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We know you had a full holiday weekend: running, racing, sleeping in, whatever you did, we support it!

Happy Labor Day!

Now that it’s over, we’re back to talking running on Tuesdays on the Run. This week the topic is FREE TOPIC.

Yep: if it’s running related, it’s legit.

Link up with Erika, Marcia and me for this week’s Tuesdays on the Run.

Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Recap

 

I got home late last night and slept pretty much all day today. I think my body was telling me something: Shenanigans, you are out of Disney shape, my friend!

This weekend whooped my bootay, and I *only* ran the 10K. I say only not to downplay the distance but to distinguish between my usual 2-3 race weekend.

I arrived late on Thursday, stayed up later than I should have chatting with my roommate Jane, and then woke up way too early to top it off.

We didn’t mean to get up at 5:30, but when at runDisney, I suppose our bodies just knew what was expected of us.

We headed to the parks for some breakfast and some rides, enjoying the Disneyland 60th Anniversary one last time.

I got one final trip on Hyperspace Mountain, and I sure hope it’s only gone for a little while. I would love to see this back as a semi- permanent attraction.

Around lunchtime, I headed over to meet my friend Mindy from This Fairytale Life and we hit up the Cigna Blogger Meetup. These events are a lot of fun with laughter intertwined with learning about health. (More to come on this one!)

Thanks, Cigna, for continuing to support the runners at Disneyland and encouraging healthy practices.

After a few more rides, a nice dinner, and laying out our race clothes, we hit the hay pretty early for the 10K in the morning.

Soooo… the 10K.

I did everything wrong in this race that you could do.

Starting with, oh, putting very little effort into my training.

Look, I don’t pretend to take the racing aspect seriously, but I KNOW BETTER than this. I know me, and I know my body, and I can’t just whip out a 10K without working for it. This summer was just lame when it came to running, and I tried to get in some miles at the last minute.

My feet, back, quads, and hip felt it big time.

I also went out way too fast. I started with my friend Julia and her daughter Tori. This was Tori’s first race, and we all thought she’d take it slow and easy. Well, it turns out 20-year-old slow and easy is very different from 42-year-old slow and easy! Who knew?  Bahahahaaha!

I hung in for the first 1.25 miles but had to give up at that point.

I always run the 10Ks with a water belt and fuel, just in case. I left it in the hotel this time. It’s “only a 10K…” bit me in the butt.

I wanted a Gu (had one on me) but didn’t have water to wash it down, so never took it. There were two water stops on the course, which is probably plenty for a 10K, but I think there are usually three on runDisney race weekends. I kept looking for one that never came. Did I “need” the Gu? Probably not- but I think it might have mentally boosted me out of the mile 4 slump I was in.

So there I was with no real training, no water, and starting too fast. It left me in ITB pain around mile 5. I haven’t had any issues with my ITB for years now- but if I run too hard too fast, guess what? The ITB doesn’t like it.

Hey, let’s just say, lessons learned all around, and this is one race experience I won’t repeat!

The bright side is that I thought the race itself was pretty well run, but…

Man, Disneyland. I wish you’d kept Rudy as the race announcer. He was missed.

Carissa was Carissa. Kwami- I liked him, he  was fun!- but the other new announcer did nothing for me. She was a bit shrill when she sent people off, and that just doesn’t work at 5:30 am, yo! We need Rudy’s booming voice.

This was my first runDisney race ever without Rudy sending me off, and I noticed. It’s odd that his contract was extended on the east coast but not on the west coast- politics? I don’t know, but it’s not too late to admit you made a mistake, runDisney. Let’s fix this shiz.

I loved the character options and how they were placed on the course.

We were all able to selfie or get a fellow runner to snap a pic, but no time lost in all the lines. And lines weren’t too long (except Jasmine), and the back of the packers still had plenty of picture options.

NICE. This is what runDisney should be: equal character opportunity for all. It was appreciated!

Characters on the course:

• Ramone
• Mr. & Mrs. Incredible
• Goofy & Max
• Frozone
• Officer Judy Hopps & Nick Wilde
• Picture frames
• Donald Duck on his boat
• Jasmine & Abu
• Pinocchio & Geppetto
• Pooh on a Main Street bus
• Storm Troopers
• Mickey and Minnie

That might be the most characters in a 10K that I’ve seen in a very long time!

After the race, we ate an excellent meal at Steakhouse 55, had a mimosa, and went back to the hotel for a nap.

Four hours later… yeah, that happened. It was so needed, though. Did I mention how out of shape I was feeling? Oh, my!

After an early dinner and sending Jane off to bed, I hit Disneyland for the night.

Disneyland 60th has been a very cool 15 months. I was there for the opening weekend and there for the closing weekend, with a few trips in between. I am not a huge parade & fireworks person (I’m all about the rides!) but I absolutely loved the Paint the Night Parade and Disneyland Forever Fireworks. I’m glad I found Julia and her family on Main Street to watch the shows with them.

Somewhere around 1 am I fell asleep, only to get up and moving around 5:30 am for the half.

As I creaked out of bed, I thanked Mickey once again that I knew my limits and didn’t sign up for this race. Summer training doesn’t happen for me, and clearly a half would have been a disaster.

I headed out to cheer on the runners at mile 12. The weather was PERFECT for running, and everyone looked great out there. I wasn’t able to stay until the end this time, which I regret. But everyone I did see was looking strong!

After the race we ate, and guess what? Went back to sleep. Naps are apparently my new Disney thing.

Seriously. I think I need my thyroid checked again because this level of tired was off the charts! Or you know, I need just to run more if I want to walk 40,000 steps a day all over Disneyland. Either way, the napping was glorious.

Back to the parks to say goodbye to the shiny diamond castle and my favorite Disney park.

Did you have a good Disneyland Half experience? What was your favorite part of the race?

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