For this week, I want to know: why runDisney? Whether this is your first rD event or 50th, what drew you to it? What keeps you coming back?
SAFD: This is all sorts of timely, as I underwent some sort of existential running crisis this weekend. Bear with me...
I've been running most of my life, but not competitively, and until 2012 I had no idea regular, amateur runners could race at all, let alone for fun. A friend of mine ran the 2012 WDW Half and I met her at DHS the following day for lunch. There, I saw the tail end of the WDW marathon passing through and was shocked to see "normal" people doing it! A month later, my son and I signed up for and ran the Princess 5K - and the rest is in my signature, lol!
I've always been attracted to activities that push me to my physical limits. I grew up in the ballet and was extraordinarily hard on myself in my quest for perfection. Running was never something at which I excelled, though: I've had chronic tendinitis in both knees since my 20s, I have exercise-induced asthma, scoliosis that causes chronic and constant back pain, and compromised lung function. I was a decent enough sprinter as a kid, but could never sustain any longer duration of running. For fitness, I started doing run-walk intervals (long before I ever heard of Galloway or that it was an official thing!), and found that I could go longer distances that way. I still never imagined I'd ever run a marathon, let alone Dopey, let alone my current desire to do an Ultra. Running has long been an escape from stress and anxiety, and a healthy way to channel what would otherwise likely be far more dangerous addictions. I've never been in it to seek faster times, better PRs, or to compete with other runners.
In that regard, rD races have been perfect! I love the camaraderie and time spent with friends. I get my fix of pushing myself a bit, but can also slack off and just enjoy the ride without feeling like a failure. I get to enjoy the beauty and wonder that is Disney race logistics and management, which are nothing less than stupendous, IMO. All in a place that I very much enjoy, and that doesn't break the bank to get to because I live 100 miles away.
The existential crisis came with preparing for a non-Disney, local 10K I was going to run to have PoT for future rD races. Iv'e been happily running in the Corrals of Last Resort for those of us without PoT, but got it in my head that I'd be happier a corral closer to the front. So I've been pushing HARD the last couple weeks, trying to get from Dopey pace to 10K race pace. And I've been... miserable. It hit hard 2 miles into my 6 this weekend, when I just couldn't hit race pace - couldn't even get near it. I wound up in tears as I realized I don't even
want to do this. I no longer care about being faster - I care much more about going farther. At a pace the feels good. Maybe even a little tough. But not feeling like I'm pushing to an extreme. I truly love the feeling of, "this is hard. but not so hard I can't do it. and I want to keep doing it." Without the many rD races under my belt, IDK that I ever would have gotten to that point and had that realization. ♥