My Running Anniversary- Princess Style

It is so hard to believe that this February marked my three year running anniversary! And boy has the time flown by. It seems like only yesterday, I was heading out in the wee hours of the morning to my very first 5k at Walt Disney World. I was full of nervous energy and couldn't help but wonder if I would even be able to make it to the finish line. Well, I did make it to the finish line that day, and even though I didn't run that first 3.1 miles is record time, I did have one of the best experiences of my life. The other runners at that race were so encouraging and genuinely fun to be around, and when I actually made it across that line, the sense of accomplishment I felt was overwhelming. I wore that medal proud around Walt Disney World that weekend, and I knew deep down in my heart, I would be back!

 

 

Well, this year I heading back to Walt Disney World for Princess Weekend but this time instead of running the Royal Family 5k, like I had done for the past two years, I was ready to conquer my second half marathon. My weekend was crammed packed with activities and I was looking forward to each and every one of them. The first stop was the Fit For A Princess Expo. This year the Expo was extremely crowed, probably because of the new venue at Coronado Spring, and it seemed to take allot of time to pick up your bib, get your goodies bag and then try to weave in and out of all the great vendors. I am sure the limited release of the New Balance Mickey & Minnie running shoes or the line-up of great speakers like, Olympian Jeff Galloway didn't help with all the congestion of the event center but, these are the things that make Disney Expos so much fun.

Next up on the agenda, my friend, Jen, and I decided to meet up with some of our Facebook & Twitter friends at a tea party thrown by Erin Williams from For The Love of Disney Running. This big girl tea party was held at the Garden View Tea Room in the Grand Floridian and besides hanging out with a great group of girls, who happen to love running as much as me, Dennis Marsico from RunDisney TV was there as a special guest. He really is a super nice guy in person and lots of fun to talk to.

Of course, you can't come to Walt Disney World without spending some time in the parks, and I made sure to visit the new Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom and the newly renovated Test Track at Epcot. 


Obviously enjoying the new Test Track!
 

Last up on the weekend agenda, the whole reason we were there, the Princess Half Marathon. Overall, I felt like this run was one of my best! Not because it was the ideal weather, oh no, the weather was awful, it was hot, rainy and the humidity was so high you were instantly wet! But because I physically and mentally felt good the whole race. I couldn't believe how strong I felt, and when I came to the finish line, I honestly felt like I could of just kept on running. This run made me feel so proud of myself for how far I have come over the last three years of running.  I have learned so much (like proper health, nutrition and hydration), and although I know there is still so much more to learn, I feel like I can actually call myself a runner! So, even though I can't tell you that I had a personal record in time on this race (I am sure the bathroom break in Frontierland didn't help), I can honestly say this race was a personal record to me in so many other ways!