Part I…

When my alarm went off at 3 am, I was so glad I had showered the night before.  It took everything that I had just to get out of bed and into my running clothes.  3 am is WAY too early.

It wasn’t too cold out, but I opted to wear my dad’s old sweatshirt to stay warm before the race.  Disney had lots of donation boxes near the starting line for people to toss their clothing when it was time to run.

Molly and I stretched and ate breakfast while we waited for the starting corrals to open.  We also paid a visit to the Port-a-Potties before the lines got too long.

Because Molly had never run a half marathon before and didn’t have a finishing estimate, she was placed in the very last corral.  I was in Corral A and was convinced that we could sneak Molly past Disney security so she could run with me in the front of the crowd.  We were unsuccessful at our attempt to get her in Corral A.  We moved back to Corral B where I was able to get in while she hopped the fence.  I’m so glad we did this because our earlier start time meant that we spent less time running after the sun came out.

We hung out for 45 minutes before the race began.  The time went by quickly because there were so many things to do: stretch, talk, and people watch.  I loved seeing everyone, women and even a few men, decked out in their princess finest.

Our corral moved up after the elite runners and Corral A started the race.  We waited a few minutes then the Fairy Godmother counted us down.  The gun was fired, fireworks exploded, and we were off!

Mile by Mile breakdown….

Mile 1: Very dark and very crowded. Even though Molly and I were running with Corral B, we couldn’t go very fast.  There were people everywhere.  There was a marching band playing music to get us going and keep us upbeat early on in the race.

Mile 2: It was still dark outside.  We passed a pirate ship, an Epcot hot air balloon, and then stopped for a picture with a group of Disney Princes.  The Disney Princes were a fun distraction because these guys aren’t normally out in the parks for guests to photograph.  Plus a few of them were kinda cute.

Mile 3: Not long after passing under the Magic Kingdom road sign, we stopped for a bathroom break.  Long port-a-potty lines! At least the sky was finally brightening as the sun began to rise.  We circled around the Richard Petty Driving Experience to the sound of car engines revving.

Mile 4: My legs finally felt like they were warmed up and ready for the long run.  We were slowly getting closer to the Magic Kingdom.  We passed Lilo and Stitch, with Stitch dressed as Elvis as well as a group of energetic hula dancers.

Mile 5: How can I possibly describe the excitement and emotions I felt while running through the Magic Kingdom?  Disney World has always been my favorite place in the world.  When I emerged from backstage onto Main Street, I saw the crowds along the race route.  And then I turned the corner and there it was: Cinderella’s Castle!  I almost cried with delight.  I was grinning from ear to ear as was Molly.  She’s a Disney dork like me.  We ran down Main Street and turned right as we neared the castle so we could head into Tomorrow Land and circle through the park.

Mile 6: I don’t remember seeing the Mile 6 marker.  It must’ve been there somewhere while we were running through the Magic Kingdom.  Maybe I was too misty eyed to notice?  Molly and I waited in a long line to get a picture with Mickey and Minnie in the royal finest.  Then the 2^nd big moment arrived: we ran through Cinderella’s Castle!  I screamed and waved my arms.  I snapped photos right and left.  Molly and I didn’t want the magical moment to end.  Eventually we had enough of taking photos and we continued through Liberty Square and into Frontier Land before heading out of the Magic Kingdom.

Stay tuned Part II!  Miles 7-13!!!