disneyland half marathon {race recap}

the disneyland half marathon will always hold a special place in my heart. in many ways, it’s the race that literally saved my life.

3 years ago, the disneyland half marathon was my first race - EVER. four months post baby & after two weeks of training, i laced up my sneakers, loaded up the playlist & hit the pavement running. i crossed the finish line that day with an new addiction  (some might even call an obsession) to running.

2 years ago, the disneyland half marathon was my “coming out party.” after four months of being unable to run (due to an injury that left me hardly able to walk), three different doctors, one active release technician,  one physical therapist, &  one reiki master/healer/guide/intuitive/past life guide (yes you read that correctly), i decided it was time to throw caution to the wind. two weeks prior to the race, i laced up my sneakers & went for seven training runs, before running this magical race once again. i crossed the finish line that day, re-confirming to myself that running wasn’t just a hobby – it was a necessity.

last year, the disneyland half marathon was was the race i had looked forward to all year. & when i smashed my previous PR by 15+ minutes, i couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as i crossed the finish line.

2012 disneyland half marathon

this year, i knew the disneyland half marathon would be different. although it was my fourth year running the disneyland half marathon, i had no goals.

mid-marathon-training, coming off hood to coast relay, with little-to-no taper (running 50+ miles the previous week, & 28 miles the week of, with only one day of rest isn’t exactly a proper taper), working the expo for two days from sun up to sun down, & spending nearly every other free moment running with jeff galloway, or riding rides at the disneyland resort – i didn’t have high expectations.

to be honest, i just didn’t want to re-live practically dying on-course (due to an asthma attack), like i did during my last half marathon, the princess half.

what can i say? mission accomplished.

& while jeff galloway wouldn’t be pleased to hear that i puked 4 times (he’s “against” puking), personally speaking – i had an amazing race.

i think it’s practically impossible to have a bad experience while running Disney.

running costumes? racing thru disneyland & disney’s california adventure (including cars land)? disney characters? cheerleading squads, dance teams, boy & girl scouts chanting my name? hula dancers? mariachi bands? plus being able to “round” home plate at angels stadium?

it really & truly is the happiest race on earth.

plus, for me – the disneyland half marathon represents a little something extra special…

i like to think of it as my runner-versary.

as i already mentioned, 3 years ago, the disneyland half marathon was my very first race – EVER.

& unbeknownst to me, i was suffering from post-partum depression (ppd).

i had been living life in a deep, dark tunnel, constantly trying to reach that itty bitty light i saw peeping through. the drugs had helped a bit (prescribed of course), taking the edge off, and making the light a wee bit more obtainable.

but i quickly realized that running helped me more.

running quickly became the one thing i looked forward to each & every day. it’s helped me reach out & actually grab that pin prick of light at the end of the tunnel.

i can’t even imagine where i would be today had i not signed up to run that first disneyland half marathon.

who knew a race could have such a life changing impact on one’s life?

while it may not have been my fastest race ever (i missed a PR by a mere 20 seconds), it was definitely one of my favorites.

running through the cutest little town in carburetor county, with the neon on, was a highlight.

hearing the roar of the crowd when they realized i was dressed as a fireside girl from phineas and ferb, was heart warming.

high-fiving every single boy scout & girl scout, while running into & thru angel stadium, as they literally chanted my name, brought tears to my eyes.

but knowing the my brf’s (best running friends) carrie & elise were not far behind me, as well as my sister kerry june, brother russell & sister-in-law kristen – that was priceless!

being able to share an experience like this with people you love is absolutely amazing!

 2012 disneyland half marathon by the numbers:

* total time 1:42:14, with a pace of 7:47 minutes per mile
* 14th place out of 1,647 women in my age group
* 72nd place out of 9,340women
* 354st place overall, out of 14,829 participants
* 5K split time 23:33
* 10K split time 48:06
* 15K split time 1:12: 19

it may be a year away – but you can be sure i’ll be back in 2013. anyone want to join me in making plans for next year’s disneyland half marathon?