Disney World has Made Me a Runner

I have never been a runner.

Remember in school having to run the mile? I walked. I’d jog a few steps when the gym teacher would yell at me, but then I’d go right back to walking my 16 minute mile.

Soccer? I never liked soccer: too much running. Softball was more my speed, but I only played that for a few years.

Then, one summer in college, a friend convinced me to run. Several times a week, we’d head out to a beautiful 4-mile lake near campus, and go. I started jogging 1 minute at a time and slowly built up to more running than walking the 4 mile trail (and a 20 lb weight loss!) But, I definitely wasn’t a runner.

A few years after that, I enlisted in the U.S. Army. Just to enter basic combat training (boot camp), I had to run 1 mile in 10 minutes. No problem. In boot camp, we ran several times a week, either group runs, track runs, or interval training. By the end, I could easily run 2 miles in about 19 minutes. But, I still wasn’t a runner.

Over the past few years, I would frequently head out on a run to stay in shape, but rarely ever more than 3 miles. Heck, 4 or 5 miles seemed incredibly long for me. Around 7 or 8 months into my pregnancy- 7-8 months of only walking and doing yoga, I wanted a change- I wanted to become a runner.

I have never enjoyed running, but longed to find a way to enjoy the experience. After all, I have to run for the duration of my career. Then it dawned on me: Walt Disney World. The races run through the parks – and more importantly, through Cinderella Castle! Not convinced? Check out the main page video at runDisney. I’ve almost convinced non-Disney-addicts with that! Somehow, at 36 weeks pregnant, I convinced my husband and a good college friend to sign up for the 2011 Disney Half-Marathon. 13. 1 miles. Sounds scary? It does to me, too, but I’ll be running from EPCOT to the Magic Kindgom, and back. And through both parks.

I purchased the “In training for the Disney Half-Marathon” tech shirts for my husband and myself in hopes of motivation. We followed runDisney’s Training Consultant and Olympic marathoner Jeff Galloway’s training programs, and have set out on our journey to become runners.

Now, with only 1 long run left, I’m ready for January 8^th – my first Disney race, first half-marathon, first medal, and first run through Cinderella Castle. We’re already considering heading back for the Food and Wine Festival Half Marathon, or visiting Disneyland for the first time to run in their half-marathon in September, to earn the Coast to Coast Challenge medal. Or, maybe we’ll become regulars for the WDW January Marathon Weekend. Either way, thanks to Walt Disney World, I finally consider myself a runner. Those 2 mile runs for the Army Physical Fitness Tests (APFT’s) are going to be easy now!

Jenn lives in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C. with her husband and 1 year old son. She has been a regular to Walt Disney World her entire life, thanks to having a Floridian family. Jenn can also be found at her own blog, the Disney Babies Blog, that she created while planning to take her 6 month old son to WDW. In her non-Disney life, you can find her playing the clarinet in a D.C. military band. Or, running and practicing yoga.

Related articles

• runDisney 2011 Disney Parks Marathon Schedule (chipandco.com)
• Lots of ‘Run ‘n’ Fun’ at Disney Parks: Last Call for Entries in Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Events (chipandco.com)

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