Disney Princess Half Marathon

   Last year, I signed up for the Disney Princess Half Marathon . . . this January, I found out that I am pregnant.  (More on that later!)  After finding out about Baby Burnette, I asked my brother if he'd like to do the half for me.  He was more than fine with that.  Katie, his wife, had also signed up and they would do the run together.  

   But . . . when I went with Katie to pick up our registration packets, I just couldn't fight the urge to try and complete the half myself.  It was something that I had really wanted to do and being surrounded by all of the running women was inspiring!  I had to do it - or at least try!  I went home and got in contact with a friend of mine who is a doctor and she gave me the go-ahead and some great advice.  I also googled information on women who walked and ran marathons while pregnant.  According to my friend (and the articles I read online) as long as I didn't push myself I would and should be fine, especially if I had been walking and running before the pregnancy.  

   Before I found out about the pregnancy, I had been training, but I hadn't done very much since.  I worried about that a little bit, but told myself that I wouldn't strain myself and if I felt like I just couldn't do it, I would stop and be picked up from the course.

   The day of the Disney Princess Half Marathon was so much fun!  Kate and I woke up at 3am, so we could arrive at the course by 4:30am.  (Yes, participants HAD to be there at that time!)  It was freezing, but we were decked out in warm clothes.  (During the race, runners shed their layers and all the clothing tossed aside is donated.)  I jogged a little bit in the beginning and a little at the end, but mostly I just walked quickly and enjoyed EVERYTHING.  

   Disney definitely knows how to put on a running event.  There were lots of Disney characters along the course, as well as local high school bands and drum lines.  There were Japanese percussionists.  There were employees and family members cheering for us along with ample water and Powerade stops.  And of course, there were Disney princes and princesses!  I wished I could have taken pictures of it all, but if I had, I wouldn't have finished.  Participants of all ages (male and female alike) were decked out in tiaras, tutu's, princess costumes, and Minnie ears.  It was fun to see.  I wore a tiara and Katie wore a tutu and Princess Minnie ears.  Katie finished in under an amazing two and half hours.  I finished in close to four hours . . . but, hey, at least I finished!  And I can't wait to tell my child that he or she finished a half marathon before he or she was even born!  

   Bobby, my brother, was more than happy to let me participate in the half and didn't mind that he wouldn't be running.  He, Marcus, and TJ came out to watch me, Katie, and Emily (Emily signed up for the event when I did!) from various points during the event.  Seeing them throughout was so encouraging.  It definitely kept me going!

I'm so glad that I decided to go for it.  Will there be more endurance events in my future?  Not until after Baby Burnette arrives in September!