This was it. This was my day. My 40th birthday spent doing a half marathon in Disneyland.

Packet Pick Up & Expo

I was so excited doing my first half marathon during the Tinkerbell weekend I took a similar photo on the carpet. Then, I took one during the Star Wars weekend. So now apparently it’s my thing.

Here’s my Disneyland Half Weekend shot:

The Start

The start, as always, had an excited vibe. However, it was hot. Too hot. The announcer said the feels like temperature was 87°. It wasn’t even 5am yet. Blech!

Running through California Adventure

I stopped a number of times throughout DCA.

• I had seen Mike & Sully during the previous 2 races, but didn’t stop. I’m glad I stopped this time.

• Since my daughter is a gymnast, I stopped to take a pic of the girl flying around the Toy Story bar.

• The crowd of runners on Hollywood Blvd.

• Cowgirl Jessie must stop for a photo op with a horse.

Running Through Disneyland

• One of my favorite photos from the entire weekend is this one with Minnie & Mickey

• At one point, I was hoping to get my Castle to Chateau medal and run the event later in the month in Paris. This pic with Remy will have to do instead.

• I was slightly disappointed that my only photo op with Woody, during a Toy Story themed race, was this one of him up on the balcony of The Golden Horseshoe.

• Runners on Main Street

Running the Streets of Anaheim

•  It was crazy hot, but the sunrise was lovely.

• After stopping for all my pics in the parks, I ended up with the corral I run/walk 3 hour pacer. I kept with them for awhile, but eventually went about my own pace. I did enjoy the bit I was with them. I will have to keep it in mind for another event.

• During the run, the red flag came out.

• As always, I enjoyed all the entertainment along the way. This time we had a Polynesian group, a Mexican group, and a car show featuring Lightning McQueen.

• The Hogwarts Running Club had ice in a cooler for the runners. So, so awesome! I was sweaty and obnoxiously hot. I grabbed a refreshing handful of ice and shoved it down the back of my shirt.

• I can’t stop for every sign that catches my attention, but I had to stop for this one with Chandler.

• This was a different course than my previous RunDisney half marathons. This time, we ran through Angel Stadium. I’m not really a fan of ball sports, but it was a nice change to run through the stadium.

The Finish!

I’m always happy when the finish line is in sight. But, I was especially thrilled this time. Given the choice, I would absolutely run on a 30° day before running on a 90° day. Run/walk/jogging for 13 miles in high temps and high humidity is not my idea of a good time. To be nearing the finish line was a huge relief.

I love/hate the photo on the left. It’s one of my favorite finish line photos ever. I typically look like a dufus. This one, though, is a lie. I appear to be in great spirits – in reality I feel miserable and half dead.

After finishing the race, I headed to the medic tents for ice. I walked more during this half marathon than I ever have before. Unfortunately, I’m not a good fast walker and I know my posture was horrible – resulting in back shoulder pain. I placed the ice on my achy back shoulder and also on my face to cool me down.

By the time I got a pic with my medals I felt much better and ready to conquer the rest of the day.

I earned 4 medals that weekend: a 5k, 10k, half marathon and the double dare challenge medal for completing both the 10k and half.

— More than Running —

My 40th Birthday

I don’t usually celebrate my birthday, not even with a family dinner. That works well for me.

However… I was in Disneyland and somehow 40 seems like such a milestone. I totally enjoyed the day in every way I could.

• I got my birthday button, which looks amazing.

• I found a cake and balloons in Mickey’s house and pretended they were for me.

• By coincidence, we were having a little snack break at Refreshment Corner when Alice & the Mad Hatter came by to play musical chairs. I absolutely talked my friends into participating with me. One of my favorite moments ever! To top it off, the Mad Hatter sang me a short, silly birthday song.

• I made us shirts for the occasion. Mine said, A Very Merry 40th Birthday to Me. The others said, A Very Merry Unbirthday to Me.

• A friend of mine had her 35th birthday during the trip. We celebrated our special days with a margarita from Rita’s Baja Blenders in California Adventure. I like margarita’s, but I didn’t really care for this one. I did enjoy the company and atmosphere, though.

This was certainly a RunDisney event / Birthday I will never forget.

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The races for this RunDisney weekend started at the before-the-sun hour of 5am. Oy! This meant every day I got up between 3:00 and 3:30. Oy, oy, oy!

They’re worth it. I’m sure I’ll do it again.

The 10K theme was Monsters, Inc – which I liked better than The Incredibles theme for the 5K.

Packet Pick Up & Expo

During packet pick up I took this photo because I was running the Double Dare challenge – meaning I was running both the 10K on Saturday, then the half marathon on Sunday.

Our Costumes

My friends have done a number of RunDisney events. The girl in the middle makes aprons to wear as their costumes. This time they were Snow White and the Evil Queen. So, I dressed as Dopey.

The Start

This time I was placed in corral E for both the 10K and the half. During Star Wars, I was in C for the 10K and B for the half. I’m not exactly sure how the corrals work, but I think there were more corrals this time. Even though the actual corrals weren’t the same, I feel like I was placed correctly for all events. Until I started stopping for photos, I seemed to be staying similarly paced with the other runners.

Running through California Adventure

It was a hot, humid morning so I didn’t want to dilly dally too much during the 10K. I took pics going through DCA, but none with characters.

The Backlots

The back areas and tunnels had a few fun surprises. I love all these kinds of detail. There was an employee from the Child Detection Agency searching the area, as well as doors and Monsters University posters displayed.

I have a few favorite places to run during the Disney events – one of those places is through the large doors into or out of the parks.

Running through Disneyland

I don’t love the pic of me on the left, but I love that Daisy & Donald are right behind me.

The Final Stretch

• Well… I do look Dopey in the photo on the left….

• Still one of my favorite sections to run is the fenced area between Disneyland and DCA. The spectators are always amazing.

The Finish

Maybe it’s because I create photo props, but I loved all the photo ops with props available.

I am now an official runner at MU:

Despite the heat, I kept a pretty good pace the entire race. It makes up for my seeing the balloon ladies at my last RunDisney 10K.

My first event of the Disneyland Double Dare is complete.

— More than Running —

It’s My Unbirthday

The next day was going to be my birthday – making this day my unbirthday. I snapped this photo while on the Alice in Wonderland ride.

Dining at Disney

I had never eaten at the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country before. We decided to try it. I got a wrap and fries for somewhere around $10. It was ok. Not the best, but not bad.

Well, that’s a wrap, I have finished my 7th RunDisney event.

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When I found out the Disneyland Half Marathon was being held the day of my 40th birthday, I knew I must go. And go, I did.

Thankfully, I have fabulous friends who didn’t mind going to Disneyland.

Packet Pick Up & Expo

Thursday afternoon we stopped by the expo, grabbed our race packets, spun wheels, won prizes, took photos…

On the way to the expo we stopped by La Brea Bakery for blackberry mojitos. They were dee-lish!

Our Costumes

I have been friends with these two since high school. We dressed in a group costume as the Main Street Electrical Parade. We were the Blue Fairy, Pete’s Dragon, and the Cheshire Cat lit up with LED lights. They are not runners and I so appreciate them coming to do this with me.

The Start

Walking through California Adventure

My fav is our pic on the trolley.

Walking through Disneyland

We didn’t stop for many pics in Disneyland, but we did get a mandatory castle shot.

Hogwarts Running Club

One of my favorite places during a RunDisney event is the section between the two parks. During this 5k, though, it was virtually spectator free – except for these two from the Hogwarts Running Club. I knew they were a good group to associate with.

The Finish

The anticipated finish line.

We did it!

Our bib, tshirt and medal for our accomplishment:

— More than Running —

Theme, theme, theme

I do love having fun with a theme. Since my friend dressed as the Blue Fairy, a pic with the fairy while on the Pinocchio ride was a must.

Dining at Disney

The night before, I ordered this citrus chicken plate from the Cocina Cucamonga in DCA’s Pacific Wharf. It was amazing. It was a little spendy – somewhere between $12-$15. But, I have paid that much to eat at Tortilla Jo’s in Downtown Disney.

The evening of the 10K we ate at the Plaza Inn. I had fried chicken and mashed potatoes, with green beans. It was also really good, but a bit more expensive than the chicken from DCA.

I don’t know if my friends loved waking up early to do a 5k, then spend the rest of the day at Disneyland. But, they were good sports and I’m so glad they came. One of them, though, is talking about doing a 10K – so that’s a good sign. Maybe I’m slowly converting her. Bahaha…

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It’s no secret that I love Disney. Over the years I have acquired a few fun items. I never had a good place to display them. But we are now done home schooling, and that opened up a wall that was once covered in learning material. The wall was a blank canvas that I chose to decorate in all things Disney.

A Look at all the Gallery Pieces

1: Run Disney Race Canvas

The Run Disney races I’ve completed have definitely been my favorite races as a newbie runner. I wanted to do something special with the race bibs and medals, so I came up with these race canvas’s. Click here to find out how I made them.

2: Laughter Wood Sign

The final piece I added to the gallery wall was this handmade laughter sign. Click here to find out how I created it.

3: Vintage Mickey Poster

I found this image at the Costco Photo Center. I simply had it printed just as I would any other photo at Costco, then mounted it on a canvas panel.

4: Family Castle & Character Photo

I put this collage together after our 2009 trip to Disneyland. I printed it as an 8″x10″, then trimmed it a bit and mounted it on a painted canvas.

5: Mary Poppins Silhouette

I found this Mary Poppins silhouette doing a google search. I printed the image, then traced it on to 1/4″ plywood. Using a scroll saw I cut the image, then painted it black.

6: Dream Signage

Years ago I found this dream wood cut out at a craft store. I painted it glittery lime green with the intention of displaying it in one of our flowerbeds. The sign never made it outside. Instead, it sat in a closet… until now. I combined magenta acrylic paint with glitter and pearl mixing medium then painted over the lime green. After the magenta paint dried I used sand paper to roughen up the edges.

7: Mickey Ears

Each of the kids has a pair of Mickey Ears. They are simply displayed on a shelf.

8: Ornament

During the Tinker Bell Half Marathon weekend in 2015 I bought this ornament. It’s flat, so it hangs perfectly on the wall.

9: Seven Dwarf Cross Stitch

I don’t know exactly when I made this cross stitch. I would guess I was somewhere around 12 years old. I loved it then and had it hanging in my bedroom. But, once I moved out on my own I never really had a good spot for it… until now. I’m so excited that it has a new place to be on display!

10: Donald Duck Poster Trio

I downloaded these Donald printables from Disney Movie Rewards. I painted 11″x14″ canvas’s red, then mod podged the prints to them.

11: Birthday & Mickey Ear Canvas Panels

We have been to Disneyland 3 times with the kids. Each time I have taken their photo with Mickey ears on in front of the fountain near the entrance at California Adventure. So, using canvas panels, I created a hanging display of one photo each year.

I bought a wooden star shape at a craft store and painted it gold. Next, I cut out a shape of Mickey ears and used it as a stencil. I put glitter glue in the stencil then sprinkled black glitter on the glue. While the glue was drying on the star, I painted 3 5″x7″ canvas panels blue. After the blue dried I used painters tape to mark off the edges to provide a dual framed appearance. Inside the tape I painted gold. I also painted numbers representing the years. I used hot glue and ribbon to attach the 3 panels and the star. The final steps were mod podging on the photos and using craft glue to add the numbers.

Two out of the three times we’ve been to Disneyland with the kids were over birthdays. So, I created a similar display for the birthday photos. Both times we celebrated at New Orleans Cafe. It’s low key, but still a special treat. I like it because you can go whenever it fits your schedule for that day. You let the waiter know you’re celebrating a birthday and would like a cake. The cake is big enough for everyone to get a taste and comes in a cute take home box.

12: G

Our last name begins with G, so I created this Goofy inspired sign using a scroll saw and paint.

13: Pin & Photo Canvas Display

To commemorate a few of our favorite rides I put together these canvas displays. To read more about how to make them click here.

14: Bulletin Board of Pins & Photos

I went with friends to Disneyland during the Tinker Bell half marathon weekend. Those friends were a bad influence. They wanted to see what the pin collecting craze was about. I didn’t really care to much about it, but decided I’d give it a whirl anyway. It was so much fun! I didn’t have kids with me, so no added stress. Just a fun time at Disney. And, the scavenger hunt of finding pin traders and the perfect pins was on. I came back totally addicted. It is good, clean fun. However, a bit on the spendy side. I didn’t want my kazillion dollars worth of pins to be thrown in a drawer, so I turned our old home schooling bulletin board into a pin collection board. I take the backs off the pins and the pins stick and stay right in the bulletin board.

Of course, I also added photo’s. Right now I have pics up of my adult trip to Disneyland and our latest trip with the kids. I recently joined the Disney Movie Club and sometimes the movie comes with a lithograph. I added a couple of those, too. I have a variety of lithographs and Disney printables, so I change them out occasionally.

15: Imagination Cut-out

I created an image spelling the word imagination, printed it to size, then traced it onto 1/4″ plywood. Using a scroll saw I cut out the letters. Our scroll saw isn’t very big, so the image was too long. I ended up cutting the image into 3 sections, which worked perfectly fine. I also cut a border out of plywood. I painted the word imagination lime green, then used glitter glue to adhere lime green glitter over the entire thing. The background border piece is simply painted black. Using gorilla glue, I glued the green glittered piece to the black piece.

Click the image below to download a larger file of the word imagination.

16: Main Street USA Silhouette’s

I remember getting a silhouette done when I was a kid on Main Street, USA. So, the first time we took the kids to Disneyland my must do souvenir was getting their silhouette’s cut. I got the frames at a craft store not long after we returned from our trip.

There it is, our Disney inspired wall. There are many pieces and it’s a little crazy, but I adore it anyway. The problem will arise when I do another Run Disney event. Where will those canvas’s go?

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Last May I went to Disneyland to run the Tinker Bell Half Marathon. I went with a couple girlfriends and no children. Such a weird, yet wonderful, experience.

My one friend wanted to try pin collecting, so we all jumped on that band wagon. I blame this new obsession on her.

I love everything about it… well, except the price tag. Those pins are not cheap. However, they are fabulous. I love searching the racks for a favorite ride or character. Even more, I love searching for cast members who may have just the pin I didn’t know I needed. Trading is fun.

I came home from that trip needing a way to display my new pins. I’ll be damned if I was going to spend all that money then throw those metal treasures in a drawer to be forgotten.

So, what I came up with was a canvas displaying my favorite ride. The canvas holds pins, as well as photos, from those rides at Disneyland and Disney World. I chose 4 rides and put together 4 canvases.

Materials

• 12″ x 12″ Canvas
• Acrylic Paint & Paint Brush
• Mod Podge
• Disney Pins & Photos
• Scissors or Paper Trimmer

Canvas Background

Because I knew there would be a lot going on with the photos and pins, I chose to keep the background super simple. It is painted in one color. However, I created 4 canvases and each canvas is a different color.

Layout

Personal Ride Photos

Trim photos to 2.75″ x 2.75″square. Or, for a horizontal photo: 5.5″ x 2.75″. Vertical photos are 2.75″ x 5.5″

Arrange photos in a rectangle along the left or right side of the canvas.

I used Mod Podge to adhere the photos to the canvas, but only gluing the under side of the photo. I chose not to Mod Podge over the top of the photos because I want to have the option of changing the photos after another trip to Disney. If you have a permanent design you could mod podge over the entire canvas to protect it.

Ride Image

On the opposite side of the photos I glued on a 4.5″ x 6.5″ ride image.

For the Splash Mountain canvas I used an image from the front of a folder when we purchased a photo at Disney World. The others are images I found online. You could also use a photo you took yourself while at the park.

Pins

Beneath the ride image is a blank space for pins.

The pins easily poke through the canvas. The pin back is shallower than the wood frame, so it doesn’t affect hanging the canvas.

Splash Mountain

I mean, who doesn’t love Splash Mountain? Of course, this was one canvas I had to make. Also, I was able to include a photo of the time we went to Disney World with Farmer John’s mom and brother.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my all time favorite rides. Yo ho ho! It is tricky getting photos inside the ride since it’s so dark. My favorite photo is outside the ride, though. When I ran the Tinker Bell Half Captain Jack Sparrow was waving and encouraging us in his drunken accent at the entrance.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is another one of my fav’s. I had a hard time finding Big Thunder Mountain pins, though.

Mad Tea Party

The Tea Cup ride is not my favorite, but it is my mom’s. So, this was the 4th ride I chose to display. Plus, I had a photo from my 1987 trip to Disneyland that I wanted to add.

On Display

My four canvases are grouped together on a wall dedicated to Disney.

This past January I went back to Disneyland to run the Star Wars Half Marathon. While there I collected a few more pins to add to these canvases. I also turned my kids into pin traders. Although, I high jacked their pins to add to my Disney wall.

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I needed one last item to add to a wall dedicated to all things Disney. This hand painted laughter sign fit perfectly.

The word was inspired by this quote:

“Laughter is timeless. Imagination has no age. And dreams are forever.”

I’m not actually sure Walt Disney said this quote, however the internet thinks he did. Either way, I enjoy the phrase.

Materials

• Wood Board – mine is 5.5″ x 22″
• Sandpaper
• Acrylic Paint – I used cerulean blue, pthalo blue, cadmium yellow, deep magenta, crimson, & white
• Paint Brushes, Sponge, & Spouncer
• Exacto Knife and Cutting Mat
• Laughter Stencil, preferably printed on card stock
• String and Hot Glue

Step 1: Paint Background

I began by cutting a 6′ board to approximately 22″ long.

Next I sanded the board just a bit.

Using a 1″ brush I painted the board in cerulean blue.

After the blue paint dried, I sanded the board again.

Anybody who follows me regularly knows I rarely paint a background one color and leave it. I prefer mixing in a little coordinating or completely opposite color. This time I went with a darker blue, yellow, magenta and crimson.

Also, as I tend to do when using a small amount of paint, I used a pringles can lid as a paint palette.

As opposed to a brush, I used a sponge to lightly apply color to the board.

When the paint dried, the board was sanded once again.

Step 2: Add Text

Using a font I liked (Harman simple, btw) I typed out the word laughter, sized and printed it. You can click the image or here to get a copy of the text, then enlarge it to the size that works for your project.

Using an exacto knife I cut out the letters. There’s no need to be exact when cutting out the letters. Close is good enough.

Using a spouncer, I dabbed white paint inside the stencil. After the paint dried, I dabbed on paint again. Then again, one more time.

I printed the text on regular copy paper, as opposed to card stock like I meant to do. So, paint blobbed under the stencil in a few places. Boo!

I remedied the error by painting cerulean blue over the unwanted white blobs.

When dry, the board received one last sanding.

Step 3: Add Hanger

For a hanger, I simple hot glued string to the back.

On Display

The laughter sign hangs on my Disney wall directly underneath my RunDisney canvases.

Ah, so nice to finish the last piece of this wall gallery.

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• The better part of this week was spent on vacation. So, I don’t have many farm related notes.

•Where’d we go? you ask. To a very magical place. Disneyland. I went for a Star Wars themed run event. I ran a 5K, 10K, and half marathon. The rest of the time was spent enjoying all things Disney.

• Just to keep things real, though, the night before we left was spent in a less magical way. We spent the better part of the evening moving Oliver and Lois. The pig and goat actually cooperated quite nicely. The mud, however, did not. I was getting stuck just trying to walk through it. Our car got stuck in it. The mud was slippery and not easy to get out of. I really am so glad the animals weren’t being troublesome during this time.

• It’s been like this for awhile, but I found it amusing on the stressful day before leaving on vacation, that our tractor seat is covered in a feed sack. The seat is cracked and therefore holds water. When you sit on it your buns get wet. Farmer John’s solution was a feed sack. It works.

• It’s been raining since we got home.

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Doh! The big day. A Disney Half Marathon. And, not only that is was the second race of the Rebel Challenge. The Star Wars 10K + Star Wars Half Marathon = Star Wars Rebel Challenge. 2 races in 2 days. 3 medals.

I woke up at the should-still-be-sleeping time of 3:30am. I didn’t do much for costumes. But, I did decide to wear orange. I don’t know a lot about Star Wars, but I did see the Rebel pilot suits were orange. Plus, it seemed like good luck since I wore the same orange shirt and skirt during the Tinker Bell half.

Waiting to Start

I don’t know how to explain it, but the energy with this crowd was different than the last two days. You could just feel the excitement of everyone.

I was placed in Corral B for the half.

When our corral was just about to go, I spotted the balloon ladies. Oy! Just the reminder I needed to keep movin’. I had no desire to repeat the 10K fiasco.

The Start

MapMyRun logged my start time at 5:41am. These people were definitely ready to move. I was barely able to snap a pic of the starting moment.

Running Through Disneyland

I moved through here fairly quickly. I stopped to take a few quick pics, of course. But, other than that kept moving. I didn’t wait for character pics.

Running Through California Adventure

BB8 had a 25 minute wait line. Nope. Didn’t do it. My pace dwindles quite a bit between a 10K and a half, so I didn’t feel I had the time to spare. I snapped a quick pic as I ran by, though. I did the same thing with R2D2.

Running the Streets of Anaheim

By mile 5, we were out of the parks and running the streets. The crowds were awesome. There were a few cheer teams and bands, and a number of people dressed as Star Wars characters.

I don’t know enough about Star Wars to know who this group was. But, they were fantastic. They were somewhere between miles 8 & 9 and were just the pick me up I needed. Honestly, I was getting kinda bored and still had a few miles to go. They totally got me outta my slump. So, I thank you guys, whoever you were.

The Final Stretch

We came down the final stretch from a different direction than the previous two races, which was a fun change. We don’t have palm trees in Oregon, so running down a street lined with them is exciting. I remember loving it during the Tinker Bell Half, too.

The Finish

I did it!

I knew I would, but I was still nervous about it. I don’t train as much as I probably should. I was also unsure how running the 10K the day before would affect me during the half. I was concerned my legs would be tired, but they weren’t. I made a good decision by choosing not to play at the parks after the 10K. Instead we spent the day hanging around the hotel and Downtown Disney. If I were to do this again, I would absolutely make that decision again.

My time was about 10 minutes faster than the Tinker Bell half, but about 2 minutes longer than the Rock n Roll Las Vegas. I average a 12:00 mile during a 10K. So, I give myself the goal of a 14:00 mile for a half, including photo stops. My pace this race was almost exactly that. However, that doesn’t quite get me to my ultimate goal of completing a half in less than 3 hours. I have to shave off almost 11 minutes to beat the 3 hour mark. That’s nearly one minute every mile. I have some work to do.

By finishing the 10K (by the skin of my teeth), and now finishing the half earned me the extra Rebel Challenge medal. Woo hoo! I brought home 2 medals that day.

Snacks & Stuff

The snack box and drinks were exactly the same as the 5K and 10K.

3 days. 3 races. 4 new medals & 4 new shirts.

This was a must. I wanted my medal pic with the castle in the background.

To Sum it Up

I’m totally thrilled with how the entire weekend went. It wasn’t absolutely perfect. But, what is?

We didn’t have any issues with our flights. We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, which was a first for us. It was great, of course. We also did a character breakfast, which we hadn’t done before. Packet pick up was easy peasy. I collected more pins. Pins! Bonus – I converted my kids into loving pin trading. I came to finish all 3 races and feel good when I was done. I did that.

The one looming bummer in the whole thing was that my hubby & kids didn’t get to do the 5K. I knew Disney races sold out, but I wasn’t expecting it in just a couple hours. I didn’t even sign up for the 5K during the Tinker Bell weekend until a day or two after registration opened. Them not doing it sucked for two reasons. One, I loved the Run Disney experience so much the first time, that I wanted my kids to experience it too. And second, I’m not even a Star Wars fan. I chose this weekend because of my kids. I earned all this Star Wars stuff and I don’t even know what half of it is. However, I did learn a lot about Star Wars this weekend.

Thoughts on bringing the kiddo’s: During the Tinker Bell weekend I came kid free. That was the first time I’d left my kids for so many days. However, I was there to run. And, that’s what I wanted to focus on. I’ll admit, it was great. I had a fabulous time as an adult with my friends at Disneyland. This time, though, I had wanted my kids to experience it with me. As it turned out, they didn’t get to actually experience the run, but they did get to cheer me on. It was great having them near the finish line hooting and hollering for me. And, of course, a day at Disney with your kids is magical. I certainly can’t complain about that. But… race weekends are crowded. I prefer Disneyland on less crowded days. It’s quite expensive for a family of 5 to do a Disney trip, with or without extra stuff. So as much as I loved them being there and even though it all worked out well, I’d prefer to go with my kids at off times – which aren’t race weekends. However, I’d still love to participate in race weekends.

I thought so the first time, and I still think so, Run Disney puts on great events. It’s amazingly calm even with thousands of people running about. I will say, though, they need to get rid of that rubbery 5K medal. It’s cheesy. I happen to love the one from the Neverland 5K. But, being made of rubber when the others are decent medals makes it seem as though a 5K just isn’t good enough. A 5K is good enough. Any distance you get off your buns is worthy.

Unfortunately, my Run Disney days are over for awhile. I’m going to be rooting for all of the participants in the upcoming races, but I’ll be totally jealous, too. If I were to dream, though, I’d love to do the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend or any of the Walt Disney World runs to earn a Coast to Coast medal. Until then…

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Saturday was the first race of the Star Wars Rebel Challenge at Disneyland. It was a 10K, which at this point, is my favorite distance. It’s more challenging than a 5K. But not near as challenging as a half marathon. I still feel fairly new to running. I’ve actually not run many 10K’s and the next day would only be my 3rd half marathon. So, I was looking forward to this event.

I woke up bright and early at 3:30am. Left the hotel at 4:30 and headed to the start line. I followed this routine each of the race days.

Waiting to Start

The start line was in the same place for all 3 races, making it even simpler to find the next day. Based on my submitted time, I was placed in Corral C for the 10K.

The Start

MapMyRun says I started the race at 5:46am.

Running Through Disneyland

I kept a decent pace through the Disneyland section. I stopped for photos, of course. But, didn’t wait in lines for character pics. It was as amazing as ever running through the park.

One of My Favorite Things

I love running through the gated section between the parks. The crowd cheering the runners is amazing and I feel like I’ve already accomplished a section of the race and it’s exciting knowing I’m moving on to the next.

Running Through California Adventure

Well.. now things didn’t go quite as planned. A good learning experience, though.

Hollywood Blvd, beautiful as always.

This is the line for BB8. I missed him the day before at the 5K and knew I wouldn’t have time to spare the next day during the half. So, I got in line. We were told it was about a 45 minute wait – longer than I would have liked. But, I guess I didn’t feel in a huge hurry and I love the photo ops. So, I stayed. Not far behind me, they shut off the line and didn’t let anyone else in. I guess I thought since I was already in the line, I was safe from the balloon ladies…

I waited in line about half an hour. I didn’t mind. I was chit chatting with the others in line and watching the runners go by. Right about the time I was getting close to my photo op – just another zig and maybe a zag in the line – the sweeper guys came by. Not far in front of them were the balloon ladies. We saw them go by, but we didn’t know for sure if they were the official balloon ladies. I’ve never actually seen the balloon ladies and somebody near me said they carry much bigger balloons. We thought we were fine, although we knew we needed to hurry.

The sweeper guys said we were behind pace and if we didn’t hurry there was a chance we’d be swept.

Less than a minute later, a sweeper said if we didn’t leave now we would definitely be swept. We had to be at Mile 4 by a certain time – a time that was very soon. That was the incentive we needed. We got out of the line we’d just been waiting in forever.

I snapped this quickie selfie as I high tailed it outta there.

Things weren’t quite so fun anymore. It was stressful. I’ll be damned if I was going to get swept – especially just for a photo.

So, so happy to make it to mile 4. I didn’t even stop to take a decent pic. I snapped this as I was running by. At this point, I heard I was 45 seconds behind pace.

The rest of the race was uneventful. I took a few pics. But, I was mainly concerned about finishing before the balloon ladies. Once I passed them, I had no desire to see them again.

The Final Stretch

When I reached Downtown Disney I heard I was 4 minutes ahead of the pace. Ah, a sigh of relief. However, I wasn’t going to breath easy until I crossed the finish line.

My kids and hubby were near the finish line ringing cow bells and Farm Kid2 was holding the sign he made at the Expo. Amazing! Very, very rarely do I have supporters at a race. It was a great end to a stressful race.

I did cross the finish line in time and received the medal. Woop, woop!

Never again will I take the pace time for granted. It was way too stressful.

Snacks & Stuff

The drinks and snacks at the finish were the same as the 5K, plus we got a heat sheet.

The medal

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I’ve spent the last few days at the Star Wars Half Marathon weekend in Disneyland. This was my second Run Disney event weekend. They sure know how to put on a good event. That has to be one of the reasons their events are so popular.

There was only one down side to the weekend. The only reason I signed up for this particular weekend was because I wanted to do a Run Disney event with my family. My kids enjoy doing 5K’s and I knew it would be a fun thing for us to do together. I thought my boys would really get into the Star Wars theme. However, that’s not how it worked out. I got to my computer 10 minutes after registration opened. The rebel challenge was already 85% sold out, the 5K was at 50%. So, I got to clicking as fast as I could and eventually got signed up for the rebel challenge. Then the mission was to get 5 of us signed up for the 5K. Ha! What a joke. After probably over an hour, I finally got into the registration system and signed myself up for the 5K. There was no option for signing kids up with me. I never got back into the system. Within 2 hours it was completely sold out. I’m not gonna lie. I had tears after that. Literally, the only reason I wanted to do the Star Wars event was so I could do it with my kids. I’m not even a Star Wars fan. I’ve never seen the original movies. And, it took me about 10 tries to get through episode I. I’ve seen most of episode II. And, I took the kids to see the newest movie one night when our power was out. I’ll admit Rey is a great character and I’m fond of BB8. But, still bummed not to be doing the race with the kids.

Costumes, or lack of

My lack of Star Wars mania resulted in not much in the way of costumes for any of the races. I found 2 Star Wars themed shirts at Kohl’s I thought were cute and a pair of galaxy printed running pants. That’s it. Between those items and stuff I had at home, I put together 3 themed outfits. They weren’t fancy, but it was a little somethin’ Star Wars related.

Just because I’m not a Star Wars fanatic doesn’t mean I didn’t have a good time. I was still frustrated about not getting to do the 5K with my family, but it wasn’t going to help the race any by being grumpy about it. So, I enjoyed being at Disneyland, had fun seeing all the costumes other runners wore, started my morning with a workout, and earned new bling. I certainly can’t complain… too much.

Packet Pick Up & Expo

First thing we did after checking into our hotel was head to the expo. Just like during the Tinker Bell Weekend, packet pick up was super simple. The lines weren’t long and I quickly grabbed my goodies and moved on to the expo. We looked around for a bit, but we were antsy to get to the park. The line for the official Disney merchandise was 2 hours. Ummm. No. I had preordered the 10k, half, and rebel challenge pins. I received them at packet pick up. Unfortunately, the 5K pins were sold out or not available at the time, so I couldn’t order them ahead of time. I wasn’t waiting in a 2 hour line for one pin. I was just going to have to risk them selling out. They didn’t. I came the next day, waited in a 10 minute line and bought the pin.

The second day it was just Farm Kid2 & I at the Expo. We listened to a couple speakers and he made me a sign to encourage me during the next two runs. Love that kid.

Waiting to Start

The race started on a street near the Disneyland hotel. I knew the general direction and headed that way. Once I got closer it was easy to figure out where to go. The 5K is not a timed race and I didn’t need to submit a proof of time. I was placed in Corral B, but I’m not sure why. I got to the corral around 5:00, which seemed to work out perfectly. I didn’t have to stress about being late and it wasn’t a horribly long time to wait.

The Start

The wheelchair racers and Corral A started at 5:30. My corral started at 5:40. The announcer counted us down, confetti was flying, and we were off.

The First Mile

Since the run started on the street, we circled around a bit until entering Disneyland.

Character Sighting

At about 3/4 of a mile into the run was our first character sighting. It was Chewbacca. The line was 15 – 20 minutes. I waited.

Running Through Disneyland

I run Disney for the entire experience. I don’t do it to get a pr. It gives me incentive to train. I train, then I enjoy the event. For me, enjoying the event involves taking pictures. So… I stop a lot during the run. I never took walk breaks during the 5K. But, I took plenty of stop, enjoy the scenery, and snap a photo breaks.

It’s a Small World was gorgeous.

I waited in a short line for a photo op with characters from the the cartoon Star Wars Rebels. I’ve never seen it. But, I loved the ladies outfit and hair.

Storm Troopers were hangin’ at the train station.

Running Through California Adventure

I apparently dilly dallied in Disneyland too long because by the time I got to the droids the lines were closed, which meant you couldn’t get a pic with them. Boo.

There are so many beautiful sites in California Adventure including Hollywood Blvd, Cars Land and the Fun Wheel.

The Final Stretch

Somewhere around the 2.75 mile mark you enter Downtown Disney. Run passed the shops towards the Disneyland Hotel, veer right and you have reached the finish line. Woop! Woop! Race 1 of 3 complete.

Time wise, this was probably my slowest 5K ever. That’s ok. I had a good time and I completed the event – my two goals accomplished.

Snacks & Stuff

First up, the water and powerade tents. Then comes the little box of snacks and a banana. I had never heard of the 3 items on the right of the snack photo. I gotta say, all 3 were quite tasty.

Woo hoo! The medal to go with the matching tshirt and bib.

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