Running for Adventure

Running for Adventure

Disney Girl on Fire

My running journey began about four years ago when I was talked into running a half marathon. Yep, that’s the face I made as well. No matter how terrified I was, it was something new to try so I started running (run-walking really) about three miles every day. Three miles a day and longer on the weekends for four months would give me enough training, right? Nope, I ended up overtraining and about two weeks out from the race blew out my IT band. Let’s just say I was limping the last five miles of the half marathon. After icing my knee for about a month and cursing running to my wit’s end, I decided that since I had put in so much effort to train the first time maybe I should take another shot.
Even before I started running, I wanted to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon. It was simply the draw of the joy and enchantment of Disney and the thought of accomplishing something that big. Luckily for me, two months after my first attempt the registration for the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend opened and I took the
plunge! Two thoughts immediately went through my mind, ‘How do I change my training so I don’t get injured?’ and ‘What character am I going to be?’ because that’s a totally necessary thought before a half marathon, right? So off I went into running bliss *skips off happily*! Ha, no, I’m kidding, it was not that easy for me. Over the next five months I followed a training plan of at least 3 miles twice a week, two to three days of cross-training (squats, squats, squats!), and a longer run every other weekend that I steadily increased by one to one and a half miles at a time. I cannot emphasize stretching your legs after every workout enough! This was and has been ESSENTIAL to my ability to run more. Though this training plan had me running 12.5 miles twice prior to the race, I have found that if I can get up to 10/11 miles everything will be fine.

Changing my training plan helped me to take a full 20 minutes off my half marathon finish time. Using that same training plan over two years and multiple Disney 10ks and half marathon, I have been about to take another 20 minutes off my finish time! The body is a strange thing, but whatever you tell your mind you can do your body will
follow. So why, if the Disney Princess Half Marathon was my goal, have I kept running? Self-confidence, accomplishment, fitness, new experiences, and BLING. Yes, I said bling. Everyone has their own reasons for running, but the confidence it has given me in every aspect of my life is magical. My first Disney Princess Half Marathon and each race since has been full of amazing and empowering experiences! Disney shows us to never stop dreaming and that it is fun to do the impossible, and they have discovered a way to encourage people to DREAM BIG through running.
No matter how many races I’ve done, with shortly less than a month to go until the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend I have a combination of excitement and anxiety going through my mind. A shirt that I bought at the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend accurately describes a runners’ mind – Happy, Sleepy, and Grumpy are on the front and the back simply says, ‘That’s only the first three miles.’ Though those emotions never go away, we simple push them away, stare our goals in the face, and say I CAN DO THIS! I am a huge Toy Story fan and am so excited about the Disneyland Half Marathon theme! In this last month, we are all completing our training and picking out our costumes. I spent this past weekend running my first 10-mile preparation. What character will I be you ask? I’m thinking either Bo Peep or Jessie, but I may through a wrench in there and be a Green Army Man and yell at everyone I see to do some push-ups! On the real though, here are some tips I have for new runners:

• DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY! You can do this, whatever distance you choose, I promise. Be conscious of the time limit, but don’t let your time define you. You are a ROCKSTAR just for getting out there!
• Even though I’ve seen a lot of people dress up in full costumes for these events, please wear something that makes you comfortable! Depending on what time of year and what location these races are in, it can get very humid. My costumes usually consist of a character tutu or skirt with a moisture-wicking shirt of some color.
• Try to use whatever hydration/energy supplement you’re going to use during the race during training. It will help to know how it will affect you prior to the race(s).
• Listen to your body when training. If your body is telling you to take a day off, take a day off. Rest days have a lot of benefits on fitness and ability.
• Don’t rush your pace. If you go too fast too soon you might hurt yourself and impact your running ability further.

If you believe in yourself, nothing will seem out of reach. What could be more empowering than running at Disney? RunDisney has become a huge part of my life and encourage every Disney fan to experience one of their race events! I am dedicated to bringing the magical experiences I’ve had to others. Contact me today about booking a Disney Destination vacation during a race!
 

  
Caitlin DeLucio is a travel professional with 101 Dream Vacations, she lives in Tennesse with her husband. They enjoy their quality time and making memories at Disney along with other destinations. Contact her today to start planning your next vacation.