay tuned for the next recap: the WDW 5k, WDW 10k, and Cigna Blogger Event!

Cigna Inspires: Overcoming Cancer and Celebrating Life

Hey y'all- IT'S FINALLY WDW MARATHON WEEKEND!!

I'll be posting like a maniac on Instagram and Twitter this week/weekend so make sure you're following along to see all the Disney goodness!

In honor of this week-long celebration of running, I have another inspirational runner to introduce you to, Bindu Panapalli. Bindu has survived ovarian cancer and a resulting injury to her leg due to eight rounds of chemotherapy. Despite the challenges she's faced, Bindu will toe the line for the Walt Disney World 10k on Friday. Thank you, Cigna, for allowing me to share these awesome stories! Enjoy!

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Bindu Panapalli, 47 years old and resident of Glen Allen, Va. near Richmond, always felt a desire to help people with cancer through research. By February 2016, she found herself at the start of 18 months of firsthand experience battling the disease through three surgeries and eight rounds of chemo – she just didn’t know it at the time.

Her journey began with a scheduled surgery to treat fibroids and a hysterectomy, leaving her bedridden. Six weeks later, persistent pain led the doctor to find a bowel obstruction and scheduled another surgery. This time, the doctor discovered ovarian cancer and it spread. Six rounds of chemotherapy, which also caused numbness in her leg hindering her ability to walk, stretched from summer into the fall. By November, the third surgery removed the rest of the cancer, but the battle still required two more rounds of chemotherapy in February 2017 before she could finally say she would feel like she’s truly recovering.

“I never thought I would get cancer,” Bindu recalled. “Even before all this, I wanted to help people with cancer as a researcher. After the diagnosis and treatment, I volunteered at the cancer treatment center every Thursday encouraging people during chemotherapy treatment. I was even on the bone marrow donor list.”

By August, she felt ready to start thinking about a return to work. She researched what her employer’s Cigna disability insurance benefits offered including the vocational coaching program, so she requested referral. That’s when she met Robin Randol, her Cigna vocational coach, who offered assistance.

“Every customer’s needs are different,” said Robin. “What she wanted was to build up her physical strength, so we talked about self-care and various strategies and tips to address fatigue and stamina. She also wanted to find a new job that matched her passion. We talked about career goals, updated her resume, and I provided help researching job leads.”

Well-educated, Bindu’s background includes nearly enough for a doctorate from India. She hopes to take her work history, education, and personal experience to help people.

“I want to help people,” said Bindu. “I want to interact with patients. Not sit in a lab anymore, but a make a real difference in people’s lives. Now, that I’ve had this experience fighting cancer, I can be even more helpful.”

Robin helped prepare her for job interviews and gave her the encouragement she’s needed to help take back her health and move closer to a job for which she can feel truly passionate.

One of the training programs Robin offered was the Cigna customer referral program with Achilles International, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities participate in athletic events. Cigna partners with organizations like Achilles International to help customers achieve their health and return to work goals by providing: access to additional rehabilitation resources including ergonomic office equipment, software, education and accommodations to help customers stay safe and be productive at work, encouragement and support, resume review and job placement assistance.

As a result of her hard work and dedication, Cigna offered Bindu the opportunity to participate in the Walt Disney World® 10K presented by Cigna on Friday, January 5th as a member of Team Cigna. She will be guided on the race course by Jonathan Prokup, Cigna's executive sponsor of Achilles International and General Counsel for Cigna.

“I’m celebrating my 21st wedding anniversary in January at the race,” said Bindu. “When I cross that finish line, I want to raise a glass and celebrate life.”

The Cigna Customer Referral Program with Achilles International demonstrates Cigna’s promise to partner with customers “Together, All the Way” along their unique health journey. When injury or illness occurs, Cigna helps them get back on track to achieve their goals.

“For Cigna customers, participating in a race represents a healthy milestone on the road to recovery, but also independence,” said Robin. “As people gain physical strength, they also build confidence, which can positively affect all areas of your life.”

“Cancer is a part of me,” said Bindu. “It changed my life completely. Now, because of Robin, I’m back at work part time work with a new employer building towards full time. I want to thank Robin because now I can look forward.”

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Pretty amazing, right?!

If you're running this weekend at Disney (or anywhere else), GOOD LUCK! Remember, when your legs get tired, run with your heart. ❤