Princess Half Marathon

Ugh.  Another early morning race at 5:30am.  But today was different, because we were going to have to catch a bus, since the main road to Epcot would be blocked off, thus preventing Steve from taking us to the start.  That translated to one thing - we were going to have to be on the bus AT FOUR AM.  You just decide which math you need to figure out what time we needed to get out of bed to perform all the activities needed to get on a bus at FOUR AM.  Again, I say – ugh.

But somehow we made it and could still form fairly intelligible sentences.  Anne, who arrived last night for two reasons:  1) to cheer us during the race, and 2) go on the cruise with us -  was going to get to sleep an hour later, since she didn’t have to be on the bus until 5am to get to her cheering positions.  Some days an hour extra sleep means more than other days …

Molly, Marilyn, Katie, and I found our starting corrals and eventually we were off.  It was still dark-thirty and warm and muggy (100% humidity).  Did I mention that 25,000 people do this race?  I would give you the statistics on how many people are behind me at the start (I got an early corral) and how many are behind me at the finish, but that might be depressing (mainly to me), so I won’t.  Let’s just say that I am not fazed by people passing me.

Soon the main gates of the Magic Kingdom were in sight – as was the winning runner lady as she was making her way to the finish line.  I think we were at Mile 2 and she was at Mile 10.  Oh well, hours later I was also at Mile 10 – tired, sore, and wet from sweat and the cups of water that I had poured over my head.  Eventually I found the finish line and got my medals (yup that’s right – medals).  Not only had I earned my Princess Half Marathon medal, but also the Glass Slipper Medal (for the 10K and the Half), and the Coast to Coast Medal Pink Edition (for doing the Tinkerbell Half in January and this one today).  And just to rub it in, I got a special lanyard for being a perfect princess (doing this race every year since its inception).  To put it bluntly, I was blinging.

Anyhow, today’s race is for my sort of unmet friend Sarah.  She friended me on facebook, mainly because she is Kat’s sister, and she was curious about who the heck I was.  She’s a runner and a wife and a new mommy (which she has used as some excuse for not doing some races, which I think is totally lame because I am also a new mommy –well maybe for 28 years a new mommy).  She’s been thinking about which half marathon to do, and of course I think she should talk her big sister into making another princess running outfit and both of them come down for the 2015 edition of this event.  But the biggest and most important thing about her is that she’s NEVER HAD A MICKEY BAR!!  Oh, the injustice of it all.  So she could remedy all of this by showing up at the start line next February.  Where I will wave as she and Kat kick up the dust to get to that finish line while I am still lacing up my shoes.  Oh well – at least she will finally get that Mickey bar!

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Today was a great day because:  we finished the Princess Half Marathon and headed for the cruise!!