Tale as Old as Time...a Feb 2017 Princess 5k and B-Day Trip! NEW 4/7 THE END of our trip!!

[chunkymonkey]

I think your eyebrows look fine but I did get a laugh out of you copying Prince Charming's eyebrown technique. I also don't think your hair looks bad, but having the part not be perfectly straight would bother me too.​

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Thanks, we're always our own worst critic. I think I must have subconsciously done the eyebrows after seeing Prince Charming!

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I'm concerned with how much Josh likes Gaston too. He always poses with the statue then brags about his muscles. I think he needs to meet him so they compare. I managed to get him to say yes to a Gaston shirt, but I don't think I've sold him on Disneybounding yet.

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Haha I use the term Disneybounding very loosely for guys because wearing a Disney t-shirt is the extent that DH will go to. You should totally get Josh a Flynn Rider shirt so they can smolder together at that breakfast!

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[chunkymonkey]

I can't wait to see how the rest of your trip went!

Thank you! I promise to write more tonight!

 

[Raeven]

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Thanks, we're always our own worst critic. I think I must have subconsciously done the eyebrows after seeing Prince Charming!

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Haha I use the term Disneybounding very loosely for guys because wearing a Disney t-shirt is the extent that DH will go to. You should totally get Josh a Flynn Rider shirt so they can smolder together at that breakfast!

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I already bought him one

 

[kastoney]

I still can't get over how early you all have to get up to do the races. Aside from the fact that the race would kill me, getting up that early would do it first And by the way your hair looks great in a pony tail! You should totally rock it more.

So excited you and Billie got to meet!!!!!!!! And better yet that you both lived to Run Disney another day Can't wait to see all the race pics, cause there is no chance I'll ever experience it for myself

 

[Tracy161]

I'm here!!! So excited to be following along - loving it so far! Love that you and Billie met up, too! Your running outfits were AMAZING!!!

 

[soniam]

It was a lot more fun that I would expect at 4am that's for sure! The race itself was fun. It was cool to be running through Disney. There were tons of people cheering us on. Even though I could barely run half of it, it was still an experience I'd do again. I don't think it will be that cold in November. It is still the beginining of Nov. The one thime we went in October it was really hot. In Feb it did get cold at night at in the early morning but nothing that you coudln't live without a jacket for a few hours. And when you're running it was quite nice. I actually hope it's not too hot in Nov!

that's great you are doing so well with your running. I can barely manage a 14 minute mile. I feel like I'm going to fast and I look down at my pace and I'm like, OH. Of course that was before the injury so who knows what I'll be able to muster right now,

We should definitely hang before the race. There isn't much to do anyways aside from check your bag in which took no time at all, and wait for character pictures. It was fun to see everyone's costumes though. Loved them!

Well, that is only 1 mile at 13 minutes. I might die doing over 1 mileIt definitely won't be easy for me to do the whole thing in 12 min/mile, but I really want to push my self a bit, since my cardiovascular stamina is kind of lacking.

 

[chunkymonkey]

Day 2 Part 2: And we're off! Our first ever 5K!

It's kinda cool how every corral and section within a corral gets their own little fireworks and ready...set...go! There were a lot of runners though so you have to maneuver a little bit around people if you wanted to go fast. Meanwhile, we have the cheap seats in the back...of the pack! It was really surreal, to be in the company of so many people who were running...for fun. It was a pretty cool feeling to be part of it though and I loved looking at everyone's costume as they ran by me, hahaha.

I think by the time I took this picture, the next section had already started and were barreling towards us.

It didn't matter though as there were plenty of walkers still. About every half mile or so we saw a character...and really rare ones too! Oh Chunkysis is gonna be so jealous! Whenever we saw a line for a character, we ran over to line up. Here's the first character we encountered, Meeko from Pocahontas!

Pretty cool! I would say we waited about 5-10 mins for him.

Soon we were at Mile Marker 1!! What! A mile down already? Yes! The markers were so cute. Many people stopped to get a picture so there was a line even for the mile marker, so I just took this in passing.

The first mile wasn't so bad! I think I can actually do this! Haha, we were doing a 24 minute mile. But technically the counter starts from the first section of the first corral so it's going to be misleading for everyone.

My favorite part was when we we entered into the World Showcase. That was pretty awesome! We were running in Epcot and it's empty...except for thousands of other runners and volunteers!

I think this next pic is pretty cool. Look at all the people running past me!

We encountered a band of Vikings in Norway. They were funny because all they did was grunt and cheer. They would be fun people to grab a beer with.

I didn't notice at first but there are PP Photographers stationed in little green tents taking your picture throughout the course. Oh GAWSH, more unflattering pictures of me. If there's one thing about being in a physical event like this while your picture is being taken (candidly) is that all your insecurities come out. I mean, I don't like my hair up, I feel bloated, I'm in a racer-back tank (which makes my shoulders and back look broader), I'm wearing all this spandex, and I'm all sweaty and huffing and puffing.

DH though looks like he could be a runner, and I'm doing my best to not to let my gut hang out over my compression tights.

I tried to smile whenever I saw a little green tent because who knew what sordid photographs could pop up! But hey, it does look like I'm actually running, or doing the cha cha.

I think I might have been doing the cha cha here, while still DH looks like he really is running!

The ambiance was so wild. It was a great time. I like how they played music throughout the World Showcase. Here's a little video of the scene:

OK this is quite possibly the world's worst picture of me, but this is how I REALLY look like when I work out. Just keepin' it real.

Waiting in line for pics:

Here's Abu whom we saw at Morocco, of course. But his face looks so funny. Like drunken Abu. Hahaha. I posted this on Instagram and everyone agreed!

At France we saw Cinderella's mice! Not Gus Gus, but the other ones.

I believe the only picture we did not stop for was Dopey because his line was insane. The lines for characters were all long but Dopey's was by far the longest.

Around the halfway mark was a water stop which was nice. I think I should have drank more than one cup though. We had developed a bit of a pattern of walking, then when we saw a character we'd start running then we'd wait in line, take the picture, then run away for a few seconds then back to walking. It worked for us!

We made it to Mile marker 2!!

I think this is where it got significantly harder for me because I kept thinking, are we done yet? 3 miles shouldn't feel this long...what, we're only at 2.3? So it was just overcoming it mentally as well. We ran behind the scenes for a bit and then we came out around where the fountains are. So of course we had to get a picture.

Too bad DH is blinking!

Then we ran over to where Finding Nemo and The Land are.

Outside Nemo there were these costumed fish. I think I remember seeing them in the FoF parade at MK.

At about 2.5 miles was when I felt really tired. It's the most I've walked in one go since the beginning of January. Nothing was really hurting but I think it was just tight muscles and lack of stamina at this point.

We headed back out of Epcot to a service road and soon we saw this:

WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH OUR FIRST 5K!!!

This was the best sight ever:

Almost there...

And we're done!!!

WE DID IT!!!

They handed out medals past the finish line. I love the cute little Mrs. Potts!!

OK It wasn't that bad everyone. If I can do it on a bad ankle I think anyone can. It was a lot of fun to be in the company of other people who were having fun too. Definitely a lot of women at this race. I don't think DH minded one bit though.

Our first 5k experience was a blast even though we weren't at 100%. As we were walking away from the finish line, they handed out drinks, lots of waters, powerades, boxes of snacks, and bananas. Cool!

We took the bus back to the Contemporary and I was so grateful to be back because we were pooped. I knew we weren't going to be able to hit the parks right after so I changed all my ADRs and FP for later in the afternoon. I had a Kona ADR but it was too early so I called the dining line to change it since it was same day. We ended up at Tokyo Dining for dinner instead, which was really all they had available which worked with our plans, fine by us!

Back at the resort, I wanted a post-race meal of Mickey Waffles, so that's just what I got:

We went back to the room, showered, changed and CRASHED the entire rest of the morning. We were so tired! I did however, take a nice long Epsom salt bath and ice my ankle properly to ward off any inflammation!

Coming up...our afternoon at Epcot, Tokyo Dining dinner, and Trader Sam Dismeets!!!

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[nenglim]

great pics! wow corral A! We were in corral D. The lines were already long when we got to the characters. There was no way we were lining up. You see, we had a time limit. We needed to be back to our hotel no later than 730am. My 2 younger kids needed to be at the EXPO by 930 for the kids races. We did not start our race until after 630am. So we made only limited stops that means no waiting in line! we did get to meet some rare characters at the DVC event that night so i didn't feel so bad skipping on them during the race.

Looking at your mile marker pics and comparing it to ours, we were at the 2nd mile marker about the same time as you were and we passed the 3rd mile marker just about 45 secs ahead of you! I am looking through my pics to see if you were in it and me in yours!

 

[ariane37]

You can complain all you want about how you look during the marathon, but 1. You look fine 2. I'm very impressed since you'd have to pay me to run 3. Nobody I see in your pictures running with you looks at their best and 4. You should be extremely proud of yourself Plus it looks like you guys had FUN, and that's what counts! So glad even on your recovering ankle you were able to complete the 5K!

 

[chunkymonkey]

great pics! wow corral A! We were in corral D. The lines were already long when we got to the characters. There was no way we were lining up. You see, we had a time limit. We needed to be back to our hotel no later than 730am. My 2 younger kids needed to be at the EXPO by 930 for the kids races. We did not start our race until after 630am. So we made only limited stops that means no waiting in line! we did get to meet some rare characters at the DVC event that night so i didn't feel so bad skipping on them during the race.

Looking at your mile marker pics and comparing it to ours, we were at the 2nd mile marker about the same time as you were and we passed the 3rd mile marker just about 45 secs ahead of you! I am looking through my pics to see if you were in it and me in yours!

Haha I put ourselves in Corral A for this reason, so that the lines won't get insanely long, although who am I kidding they were already long by the time we got there. Because we were in Corral A I felt less pressure to keep up since we were walking. If I were in the last few corrals I would be worried I'd be swept because I can't keep a 16 minute mile and take pictures at the same time!

Oh that is so funny! You should pm me a picture of you guys so I can look through all my pictures to see if you are in them! I only post the good ones. Mostly. LOL.

 

[chunkymonkey]

You can complain all you want about how you look during the marathon, but 1. You look fine 2. I'm very impressed since you'd have to pay me to run 3. Nobody I see in your pictures running with you looks at their best and 4. You should be extremely proud of yourself Plus it looks like you guys had FUN, and that's what counts! So glad even on your recovering ankle you were able to complete the 5K!

Thank you Ariane! We really did have fun. You should try it one day and just hang out in the back like us. Then we can all go for a drink!
We had so much fun we signed up for the Food n Wine 5 k. I would do the 10k, but hey, I like to enjoy my vacation too. Hahaha. I'm looking forward to it and hope it's just as fun as the Princess 5k. It's at the end of our Nov trip though, and not at the beginning. I'm going to have to build in a day of rest before the 5k!

 

[Raeven]

ere's the first character we encountered, Meeko from Pocahontas!

So cute!

My favorite part was when we we entered into the World Showcase. That was pretty awesome! We were running in Epcot and it's empty...except for thousands of other runners and volunteers!

That does sound cool!

I mean, I don't like my hair up, I feel bloated, I'm in a racer-back tank (which makes my shoulders and back look broader), I'm wearing all this spandex, and I'm all sweaty and huffing and puffing.

DH though looks like he could be a runner, and I'm doing my best to not to let my gut hang out over my compression tights

I don't think you look bad at all! I would look like a sweaty mess (I never run though)

I tried to smile whenever I saw a little green tent because who knew what sordid photographs could pop up! But hey, it does look like I'm actually running, or doing the cha cha.

I think I might have been doing the cha cha here, while still DH looks like he really is running!

It does look like your dancing. Maybe you paused whenever you saw the tents so you're mid slight run?

Here's Abu whom we saw at Morocco, of course. But his face looks so funny. Like drunken Abu. Hahaha. I posted this on Instagram and everyone agreed!

Oh yes he does

Almost there...

And we're done!!!

They handed out medals past the finish line. I love the cute little Mrs. Potts!!

I love those!

OK It wasn't that bad everyone. If I can do it on a bad ankle I think anyone can. It was a lot of fun to be in the company of other people who were having fun too. Definitely a lot of women at this race. I don't think DH minded one bit though.

One day I'd like to maybe try this. It does sound like an interesting experience.

 

[natebenma]

Late! Again!!! But here now.

Great intro. I like your trip report title. And great 5K t-shirts! Congrats on completing the course.

I look forward to reading all about your trip!

 

[Ariel484]

Ahhh congrats!! Are you hooked now?

You got some great character pictures, and despite what you say, your running pictures are great, too! Awesome job!

 

[chunkymonkey]

I don't think you look bad at all! I would look like a sweaty mess (I never run though)

I was a sweaty mess the whole way through!

It does look like your dancing. Maybe you paused whenever you saw the tents so you're mid slight run?

Oh for sure. Every time I saw a camera I'd just smile at them mid-step. Because you couldn't avoid them!

One day I'd like to maybe try this. It does sound like an interesting experience.

I think you should! It was fun.

Late! Again!!! But here now.

Hi Dee! I have to catch up on your latest TR, you've written so much since I left for my trip!

Great intro. I like your trip report title. And great 5K t-shirts! Congrats on completing the course.

Thank you! We tried, haha.

I look forward to reading all about your trip!

And I look forward to catching up on yours!

Ahhh congrats!! Are you hooked now?

Yes, ever so slightly! We signed up for the F and W 5k. I really want to do the Dark Side runs but I'm not sure about next year since we weren't planning on renewing our AP after this one runs out.

You got some great character pictures, and despite what you say, your running pictures are great, too! Awesome job!

Thank you! Coming from a Run Disney veteran, that means a lot!

 

[Heidi Lou]

Guess I was inspired by Prince Charming's look the night before.

haha this cracked me up...when I saw that pictured of prince charming on I think it was insta I even showed my sister and was like "Look at this prince!!!" He was a bit much! You looked great though.

I keep telling him, hey you know Belle does not end up with Gaston, right? He just puts on his best Gaston voice and says "I will keep you, woman!"

DH cracks me up!

Glad the race went well and again, so glad I got to meet you two!

 

[jessicar82]

Just joining now! Love all your photos! You looked great while you were running! It must have been such an amazing feeling to finish and get those medals. I hope I can do a Disney race in the near future!

 

[Disneyhayes]

Up to date now and sliding in for the rest! I'm sure that shirt would be the only thing my husband would disney bound in too lol

 

[LindseyJo22]

Catching up again!

I am definitely signing up for a 5k in the future - don't know if I can get in for January still, but it looks like so much fun! I love the route, too - I was a little disappointed that the half course really didn't include World Showcase at all, so I'd love to be able to run through it And your characters and costumes were so good!

Glad that you both enjoyed it, despite not being 100% - that's a plus for runDisney!

Also love the Contemporary room, very clean and nice looking. We have only stayed at BLT which is awesome, but not at the regular Contemporary. And good Photopass pictures! I have a few that look awkward, but in general they did a way better job than the other professional photographers at races I've been to. I usually look like I'm dying in race pictures and actually got some great ones from Photopass

 

[disneyAndi14]

Great job! 5K in the books now, the pictures are a nice timeline for you two. Mickey waffles awesome reward.