So here’s the deal. I am not a “runner.” I do not actually “run” anywhere. Sometimes, on occasion, I will move my body faster than simply “walking.” I don’t know why no one uses the term “jogging” anymore, but I would say that the speed I move is an evenly paced jog, a pace I reach only when I need to get my heart rate and caloric burn higher than a “power walk” can provide.

Why Did I Do That?

I have no idea why I decided to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon (referred to as “the half” or simply “half” below)

Actually that’s not true. I saw a half Princess medal at a coworker’s desk and was like “I need that.” THAT is why I decided to run a half.

And once I signed up I actually got really excited. It was probably 2am some night in June when I decided to pull the trigger. The next morning I realized I had something to work toward, physically, that wasn’t a number on a scale. In fact, I had something to work toward that would make me stronger and healthier – and what I weighed didn’t matter!

Since I’ve struggled with hating my body pretty much every minute of the day, that was a new turn of events. And I embraced it!

Preparing To Run for Distance

In July I realized I couldn’t run outside in the heat and the treadmills at my apartment gym were super boring. I ran around P’s neighborhood a new mornings, which was lovely and seeing the sunrise is always my favorite time to run, but those weren’t long enough.

So I decided to join Orange Theory – and that quickly became the only training I did to go from running about 1 mile at a time to 13.1 miles at a time.

Then I became that person who talks about, thinks about, and plans around Orange Theory because getting strong felt AMAZING.

• And then one day I realized I was running a whole 30 minutes with not one break for a breather…
• And then I realized I was finishing a 5k in those 30minutes…

Sadly, that day came in late January – the Princess Half was in late February. So I had about 4-weeks to figure out if I was going to die when I ran outside and attempted to run 13.1 consecutive miles.

I was pushing myself so hard that I had shin splints all the time. My shoulder and neck muscles were strained and are shockingly important for running. My pants barely fit because my glutes and calves were insanely muscular. But I was determined to SURVIVE this half. And hopefully finish in 3 hours with a run-walk-run strategy.

Two weeks before the big day I went for a run around Lake Baldwin, outside, in nicely chilled weather around 7am. I ran…and I ran… and I ran… around twice.

I had NO IDEA I had just run 5 miles until I stopped at my car to grab some water. Like – RUN WITHOUT STOPPING.

The Big Day

The Big Day was February 24th – the 6 year anniversary of losing my Dad. My running buddy – who had not practiced with me but was also training in Orange Theory – came down with a severe case of the flu, I realized I would be running alone. And I was okay with that. Sad, but okay.

My amazing Sleeping Beauty costume got a last minute swap for some Cinderella leggings and an insanely expensive base layer and Patagonia vest at the last minute when Florida decided to have a cold snap. And I picked up a tiara to put on my pig tails for $2.99 at Target.

With the help of meds, I was ready to go to sleep at 8pm and wake-up at 2:30am which went off without a hitch until the fire alarm in my building went off and I had to pack up Jersey to head downstairs on a Friday night – drugged with a cat – to wait it out. But it was all good and I was READY, RESTED, and ON TIME at Epcot by 3:30am!

I’d never run anything official before so I was in the very last corral, which was fine with me because – again – I was aiming for a run-walk-run strategy.

But then we finally got going and I started running… and I kept running… and I passed mile markers 1, 2, 3, and 4 with NO problem so in the words of Forrest Gump – I just kept running.

Until juuuust before Mile 5 when it got SUPER congested and we came to a complete stop waiting for the hoard of people to fit through a narrow opening at the entrance of Magic Kingdom. I went off to the grass to get around some walkers and ever so slightly twisted my ankle. I LITERALLY thought “that could have been bad!” And I guess it was because I limped for 6-weeks after this run, but I digress.

Running through Magic Kingdom was pretty much the most amazing thing in the world. People were lined up and cheering. My name was on my bib so people were yelling my name and telling me I could do it. The atmosphere was just amazing. But it went by SO FAST and the next thing I knew, I was back out on the roads behind the Polynesian and Disney Golf Course.

Mile 6 came and went… Mile 7…. Mile 8… and by the time I got to Mile 9 I thought “okay yeah I can’t do this.” I definitely wasn’t stopping to take photos with the characters because I knew if I stopped I wouldn’t be able to start again. But I also felt my ankle getting worst by the second.

Mile 10 was possibly the most bleak period of my existence. I truly didn’t know how I was going to finish.

But then I got to Mile 11 and realized I WAS doing this – In fact, I only had 3 more miles to go and I could do those in 30 minutes on a good day!

I ran in silence for a bit to let my airpods charge in their case, kept sucking on Ice Breakers Winter Mint to keep my breathing easy. And the next thing I knew I was running through Epcot, in the last half of Mile 12.

And then…. I saw the end. I did it. I came up on this huge area with bleachers full of people and a big Finish banner and a clock. And I started crying as I ran through and got my GORGEOUS medal that started it all.

I knew the half would be hard and I knew it was an accomplishment but I didn’t expect to be THIS proud of having finished. I felt like I was on top of the world. Literally invincible. It was glorious.

And not only did I NOT have to run-walk-run, I ran almost the ENTIRE 13.1 miles and finished in 2:31:43 – coming in at 4,994 out of 20,492 people who completed the race!

And then what happened was…

I limped to my car, got home, and immediately crawled into bed. My ankle hurt but I figured it was just tired. And I had no time to rest because my sister was coming in to celebrate her birthday with 3-days at Animal Kingdom Lodge (a gift from me) and I had to meet her at 4pm for dinner.

YOU BETTER BELIEVE I WORE THAT MEDAL TO ALL THE PARKS AND ALL THE PLACES THAT DAY.

I limped around the parks, I limped to dinner, I limped to work that next week, and I was limping when I signed up for the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon in November 2020. And despite my love affair with Orange Theory, it was impossible for me to even think about working out on my ankle.

Then a Pandemic hit and my Orange Theory membership was frozen, my apartment gym was locked down, my daily 14-flights of stairs and 3mile walks at work were obliterated and here I sit, totally healed, with the skinniest little weakest calves in the world.

But it’s okay. I’ll start training again in June and in 6-months I’ll do it again. And here’s to starting in an earlier corral and finishing in 2:29:30. 😉