Happiest Race on Earth

It's mine, allllllll mine! I DID IT! My first half marathon & I crossed the finish in 2:45:02. That's pretty slow but it's a finish!

Now that I have shown off my shiny new pride and joy let me show you some of the photos from along the way. First stop was Saturday to pick up my bib at the Health and Wellness expo in Disneyland Hotel. I purchased a hooded sweatshirt and Mickey T that say, "I DID IT! 13.1" So at that point I knew I had to do it or those shirts would go to waste. I am just not one to waste money. Here is my bib...

I love how races print your name so that random people in the crowd can cheer you on. It really helps along the way as the miles add up.

The next morning as I was waiting in the holding area Disney released these army men into the crowd. They even spoke and moved just like the ones in Toy Story! Sooo fun! This part was quite entertaining. It was thrilling to see the kinds of costumes people came up with. I saw a full on Queen of Hearts, Lilo and Stitch, Tinkerbell, the Bird from Up, Peter Pan, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, all of the Princesses, Goofy, and Minnies galore. Those people are brave, let me tell you. It can be no easy feat to run in full costume for 13.1 miles. And, only Disney would have full on fireworks at the start of the race...

This is the start of my corral, D. We crossed the start around 6:15am just as the sun came up....

If you are curious what the course looks like click here. It is really awesome. You get to run through California Adventure and a lot of Disneyland. Then it winds you through a portion of the back lots. It was neat for me to see behind the scenes....like where rides are worked on, floats are constructed, animals are kept (couldn't miss this one as you were running by!). I love seeing all of that kind of stuff. 

Here is a shot as we headed towards the Pier...

I just kept thinking, "Wow, this is SO magical." (I am a HUGE nerd, I know.) It really was such a cool experience with the music playing and running through this place I hold so dear. I had dreamed about what this would feel like for so long. The dreams didn't hold a candle to how I actually felt on the day. It was so surreal I wanted to cry...and I had to force the tears down so I could keep running!

There were fun little tidbits like this (sorry for the blurriness, I was trying to keep moving, people!)...

Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather on the Sleeping Beauty Carousel waving their magic wands at us just before we went through the castle....

As we ran through the parks all of the employees were out to help cheer us on. Mechanics, janitors, entertainers, ride operators. They also had a ton of Disney characters representing. People would jump in these long lines to get photos of them.

After leaving Disneyland we headed towards the Honda Center. At about mile 8 my husband and kids were waiting to cheer me on....

 Yes, I smiled like a big buffoon for the ENTIRE race. I couldn't help myself! After all, it is the Happiest Race on Earth.

There I am running up a hill on my way to Anaheim Stadium...It seemed like every time late in the race I was going to stop and walk for a bit there would be my man snapping photos. So, I kept running. It was perfect motivation. This is around 9.5 miles...

One time I ran right past them in the crowd (I am just that fast!)--just kidding. Really, I didn't know they were there. Whoops. This was right after I came out of running around home base on the dirt in Angel stadium. Bucket list, check. I can't believe they actually let you run in there! And you are put on the Jumbo Tron and everything. So, so, SO COOL!

When I finished I felt amazing. It's indescribable, really. For the last quarter mile (which seems like it's 5 miles) there are wall to wall fans cheering you on so loudly. I felt so tired but so energized at the same time knowing I was almost done and I could get a photo like this...

And this, with my medal!.....

Fun facts about the 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon:
Registered Runners: 14,780
Running on their Birthday: 54
Youngest: 14
Oldest: 87
Average Age: 36
66.1% Female
Every State was Represented except for South Dakota (Boo! That is where my whole family is from!)
Winning Times: 1:08:14 (male) 1:18:01 (female)
Average Finish Time: 2:40:42 (Hey! That's almost me! Maybe I am not too slow after all!)
Longest Finish Time: 4:26:07

What happens when you run these incredible races and you have the time of your life? You want to do more. At least, that is what happens to me. :) I am trying to talk Hottie (my non runner husband) into doing this marathon relay with me in Walt Disney World in January. You each run a half marathon and get this medal....

And if I run that I would also earn the Coast to Coast medal for running two races in the calendar year. This is the amazingly spectacular and beyond awesome medal...

Then one day in the not too distant future I plan to do the Goofy Challenge. You run the Disney World half marathon and then the next day run the full Disney World marathon. So, 39.3 miles in two consecutive days. Yes, maybe I am crazy. But, I want this medal on my wall!

First I need to focus on my next race. The inaugural Tinkerbell half marathon in late January. Let's see if I can better my time. The course is like this. More magical times on the horizon. When I finish this will be mine!...

Cool, right? Ahh, the obsession with Disney and running continue to go hand in hand. Well, at least it will keep getting me into shape. And making me cry tears of joy. That is never a bad thing.