Disney Princess Half Marathon

Never Ever EVER Stop Chasing Your Dreams - What I Learned From Running the 2017 Disney Princess Half Marathon (Part 1)

Monday, March 13, 2017

2017 Disney Princess Half MarathonFebruary 26, 2017.  It was a day that I crossed something BIG off my bucket list.  That was the day I finally ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon.  And it was INCREDIBLE!  The slogan throughout the race was "Every Mile is Magic," and it was.  It truly was.  

Can I be honest with you a second?  I've been working on this post for over a week now...  See, this post was going to wrap up the entire experience of the Princess Half with a neat little bow.  But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't wrap everything up in one little post.  There's just too much.  So instead?  Instead, I'm going to take my time dissecting everything.  

First lesson from the race?  Never, ever, EVER stop chasing your dreams!

My dream for this race started nearly a decade ago when I first started running.  I have always loved Disney and - as my husband says - I've been drinking the "Kool-Aid" for 34 years.  Princesses and princes and dreams that come true...good always wins, and virtue is valued above all else.  Hard work always gets you the gold.

So what better example of all that than the Princess Half Marathon?  From the moment I heard about the race, I wanted to do it.  13 miles through the most magical place on earth?  Yes, please!  But the problem was, back then, a 5K (3.1 miles) seemed like a long run.  How in the world would I ever make 13 miles?  So I dreamed and hoped and kept running.

A handful of years ago I decided to do it.  I decided I was ready to train.  And then I saw the price.  And no one would go with me.  So I let it go again.  The next year?  I found someone who was willing to go but neither of us actually committed to it, so we never signed up.  The following year I decided I'd just go myself to experience it and then come right home.  I didn't need anyone with me.  But I decided this too late, and the race was sold out.  And then life took over, and jobs changed.  But the dream was always in the back of my mind...  So last year?  Last year I enlisted a friend - who enlisted her husband for vacation - and together, the three of us convinced my husband that it would be worth it.

Finally!  I had a training partner!  I had a plan!  And we were going to have the most amazing vacation at the same time!  We signed up the week registration went live, and we were committed.  It was happening.

And then, injury struck.  My friend developed a stress fracture and was unable to continue training or to participate in the race.  And you know what else?  My own confidence was shaken and almost shattered.  There were times - especially in the last several weeks before the race - that I was convinced I wouldn't make it.  I often talked about being swept and being unable to finish the course, and it was truly a worry of mine.  I had this dream, but I had almost talked myself out of it.  Truly, if the money hadn't been paid already, I would have been tempted to back out.

But what I learned from all this?  The dream is always - ALWAYS - worth the struggle.  It may be scary.  It may be hard.  But it will be worth it.

Do you have a dream?  One hiding in the back of your mind?  One that you've visited and revisited over and over but are afraid to chase?  Chase it.  Never ever EVER stop chasing it!

Never ever stop chasing your dreams

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