Race Crazy (So I signed up for another runDisney race)

"I have to pretend, when I run, that I'm avenging the murder of my husband. I have to have these elaborate fantasies to motivate myself... I can't just be motivated by, like, 'Oh, this is good for my health! I should be trim because I'm an actress in Los Angeles.' That won't work for me. I'll just stay in bed. So, I have to be like, 'Okay, what am I doing?'"

-- Mindy Kaling

It's after 11pm on a Sunday night, and all that I can think about is how much I do not want to run in the morning. Let's be honest here - the only way I'm running in the morning at this rate is if my dog runs away from me on our morning walk or a bee starts chasing me (or both). Me thinks a morning latte and a nice walk will have to suffice for tomorrow... but I can only give myself one more pass.

For a good 6 month last year, I actually liked running in the morning. It was a great way to wake me up - it felt good to get my blood moving. After a month or so of running a mile every morning, I decided to sign up for the Star Wars Half Marathon at Disneyland. Yes, my little morning mile every morning gave me the stupid confidence to think I could 12.1 more (in a row!) just six months after registering. If you've read this blog for a while, you know exactly how well that went... I finished, but I know I could have done better!

Since finishing the Star Wars Half Marathon, my running has been... nonexistent. I think I've ran a collective 20 (?) miles since that race, including the 10K I ran the weekend after (again... the word "run" is used incredibly loosely here) and two 5Ks that I have yet to blog about. I knew I wanted to do another half after I finished the Star Wars half. One of my best friends from home has tried to convince me to run a half marathon near my hometown, but a hilly half in Durango, CO kind of scares me to death! The elevation where I train is a scant 300' - Durango is over 6,500'! I almost signed up for a half in Ventura... but chickened out and signed up for a 10K instead. But then I heard about Wine and Dine, and...

image via Disney

I signed up for Lumiere's Challenge! Scratch that - I actually signed up for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon with the Disney Annual Passholders, only to upgrade (after much debate and $45 in transfer fees) to the Challenge like a crazy person. I don't know what I was thinking. Not familiar with runDisney challenges? During each runDisney half marathon weekend, Disney "challenges" runners to do a 10K on Saturday followed by a half marathon the next day. Successful runners earn both the 10K and half marathon medals, plus they get a super sweet challenge medal to commemorate the feat. This will be the longest I have ever "ran" in a single weekend, and will be the most expensive race I have ever run. But if I finish (make that - WHEN I finish), I get those three medals plus the Disney Coast-to-Coast challenge medal for finishing two half marathons at two Disney parks in the same calendar year!

So... why did I do it? Training for the Star Wars Half Marathon last year was the best decision I had made in a really long time. It was hard work, but it was inspiring. Talking about it to friends at work (and abroad) helped keep me accountable, so I stuck with my training (even when I really wanted to binge Netflix and eat cupcakes). I wasn't perfect - there were days I should have trained and didn't. There were days I should have pushed myself, and I walked instead. But... I did it. I finished it. I haven't been so proud of myself in a very long time.

So... here we go! I know that signing up for the Challenge was crazy, but a year ago I thought that a half marathon was impossible. What impossible things will you strive for this year? :)

Cheers!

Becky