For the past year I've been toying with the idea of running.Not just any run
but a race.A big fat Half Marathon Race.
Not just ANY half
but a half marathon at the only place you SHOULD run...
Disneyland!
What seems like an eternity ago, (12 years = eternity), I used to run.
I ran a lot.
6 mile runs.
4 times a week.
I ran to stay "skinny." (I was never skinny). It was the only cardio I liked that would keep my leg muscles slim. I have massive leg muscles. I liked running. I craved running. I guess that's what you call a runner's high. I didn't know it back then, because I just ran so that I could eat 50 cookies that week.
And then I stopped running.
But, I kept eating 50 cookies.
And I got fat.
Super fat.
(And let's be honest here, I was super fat. No need to be nice and say that I wasn't, because I was... and I knew it.)
There is a time and place for everyone to figure out that hey, it's time to change. It was time for me to change.
I was ready to run. I missed running. I missed my old body. I missed my somewhat smaller boobs. I needed my body back.
I will go into details about what I've been doing later on... when I'm finished. Because, I'm not quite finished. I've got a little ways to go before I get my full body back.
BUT I AM RUNNING!
Not a lot, but enough to give me that high back! Slowly, but surely, I'm getting my runners legs back.
AND.I.LOVE.IT.
I crave it!!!!
The past few weeks I keep getting sick with random colds/viruses. I wouldn't allow myself to do my work outs because I know that it makes me even more sick. So I would sit and try to recover so that I could.. what?!?!... RUN!
AND READY OR NOT
We're running this race!
Disneyland, HERE WE COME!
I have an awesome friend that inspires me to run.
She's a real runner.
One of those... holy crap she can actually run FAST... runners.
She's coming with me!!!
RIGHT BRIDGET?!?!?
I also have an awesome sister. I've talked her into doing this race with me. She didn't need much talking into. I mean, it's Disneyland, AND she's a health teacher and always fit! Kind of an easy breeze task there!
There is a reason I wanted to run it with her.
She's had my back, my #1 supporter!
When I was skinny, she was young, but always worked out with me.
She came to my kick boxing classes I would teach, she would run with me when the gym was closed and I needed someone to run with.
She never cared that I was fat.
She knew I could do it.
We had conversations all the time about "someday" when I got my body back, and how she knew I could do it.
It wasn't a matter of knowing, just a matter of WHEN.
Timing is everything.
Aside, from Trent, she's for sure my #1 supporter. Every time we go to visit, she ALWAYS says how awesome I look. Even when it's only a few pounds or been a few weeks, it's the first thing she mentions.
And, she MEANS IT!
And I love it!
So.... I gotta share this run WITH HER!
SO... READY OR NOT... this run is officially on!
I have over 1000 pictures from our trip to Disneyland! 1000! YES, you heard me right. Between Trent's iphone, my camera, my mom's camera, and our DisneyPhoto Pass Plus (Which I HIGHLY recommend if you suck at taking pictures like me...), that is a crap ton of pictures. Mind you, most are of the same thing ten times over, but still, it is FABULOUS!
So, I will share with you just a few... and by few I mean A LOT... of my favorites!
Day 1
I snapped this picture of my mom and Brenika running, it was so cute!!!
I am so sad that you can't see Brenika in this photo! She is sitting next to Trent. If we'd have known we would've put her on his other side. She refused to ride it again. She HATED it! hahaha As shown by the picture below.
Dirk LOVED meeting all the characters. I love this shot captured by the Disney Photo Pass people!
Jungle Cruise!
Finding NEMO! Brenika wasn't scared this time!!!
BEST HIGHLIGHT! Dirk meeting Ralph. He loves him so much!!! He was BEAMING! When we were waiting in the 20 minute line to meet Ralph and Venelope, Dirk fell asleep. He hadn't slept all day and I was like, OH NO! I let him sleep until we were almost to the front, but I knew I had to wake him up. HE WOULD NOT WAKE UP! It was crazy. I was holding him up, kissing him, moving him around, anything! My dad was even helping me. I FINALLY got him to open his eyes for just a second, and in that 1 second, HE SAW RALPH! He immediately JUMPED right up and threw his arms in the air and did "I'm Gonna Wreck it." It was awesome!
Funny Story about Ralph. Right when we got to the front of the line, they announced that Ralph would be leaving for about 5 minutes, but that he would be RIGHT back. People were grumbling and annoyed, but I thought I'd make light of the situation. So, I said to the cast member, "Oh, does he gotta go WRECK IT in the bathroom?!?!" hahahahah The cast member laughed so hard and was like, "I'm totally telling Ralph you said that!" Ralph was shaking his head up and down like he was laughing when he told him. It was pretty funny.
This is how we parked to save money. We piled into Lance's van from the hotel to the parking lot. HEHE
It's a Small World is SO AWESOME during the holiday!
I think Brenika was a little exhausted and dehydrated! haha She kept telling me she was going to throw up. So the entire ride I held her and a baggy that my mom luckily had in her backpack, just WAITING for her to throw up. She never did.
But then she ZONKED out right after the ride. Poor girl had a LONG first day.
Day 2
GOOFY'S KITCHEN! This was our first character breakfast ever, and I wasn't that impressed. The characters come around from table to table, but it's so loud and not very personal. I didn't like it much at all. I did like that we got to meet a few characters that we don't normally see, but they didn't even stand where I could get good pictures of them, so I was disappointed.
LOVED meeting Mulan! She is never in the actual park!
This Belle was so adorable! The only thing that would make this picture better was if Dallis was there.
Trent took Brenika to the beach with his family. I stayed back so Dirk could sleep, and I felt like crap from being sick.
Day 3
Everyone went on Thunder Mountain (Brenika cried, AGAIN... probably because Trent let her ride with Sierra haha, so it's even more scary not being with your own parent!), so I got the rider swap pass and took Wyatt back on it with me!
Cruella is always so fun to meet. She was telling me how soft Brenika's hair was and that it would make a great fur coat. "Should we shave her head mom?!?" Brenika was a little worried about her.
They LOVED Pluto! The cast member that was here with
Pluto and Chip LOVED Dirk's squeaky shoes. Pluto thought they were pretty cool too.
I forgot to get a photo with Holiday Goofy, and I'm still sad about it.
I LOVE THIS PICTURE!
We met Holiday Mater, but never got to meet Holiday Mcqueen.
Buzz was so awesome. I told him we wanted to meet Spanish Buzz, so he started dancing and twirling! It was so great!
Trent's favorite ride!! Toy Story Mania! Trent and Lance kept having competitions to see who could get the highest score. Lance would always win, even when he was holding Jace at the same time. HAHA
While we went on California Screamin, Elizabeth and my mom took my kids on King Triton's Carousel!
Mickey's Fun Wheel! We did the non swinging, and Nolan and Elizabeth did the swinging. We ended up getting RIGHT next to each other even though they load from different sides. It was perfect timing and fun to watch them swing and scream! hehe
Cars Land REALLY IS THIS AMAZING! These Disney Photo Pass Photographers capture it perfectly. I can't even begin to describe how amazing Cars Land is lit up at night. I LOVE IT!
Day 4
Disney Junior... definitely a highlight for Brenika.
This is the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. I'd never been in there before. SO MUCH FUN! We spent almost an hour in there. They wanted to find all the clues to get their Wilderness Explorer Badges! Parker was bound and determined to find the footprints of Kevin from Up. We finally found them at the very end! (Tairen had to help us!)
DOUG! We saw Russell, but you can only meet Russell if you watch their little show, and we didn't have enough time.
There was a Disney Photopass Photographer snapping pictures of people on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. We told him to take pictures of us, and we seriously got the BEST PICTURES of some of us on the ride! SO SO IMPRESSED! This is just one of them!
Day 5
Brenika FINALLY meeting her favorite Princess!!!!!
Waiting for Rapunzel, this picture is SO AWESOME! My dad took Dirk on Pinocchio!!!
Flynn came in with Rapunzel RIGHT WHEN WE GOT THERE! It was perfect timing, and so awesome that we got to meet them both!!! Sierra was all sorts of nervous and embarrassed when Flynn came in. HEHE She has a big crush on him and was so excited she got to meet them both!
Poor Brenika had a fever during this Princess line. She didn't want to meet any of them so I had to bribe her with ice cream so that she would stay. That is why her smile isn't really a smile in any of the pictures. Poor baby. She was getting an ear infection. A little advil and she was as good as new! hehe
Merida meets Merida!!!
This ride is SERIOUSLY AWESOME! I love the look of terror on Brenika's face! HAHAHA It's not even that scary! My little pansy.
We texted my mom and told her what color our car was, and she CAUGHT US! How awesome is this shot?!?!?!
After we got off the ride, we couldn't find my dad anywhere! I guess while we were in line, he got in the single rider line. He never saw us, and when he got off the ride, he couldn't find my mom either! So, he thought we'd all gone to watch the parade over at Disneyland. He went over, watched the parade by himself, and still couldn't find us. We were searching all over in California Adventure. I waited at the end of the Cars Ride for him for about 30 minutes before I gave up. FINALLY he borrowed someone's cell phone and called my mom. So funny, and so annoying!
I think this is my favorite one of my family!!!
Day 6
These boys were so funny together.
Brenika's favorite character meet and greet. She was DYING to meet Sally. We finally went and just waited until she came out, just so we wouldn't miss her! My dad is standing behind holding Dirk, so in all the photos, you can see them in the background. HEHE
Isn't the Castle so amazing with all the lights on?!?! The above picture is before they turn on the lights. The below is the after. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!
Being at Disneyland during the Holiday Season was seriously so awesome!!!! It makes it even more magical than it already is!!!! If you haven't ever gone, it is a MUST!
Aside from having the WORST colds of our lives, this trip was SO MUCH FUN! We got to do everything we wanted to do, and it was the perfect amount of time! Can't WAIT to go back! I miss it already!!!!
