confessions in running.

i have a small confession.  i have pretty much stated that i would never run a marathon.  never even consider it.  and if i did run said marathon, it would most likely be the disney world marathon.

well, last year, the trickle of a thought of actually trying to do a full marathon came to more of a realization that maybe i could try it, and maybe i sorta wanted to try.  i didn't act on it beyond looking at very few training plans for a first marathon.  i didn't train for one, and the later half of 2012 i kind of slacked in any sort of training, and only tried to keep up with a half training which was a half assed effort due to other things going on in life that just slowed me down.

so about 2 months ago, i decided this was the year to try a marathon. i had been thinking about it since last may, and really thought about it during the fall after the disneyland half.  i had read many blog recaps on marathons, and actually thought, maybe i could do it.  if i had to walk i would. i would run it slow and at my pace, to say i did it.  i found a training plan in december and sat on the thought.  early in january, i started to use that training plan after making some adjustments to it to fit for me.  i was actually in training for a full marathon.  i told no one as to not put pressure on myself of others knowing what i might try to do.  going into it, i told myself if it felt too hard, or not right, that i would drop back down to the half distance and work on that some more, as it has become a favorite distance for me.

it was funny, after i finally decided to try it, i was out to dinner with my mom, best friend and her mom, and the topic of me ever running a full marathon came up.  i was questioned by my best friend if i would ever do one.  i just kinda shrugged it off, saying if i ever did it would be at disney or here at home in a local marathon, but in my head i was giggling, as i had just started the training plan a couple weeks before, but not ready to admit it outloud to anyone yet.

i told myself to try the training plan, and if i felt i could keep it up and follow through, i would do the cleveland marathon this may.  i did really well following my plan, sticking to the mileage for each week.  i changed it around a bit, since i had already established a base for my princess half marathon in february.  i listed the princess half as a training long run.  i was proud of myself for keeping up with the mileage.  after the princess half, is when the mileage really started to get scary.  i felt myself putting pressure on myself to do it.  this was why i did not mention this marathon training plan to anyone, so there was no pressure.  not that they would have put pressure on me, but me knowing they knew, pressured me!  (my mind is a work of art, let me tell you).  i know that everyone would have been supportive, but it felt easier for me to keep it to myself til i was sure i would really be running a full marathon.

a couple weeks ago, my plan called for my longest long run to date, of 15 miles.  i was scared.  i had run 14 miles before the princess, and that didn't scare me at all.  but for some reason, 1 more mile to make it 15 scared me to death!  i got out and got it done, and it hurt.  throughout the whole run, i was not fully there, but tried to really put myself "there".  i took it slow, and walked short spurts to fuel.  i was so happy to be done. my legs and feet were so tired, and from my hips down it all hurt. how could i keep going for 11 more miles if i felt that way, was running through my head.  (i do know, that is why we train, but how i felt definitely intimidated me).   that week was my longest mileage week of my life, having done that long 15 miler, as well as 15 miles total (by 3 separate runs) during the week, which equaled out to 30 miles run that week.  i was pretty proud of myself for following through.

i also was not too proud to admit to myself (and to my mom who i had confessed this plan to while i was in florida) that i was not ready to commit fully to the marathon distance.  i know i may have had a bad long run, and future ones may not have been as bad, but it was enough for me to feel that i was not ready to proceed so quickly to up the mileage. (running can be as much mental as it is physical, and that is definitely true for me, especially as i tried to do this).  i didn't want to overdo it, or risk injury.  (i have had some sore feet issues since that 15 miler).  also, the time to commit to training (as well as the winter weather that won't go away) contributed to my choice.  i am not an early riser (unless it is sooo hot outside and i have to get the run in in hot summer time), and i enjoy my weekends.  i was not fully committed to giving up so many saturday or sunday 2+ hours each weekend and post long run many times, i don't want to do anything but lay on the couch.  at this time of year, probably the one benefit to winter running, is you don't have to be up before dawn beat the heat.  you can get up at a normal hour and go out.  so some days, my day is gone by the end of the long run.  i know it does not have to be like that, but for me, i am being selfish with time.

i am proud i committed to trying it, and seeing if i could do it.  i know plenty of people who do train for their first marathon in the way i was going to.  i decided it was not for me.  i decided i would like to work on my longer distance runs on my own pace, without having a "deadline" ahead of me.  (race day).  i think that made me feel more pressured.  each week worrying about the longer distance and knowing i had to do 26.2 miles on a certain date, in a certain amount of weeks from now.  i decided that for me, i think working on longer distances will be a longer process for me.  maybe i can work on long runs like 15 miles a bit more and acclimate to such distances a little more to make it seem less daunting.  i just want to take my time to build my mileage.  and also, this cold, winter weather also pressured me, because i do not like going out in it to run, and to run for 2+ hours made the thought worse.  i do not like below freezing temps and snow/ice.  that definitely was hindering my thoughts to train.

i have not ruled out a full marathon.  but i will work toward the goal of training for one, if i feel like i still want to train for one, and so that i can feel more confident and physically a bit more ready to hit those mileage goals.  one thing i should remember that i have learned recently is, that rather than look at it as "so many more miles" than such and such distance, but look at it as more of  a time stretch; "17 miles is only 15 minutes longer than a 15 miler" type thought.  that is something that may work better for me, since i kinda freaked at the thought of 15 miles over 13 or 14.

for now, i am sticking to half marathon distance, and training to better my speed and time for that sort of race.  and if i feel like it, i will add in some longer runs,such as the 15 miler, so that maybe, when the time feels right, i will feel more confident and less pressured from myself, on achieving full marathon status.

i have to admit, when i came to the decision to put the marathon thought on hold, i felt relief lift from within.  i just felt too pressured (all me), and for me, this is something i will have to work toward.  i do know some people can just go out and get it done for the first time with an 18 week plan, or whatever, but for me, it will be a gradual process, and hopefully getting in some longer runs of 15 miles at least, will ease my worry!

i will say that i am proud that i kept up with the training for 8 weeks, almost half of the plan!  just knowing that i could keep up with that is a boost, because the training plan for marathons intimidates me more than the actual race itself!  (race is 26.2 miles on one day, whereas training is months worth!)

so i am not there yet, but way closer to 26.2 than i ever thought i would be.  2 years ago, i said "never".  and now i say "maybe."  we will see what the future holds.  never say never is what i have learned.   (and now the justin bieber "never say never" song is stuck in my head.  bad choice of words, but it is true for me!)

thanks for getting through my rambling.  they tend to be long.

Princess Half 5th Anniversary Recap.

The Disney Princess Half Marathon was celebrating it's 5th anniversary and I was not going to miss out! There was a special redesigned medal this year in celebration, and once I saw it, I was in.  It doesn't take much to get me to run at Disney World.  This was my 5th Disney half marathon, and it was just as wonderful and fun as my first! (although this race was so warm, while my first, the Disney Half, in January 2010, was in record cold temps and sleet/snow!).

My day started out early, very early.  I woke up at 2:15 a.m. to allow plenty of time to get myself ready and on a bus to the race start. Thanks to walking around the parks, my feet and legs already felt like they had run 13.1 miles already, so I took extra care of my feet prior to the race.  

I was excited to be in Corral A for the 2nd year in a row!  

 I was excited to wear my new team sparkle skirt for this race! My chEARleader aunt, was snapping photos of me getting ready (unbeknownst to me), adding that final touch before we headed to the bus stop to hitch our ride to the race.  

 I love Disney races.  They are so well organized, and the process is seamless.  Once at Epcot, we headed to the family reunion area of the race.  We found some porta potties just before the entryway into the family reunion area and with no lines so I made use of those!  (lots of hydrating leading up, it was high humidity and 70* at the start).  

 I had planned to try to  make the PBRC photo meetup, a running group page on facebook that I follow, but due to crowds and being stuck in a bottlenecked entrance, it was past meetup time, and I decided to head straight to my corral.  I was a little worried about getting to my corral on time, because last year the process was so overcrowded and slow, I made it to the corral literally just before the official start.  This year I did better about that!

My aunt wished me luck and headed off to the monorail to stake out a mile 4 spot, and I headed to the corrals.  

Since this was my 3rd Princess Half, I had decided to try to run the whole thing, without doing photo stops.  This is very unlike me at a Disney race, but I decided to try to challenge myself and see if I could better my "disney" race time.  I carried my camera just in case, but I only ended up using it before the race.  And here they are.  These are the only race photos I took. (the rest were from my aunt and the pros).

You're welcome.

Finally the Fairy Godmother sent us off with beautiful fireworks and words of inspiration!  It was time!  I was excited!  It was dark and muggy, but I tried to keep my pace where I wanted it to be, without over doing it.  I got into my groove and zoned out to my ipod.  Around Mile 4, I found Aunt Linda, I was already a sweaty mess.  She snapped this not so pretty photo of me.  I basically stopped for 1 second and told her I can't stop!  I am going!  I was in a groove and didn't want it to stop!  This is really a scary photo.  I apologize. 

 Miles 1 through 5 seemed to go by pretty quickly, for which I am glad, because before I knew it we were heading into the Magic Kingdom.  I love this part of the race!  Every day of training, you envision running up Main Street, with Cinderella's Castle beyond.  It is such a beautiful view!  The crowd support is always awesome throughout the whole race, but especially turning onto Main Street, it always sends chills up my arms!  I had a big smile on my face!  No matter how many times I have run this route, it never gets old!

 After Main Street, we turned into Tomorrowland, on through Fantasyland, and then the other big moment, the run through the castle!  Another moment of chills down the arms!  I tried to do a jump pose for the photographer, but it was a fail!  Instead, I look like I am flying.  Oops.  

Ok, I lied.  I stopped once.  I decided to try to do a jump shot in front of the castle.  There wasn't a line, so I figured I would give it a shot!  Well, it kinda worked.  Except they got me as I was on my way down.  And you can't even see the castle so I look like I am half jumping in the dark for kicks.  Goals for next year.  Get a jump shot.

After the excitement of the castle, we wound our way through Liberty Square and Frontierland, then backstage to get back out onto the road.  This was the more boring part.  Road.  Grass.  More road.  I tried to zone out and keep my pace, although it was a little slower than I wanted, but it was hot and I didn't want to overdo it, and I knew if I kept it up, I could have a new disney pr.  I wanted to save energy for the Mile 10 cloverleaf.  Oh yes.  Uphill, in a circle, with slanted road.  Take that feet and legs.  Then came Mile 11 and 12 with 2 rather stretchy inclines.  Take that some more legs.  But those legs ran up all 3.  Stubborn determination right there, people.  I was done though after Mile 12.  I saw Aunt Linda, and waved but couldn't stop.  If I did, I might fall over.  Finally we entered Epcot and I tried to amp it up to finish strong.  My legs were done!  I was still smiling though!!

 Almost there!  I wanted that awesome medal!!!!

Bam!!  A new "Disney" race PR!!  By 11 minutes! (actually, it is one of my better race times overall).

Making my experience complete was high fiving Mickey Mouse himself, just as I crossed the finish line!

It never ceases to amaze me, as I cross a finish line, that I did it!  I always get emotional at the end. No matter how many races that I have done, that this non-athletic girl, the one who was last chosen for teams in gym class, the one who couldn't run a block, crossed yet another 13.1 miles off the to do list.  I am a runner!  Hard work pays off.  And it did for 25,000+ people that day.  I was proud of all of us.

 Proud was all I could feel, not only for myself for following through with my goals, but for every person who crossed that start line and giving their all.  

My aunt took this photo of the finish just before I crossed it.  What's up with the 2 different times?!!!

So excited over my new pr!  2:14:25

 This was my 9th half marathon, and my 5th Disney half marathon.  I couldn't be more happier or excited than I was for the first!  Disney never disappoints, and I had a blast.  Every mile really is magic at Disney.  Running these races makes all the cold, snowy training runs worth it.  Nobody does it better than Disney does, I mean, where else can you run in such fun costumes and sparkly skirts and tutu's?  And wearing tiara's on your head.  Even men join in on the fun.  Disney knows how to do races right, and I totally love it.  The whole experience is awesome.  

 After the race I found a couple of friends to share in my glory.  Ariel was such a chatterbox, I couldn't get a word in edgewise.  She really liked all my sparkle.  Thanks to Run Team Sparkle for that!  She also liked my headband and wanted to get some for her sisters.

Jasmine was envious of my new bling.

I rehydrated with water and a diet coke.  It's all I wanted when I was done running!

I met my goals, and am completely happy with my finish time. 

I absolutely love my new medal.  I love my sparkly skirt, too!  I want to wear it all the time! Both of them!

After the race, I got all cleaned up, and we played at the Magic Kingdom, before calling it a day.  It had been a long one, but a very fulfilling one!  

My stats:

Clock time: 2:15:29

Net time:   2:14:25

Overall place:  2169 out of 22,734

Gender place:  1926 out of 21,236

Division place:  325 out of 3,248

5k split:  32:18

10k split:  1:03:57

15k split:  1:36:16

Thank you for a run well done, runDisney!!  What fun, I can't wait to do it all again!

Dreaming magical Disney Dreams!  (I never took that thing off once I had it!)

 Next up for me at Disney will be  the Wine n Dine half marathon!  A night time event!  Excited!

 Thanks for reading this overly long post!   

Do you have a rundisney race planned?

*my previous rundisney races*

2010 disney world half

2011 princess half

2012 princess half

2012 disneyland half marathon and coast to coast challenge

15 miles.

I had a pdr yesterday. PDR = personal distance record for those who don't know runner lingo.   I ran 15 freakish miles!  It was part of my training plan if I felt I could do it.  I felt like crap half way through, but determination made me keep going to say I did it.  I went slow (for me), although at times I found myself at my normal pace, way too early in the run which didn't help my legs near the end.  I tried to slow back when I found my times too high.  You are supposed to go slower than your race pace when doing long runs.  I pretty much did for the most part.  My legs and feet just hurt at the end!  I craved coke with ice and a cupcake by the end.  I got the coke with ice, but settled for a doughnut instead, b/c that was readily available.  I even took an ice bath.  Note: ice bath for me equals a tub with cold water.  That was painful!  I think it helped some though.  So I can now say I ran 15 miles.  Phew.  Not sure I can go much further than that.  At least til 15 becomes a bit more comfortable!