disneyland half/coast to coast race challenge.

a dream is a wish your heart makes.....

i ran in the park that walt disney actually set foot in.
amazing.

the disneyland half marathon is called the happiest race on earth.  and i believe it.  i had so much fun!  i was so worried going into that race, but when the time came, i went in with no worries, other than hoping my potty issues would not make an appearance (for once they didn't! tmi, sorry.).  i went into it like i had said i would earlier.  walk if needed, do what you can, enjoy the experience, and be IN the experience.

race day started early, as they all do, especially in a disney race.  it was so different than at wdw.  our hotel was right on the grounds and we just walked over.  it was so STRESSLESS!  no buses to worry about, no monorails.  i was there in 20 minutes, in my corral.  i especially enjoyed the short walk to the corrals.  i was in my corral about 45 minutes early.  plenty of time.  as with wdw races, disneyland places you in corrals (a through g) depending on your proof time and estimated finish.  this time i was in corral b.  i met some new friends to wait with in the corral, and that helped pass the time.

the race started, and off i went.  i tried to stay at a moderate pace for me, as not to wear out early.  the weather during our entire stay in california was HOT.  upper 90's race weekend.  as we took off, the sun was already peeking up over the horizon, at just before 6 a.m. (what was nice was no humidity, like there is here in the east!)

just past mile 2 we hit the parks.  i was unsure about this, b/c at wdw, you have the parks hit the course at 5 miles, giving you something to work toward and keep you excited, but this time, the parks were done by mile 4!  once inside the parks, i stopped at every character stop, except one, and i stopped many times just to take a photo of the surroundings.  it was so fun.  i think this was the first race where i had a smile on my face the entire time.  running through the castle turned into walking for all of us, by that point it had gotten congested.  as i left the park, heading for the streets of anaheim, i realized the later corrals had caught up to me, and i was now running with corral g.  most of which were walkers, with some slower runners and run walkers in there.  i spent the rest of my race weaving in and out of them, just to try to keep some sort of pace.

at mile 4 i saw my chearleaders.  it was fun to see them and get a boost of energy, even if it was only mile 4. i pretty much looked at it as a 9 mile race, as in the weeks before, i told myself to enjoy the parks and after that it would be a 9 mile race, and that is exactly what i did!

i stopped to visit my mom, dad, and aunt at mile 4 before heading off.  after i left them, it was funny, there was an upward incline overpass, and i ran up the whole thing, by passing all the walkers.  the cheerleaders at that point were all yelling "go maggie" and it was so funny.  i felt bad passing up all the walkers, but it felt like i was winning a race as i ran past them.  it was so funny to me to be the "fast" one.  it was an odd moment to be running through a sea of walking people, but i was proud of all of us out there, no matter how we were racing, we all had the same goal.  To finish 13.1 miles!  

i have to say that i think this race has more "outside" support than the wdw races.  wdw definitely has the support and does a good job, and are able to do disney things on all the boring parts as it is their property.  but after this race, disneyland had a lot of non disney support throughout the anaheim streets, where i was worried of getting bored and unmotivated, but that never happened.  i was worried it'd get boring after the parks, but that was not true.  there were many cheerleading and dance teams out there, and bands, and hula dancers and mariachi bands.  for a couple of miles, was some sort of old car association, that lined the streets with old cars from 50+ years ago to the 80's or 90's.  there were lots of beeping and sounds of encouragement from them.

running through angel stadium was pretty awesome too!  just before heading into the stadium, as well as inside, were tons of boy scouts and cub scouts shouting out support and cheering their hearts out.  it was amazing!  we were filmed on the jumbo tron, but i didn't see myself up there!  it was such a neat experience.

the only complaint i had was a lot of the race was running into direct sunlight, making it hard to see, and i got a nice face burn, but it didn't bother me too much.

i spent so much time in the parks "playing" along the route, that it really delayed my time.  i wasn't out for time, but somehow getting pushed back into the walker section, probably also slowed me down, between dodging and weaving to find a path to run, and at times having to slow down to a slow jog, or even a walk due to congestion and not being able to get around in tighter spots helped slow my time down.  i am proud to say that i only walked when i absolutely had to, and it was not by choice.  it was by being crowded with   people and no room to weave around, or at a water stop where it is easier for me to walk and drink, rather than jog and drink.

all in all i had a great time, and i would like to go back and do it again.  now that i really took in the experience, maybe next time i would limit my stops more (like i did at the last wdw princess half i did), and try to improve my time.  (i will never have a pr at a disney race, other than maybe a "disney race" pr, b/c you have to stop and take a photo with a character along the way!  part of the fun!)

getting the coast to coast medal was a dream come true.  i have had that medal in my head as well as this disneyland half in my sight, for a couple of years now, and to finally have done it is a dream come true.  or as i was recently told, i reached a life goal.  something i didn't consider as such, but i guess it was a life goal!  it feels good to have achieved it.  and both medals are awesome!

the disneyland half really is the happiest race on earth, and full of disney magic.  missions accomplished.

it was my slowest half marathon ever, but it was one of the most fun!

final time:  3:09:17   (1 hour slower than my best half marathon to date!)

i am also so happy and pleased with how i felt during the race, i felt good (maybe having to slow down due to the crowded back corral helped?)  and didn't tire out in the way i thought i would, even with the heat.  in the days after the race i had my "normal soreness", but that was it.  i think i held up well, i definitely felt better after this race than i did after the princess last february.  i think i also did a good job of taking it easy the day before the race, something i didn't do so well at the princess.  all in all, i was happy with how i felt.

i needed this race more than i knew.  not for a pr, but for my sanity.  it helped take away the anxiety and sadness i have been feeling this year, even if just for a week.  it gave me the spark back.  disney does that.  magic.

(after uploading the photos, i realize now, i went overly camera happy!  there are a LOT on here, and i didn't even upload them all onto this post!  i see now how i got so behind in the race!  it was worth it though!)

at the expo

this bracelet got my coast to coast medal after the finish!

ready to sparkle in my new team sparkle skirt!

the happiest race on earth....

started outside the disneyland hotel, and then took us through disney california adventure park

then we crossed the esplanade in downtown disney between both parks, with lots of cheering....

and then entered disneyland!

jasmine suggested the running pose!

cEARleaders!

after about 5 miles on the roads of anaheim, which were filled with lots of  crowd support from high school bands, to cheerleaders and hula dancers, to fun signs, we headed into angel stadium, home of the anaheim angels baseball team!  this is the only other major league baseball stadium i have been in (other than in cleveland), let alone on the field!

 after angel stadium it was 3 miles to the finish line.  i found my family in the reunion area!

thanks to my aunt and parents for the onsite support!

jumping for joy, i did it!

the medals are really nice, and the coast to coast is heavy!

the medals that earned the coast to coast medal....
disneyland half marathon and the princess half marathon

disneyland half  +  wdw princess half  +  2012 = coast to coast!!

i had a blast running the disneyland half, and am so happy to have accomplished my goal of coast to coast.

when you wish upon a star.............

.....dreams really do come true.