The Disney Race

It's been quite a while since my last post. I will get more serious about this blog - I promise!

About a month and 1/2 ago I got an invite to run the Disney 1/2 with a great friend. I was so excited. You see, I've always dreamed of running a Disney race but never wanted to go to the expense to do it. It's not cheap, but it's totally worth it! I ran the 1/2 this past Saturday. At first just me and the husband were going to go. That made me really happy - a whole weekend with the hubs! But then the guilt set in. Was I really going to go to Disney and not take my kids? The kids went with us and they were so thankful. It was much different this time around. Now that they are older there was NO whining at all! It was marvelous.

The Expo - unreal! I've never ran a race this large before so the expo was crazy. Lots of stuff, but I only bought 2 shirts. I was proud of myself for not going nuts!

The Race - amazing! Disney has very early start times which I totally understand. They want to get you out of the parks before they open. I was on my hotel shuttle bus at 3 am! It was insanely early. We got to the Epcot parking lot around 3:30. I met up with my friend and waited for the start. The weather was a perfect 50 degrees. The 2 hours we had to wait for the start went surprisingly fast. Tony Horton was on stage leading everyone in some pre-race exercise. This race was just an awesome fun experience.

I wasn't going for time on this race and it's a good thing. There were 27,000 runners and it was crowded. So crowded that I never really got a good stride going. I pulled up at mile 10 with a major IT band issue. I've never ever had an issue with my IT band so I had no idea what was going on. I ran like a peg leg for the last 3 miles because I couldn't bend my knee without horrible pain. My left hip flexor is now killing me from running like a moron. Needless to say I'm taking the week off to let my broken down parts heal.

Lesson learned: I need to get stronger! I need to strengthen my lower half and I will.

This was a great race and great weekend away. We all were exhausted but it was so worth it!

There's a first time for everything!

For quite some time now I have had the idea to start my own blog about running/life. I was very hesitant because I figured who in the world would want to read it. Then it dawned on me...there are so many things in life that I (as a Mom/wife/PE teacher/runner/chauffeur/cook/ housekeeper) do for others that this should be different. I need to do this for myself - to give me an outlet for my thoughts and to keep me accountable for my daily runs/workouts. And I might just make some new friends in the process!

I have always been athletic. I played basketball and volleyball in high school. I started running when I was in college. I would come home for breaks and my Dad would invite me to run with him. It was a way we could spend time with one another without all the interruptions of our family business. It was SO HARD! I couldn't belive how hard running was. My Dad so enjoyed pushing me through our runs. He is now 69 and is in better shape now than he was then. His nickname is Lance Armstrong. He just finished a 75 mile bike race and plans on doing the 100 mile next year. He is amazing! Anyway, I have kept on running, on and off, for the last 19 years. Wow - time flies!

I run to be a better wife, Mom and all around person. It sounds so cliche, but it's true. When I run I get to spend time in prayer for anything and everything. When I run I want to do better than last time. When I run I thank God for my health and the fact that I "get" to run. There is a battlefield near my house and that's where I do most of my runs. It is so peaceful (and hilly).

So, my next goal is a sub 2:00 half. I'm running the Shamrock Half in VA Beach on March 18. My first and only half was the Marine Corpse half in 2008. It was one of the greatest, most exciting experiences of my life. I took a serious running hiatus after that and regretted it. So now I'm back on the run! I have 5 miles scheduled for tonight and it will be great!