I asked my cousin to do a re-cap of her experience at her very first half marathon! Before I ran my first half, I poured over other people’s experiences and am so very happy that she took the time!
A Royal Weekend:Princess Half Marathon

Hi! My name is Kimberly and this is the story of my first half marathon, the Disney Princess Half Marathon 2013, and also the story of how I became a runner.

This whole idea of running a half marathon started after Jennifer, my cousin, completed the 2012 Princess Half. Reading about her adventures, dedication and fun she was having put the idea in my head that I could possibly undertake such a daunting task. I love Disney, consider myself to be a Princess and love to challenge myself physically. So I decided to register. It was something I wanted to do for myself before starting a family with my husband.

 I am a Pilates instructor, yet I had no formal running experience. Last July, I bought my first pair of running shoes and set out to see how long it took me to run 1 mile. Before that, I hadn’t timed a mile since high school. I religiously followed Jeff Galloway’s running plan for beginners and didn’t miss a single workout from July to February. Quite literally, I took it one step at a time.  It was incredible to see my body grow stronger and leaner. I began looking forward to my runs, and the runs were less “daunting” (dare I say…enjoyable). Before I knew it, I was running a half in January for training, before tapering off for the race.

Ideally, I imagined the week of the race to be focused, restful and energizing. But life happens while training and the race happened to fall on the same week we bought a house, sold a house and moved into the new one! My amazing husband was still game for going to Disney no matter how exhausted we were.

Our first stop was the Expo on Friday. I spent way too much time and money at the expo, but I’m a sucker for those things. It was the best race expo I had ever been to, but not the most organized.  This was first time seeing the other runners. It was refreshing to see women of all shapes, sizes and ages supporting each other. It helps set the tone for the weekend and eases your nerves. I knew that it was going to be fun weekend.

On Saturday, my husband was a great sport and participated in the Royal Family 5k with me (why not earn two medals?) and he did awesome! Disney had something for everyone that weekend. After spending the day at Epcot, we retired to the room early so I could mentally prepare and rest for the half marathon.

Kimberly and Joe after the Royal Family 5K on Saturday

Sunday: RACE DAY! I woke up so excited to run (at 2:30am). I was dressed and ready to head to the race in record time. The amount of runners and the early morning darkness could have been intimidating, but Jennifer waited for me and we walked to the corrals. I happened to be in the same corral as Kierstn, my Pilates student and friend. Having familiar faces with me, made it so much easier.

Kimberly and Kierstn before the race! It’s VERY early:)!

It was unplanned, but Kierstn and I ran together for the entire race. Running alongside a friend and the entertainment, provided by Disney, helped pass time by (almost too fast!). Every mile seemed to pass by quickly. I loved the picture opportunities along the way with characters and took advantage of a few. They also had bands, DJ’s and motivational posters. Running up Main Street and through Cinderella’s Castle was definitely the highlight (I even grabbed a quick kiss from the hubby on Main Street). It really put things into perspective: “I am actually doing this!”

Yes, you pose for pics DURING the race!

Before I knew it, I was crossing the finish line. I was ecstatic and so happy when they put the medal around my neck. It was such a feeling of accomplishment! It was worth every mile of training. When I originally signed up, I thought I’d stop running after the Princess Half. Little did I know, I’d be hooked! I am a runner!

My Advice as a Newbie:

1. Don’t forget that you are at Disney for the race, stay focused and hydrated. It’s easy to get tired before the race day, especially at the parks.

2. Plan ahead for transportation and be prepared for delays. If it wasn’t for the monorail, I would have been late to the starting line.

3. Know that Disney will make all of your local races seem ho-hum. You’ll be planning your next Disney race before your trip ends.

Congratulations, Ladies!!

Hope you enjoyed it!! And if you’re running YOUR first half, I would love to hear from you and post your experience here! 10 miles up for me on Saturday and then we head to Disney for a week of family vacation so I’ll see you when we get back. Taking my running stuff . . . we’ll see;). Happy Running!

Jen