RUN LIKE A PRINCESS!

I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD

♫♪ badaledabadedadeda buh ♪ ♫ badeladedadedadada ♫ ♫ ♪ dahdedelaladadedadada bah dededaladededa da....remember that song?!  Ok, well in that song it's "land" (and, technically DizKneeLand) but I know you are now hearing it in your head, and that's what I wanted! :) it's sort of my theme song right now!)

and.....I am going to participate in the Princess Half Marathon!! (GULP!)

I am very excited, but truth be told, it has been an emotional sequence of events.  I am generally a very calm and relatively stress free person, but I think I may have had my first panic attack after pushing that "finalize reservation and purchase ticket now" on the airline website a few days ago.  Heart was racing, fingers were fluttering and I was pacing my bedroom. Yes. I TOTALLY panicked.  OH. MY. GOODNESS.  Airfare booked, no turning back but I must be CRAZY! Disney without my kids (each of whom have a "trip to Disney World" on their Christmas lists) and committing to running moving my body 13.1 miles!!! Oh my gosh I am scared.  The only time I ran a distance race it was only a 5k.  And it was 17 years and approximately 50 pounds ago.  REALLY?  Seriously?  Who do I think I am?!?!?  I couldn't have chosen to start slow, or start local? REALLY!?

But its done, and I am GOING! I have been doing the C25K program, and meeting success, and will soon start to train for longer distances ... 4 months.  It is helpful to have a real tangible goal to work for, and the PRIZE for all of this hard work.  WOW!  Just thinking about running through the Magic Kingdom, seeing the castle, and knowing that I DID IT sends shivers through me. I am ready to do this.  I can do this. 

I am still scared, but I CAN do this and there are so many reasons what I want to.  I will have amazing friends there to cheer me on and running by my side.  Incredible people that I have gotten to know (though never really "met") through our mutual love for Disney.  So that makes this the MOST appropriate place to tackle this monumental challange! These friends are people who I wouldn't have known if it weren't for the mouse, and without whom I would certainly not have even THOUGHT of pushing towards that fairytale finishline!! 

I still feel a bit selfish.  I am having a hard time dealing wtih the fact that I am doing this for me, and not bringing my kids with me to the most wonderful place in the world where it has always been ALL about THEM.  The guilt and the fear make me feel a little unworthy, but it will all be OK.  Every mile I run will be for them, to show them how important it is to find, pursue, and realize your dreams...how important it is to follow up on your committments, and how important health and strength are, so in the end, it is not really for me, it is for them.

So....I am off and running!!!  Follow me by looking for the pixie dusted trail left in my wake.

XO