I accomplished one of my biggest bucket list items at the happiest place on earth… The Disney Princess Half Marathon! I have always considered myself to be more of a sprinter and never thought a half marathon would be possible for me, so it was a rewarding journey of growth from the time I signed up to the moment I crossed the finish line!
My older sister, Madison, had done a couple of half marathons before. We were at Disney in March of 2022 when she hinted that we should run one together. I dismissed her comments of course – that would be way too far for me! My boss, an avid Run Disney fanatic, started casually mentioning the upcoming race season and how others should run. By June, I was convinced by both of them and signed up for the race to be held in February 2023!
Training for the half marathon was one of the most mentally and physically challenging things I have ever done. My sister and I weren’t living in the same place, so we only got to run together once before the big weekend. Setting small milestone goals like adding another mile, running for a certain amount of time, or trying to speed up my pace a little bit all got me to a comfortable place before taking on the 13.1 miles. I often chanted to myself, “I can do hard things!!!” as I pushed through my training runs!
On the big day, our alarms went off at 2:30am and we got ready for the run. We put on our Princess inspired athletic gear and made our way to the buses. Cinderella and Jasmin got dropped at the front of Epcot and walked a good bit before we got to the holding areas around 4:00am. We anxiously awaited to our corral to go, and around 5:15 the fireworks shot off as we were off!
The highlight of the whole run was definitely right in the middle as we ran through Magic Kingdom. Main Street U.S.A. was lined with spectators cheering us on. My eyes got misty as I realized the accomplishment I was completing – I was really doing it! Running through the castle was surreal. Mile 6 was the ultimate “runner’s high!”
Madison and I both had moments where we weren’t as motivated to keep going at certain points in the race. However, we kept our playlist jamming, gave each other encouraging words as needed, and we made it to the finish line. It felt so good to finally be done lol. We celebrated with a Mickey Waffle at the Grand Floridian 🙂
I still stand by the fact that distance running isn’t my specialty, but it was pretty incredible seeing my endurance evolve and my stamina increase. It was truly a testament that we can do the difficult things we put our mind to and that discipline and competitive goals help us achieve new heights. I’m not sure what my next running goal is yet, but I am excited to continue challenging myself to crush my bucket list and maintain my physical fitness!
