The Happiest Race on Earth (15)

Labor Day, September 4 brought to Anaheim in order to do the Disneyland Half Marathon, better known as the Happiest Race on Earth!  Sara, Rose, and Theresa (Rose's Mom) also took part in this race!

We got up before 4 to head to the race for a 6 o'clock start time.


Snow White is getting ready to head out of the parking structure!



We found six of the seven dwarfs...Sleepy was still at the hotel....sleeping!

We headed out of the parking structure and into Disney.  2 years ago, Sara had convinced Rose and I to do this race with her, and two years ago we all completed the race, mostly without training.  My finishing time was 3:03, and I was set to beat that time.
We took advantage of the pre-race massage to help us loosen up before the race began.

Rose, me, and Sara ready to get to running! 

In our corral waiting for the other groups to start!

We headed to the corrals and soon realized this race had definitely grown in the two years since we had first completed it.  There were so many people around and ready to compete!

The race began and we were off.  I soon lost Rose and Sara, but I was running steady with Theresa.  When I passed the part of the first mile where last time "I had to tie my shoe"  I realized it wasn't that far into the race, I was proud of myself for how far I had come because I was still running steady.  I ran most of the first three miles, and right before I hit the three mile marker, I felt a slap on my butt!  There was Sara! 

Sara and I at the Mile 3 marker!  I didn't expect that to happen!

I ran most of the rest of the race, as the race was going I was reminiscing about the parts of the races where last time I wanted to give up and stop.  I was going steady and I was proud.  As I entered Angels Stadium at just under 2 hours, I was filled with another burst of energy, and knew I only had a few more miles to go since I was almost at mile 10. 
Mile 12-13 took forever!   I felt like I was never going to get to the Finish Line!  It was a different mile than I had remembered, and just felt like it kept going and going.  When I finally saw the finish line coming I was overjoyed! 
I crossed the line at 2:51!  I had beaten my time by 12 minutes!  Although I did not set a PR I was feeling great and had achieved something just as great as an overall PR, a race PR!

We did it!!

After the race was over Sara and I headed back to the hotel to get ready to go into Disneyland, and Rose went to check on her mom to make sure she was alright!

Disneyland Half was fun!  Next Disney race Goofy Challenge!!!

My shirt and medal!

Next race: Tri for Real Pleasanton September 18