runDisney Post Race Part 1: Expo & Enchanted 10K

Well, now that my legs are somewhat back to normal and I have all the feeling back in my toes, it's time to write about our first ever runDisney experience!

So, the question on everyone's mind: Did we finish? Well, You’ll have to read Parts 1 and 2 to find out! *cue evil laugh*. Or you could just read the end of Part 2, but I am going to put my faith, trust, and pixie dust in you that you will read through the whole post!

As I said in my previous post (If you have not read my pre-race post, you should stop reading now and click on this link to get caught up!), it was a weird trip in that it centered around the race weekend festivities and since we were both running, we didn’t want to overexert ourselves too much. Plus I was extremely anxious about the whole thing. The mix of reactions I got when I told people I was running in the half marathon without training ranged from awe struck wonder to incredulous concern to downright disbelief. This caused complete anarchy with my emotions as I would quickly swing back and forth between “I’ve totally got this” to “I’m totally going to die”.

Our weekend started with the race expo at ESPN Wide World of Sports to pick up our race packets and peruse the many vendors and merchandise on display. I thought it was pretty funny at when we picked up our packets, they took a picture of Barry to make sure it was really him crossing the finish line since he was doing the Glass Slipper challenge. Because we opted for the extra race retreat package, we got to get into the expo an hour before the general admission, which was really lovely. It gave us an opportunity to really take our time through the set up. Although, it was one scary moment when they opened the general admission and a literal swarm of people pushed through the doors to get their race merch!

It was also just really nice to walk around the ESPN Sports complex. We had never had a reason to go over there before, so it was fun to walk around and experience a new area of Disney! Scroll through the slideshow below!

They had a ton of sports/athletic vendors there. There was apparel, tutus, race gear, medal displays, headbands, and even shoes! My personal favorite vendor was Raw Threads. They had a huge selection of Disney Princess “mantra” athletic wear. Here is a link to their website with the princess shirts: Raw Threads. New Balance also had their signature Disney-themed sneakers out for the 2017 season. I am kicking myself for not getting the Haunted Mansion version, but I’ll just have to stalk the outlets next year and pray they have my size!

Since Barry signed up for the Glass Slipper Challenge (running both the 10k and the half), we had to get up around 3 AM on Saturday and Sunday. Because I am an amazing and loving wife, I woke up at 3 AM on Saturday and went to the 10k with Barry to cheer him on. Ultimately, I’m glad I did this because it ebbed my anxiety. It was like a tiny preview of the race to come, and since most of my anxiety comes from the unknown, having some sort of idea of what to expect made me feel a lot better.

The best thing about the 10k was all of the amazing costumes people were wearing. We saw a lot of Belles and Beasts (it was a Beauty and the Beast themed race weekend after all), tons of princesses, and even a whole group that dressed as characters from the most recent Disney movie, Moana. They even had a HeiHei!

While Barry was racing, I watched at the finish line with the rest of the chEARleaders. Being at the finish line was a very neat experience and I urge any friends or family of runners to stay and see for yourselves. Disney does a good job of keeping even the spectators entertained, with music and funny commentary going the whole time. And when the runners start to trickle into the finish, the pomp and circumstance is something that can only be described as pure Disney magic. As the first place runner came into view, Disney rolled out the finish line ribbon (held by none other than Miss America herself) and even shot off confetti cannons while all of us spectators cheered. It was great to be a part of that. They repeated the spectacle for the first female finisher, and since it was the Princess race weekend, I feel like our cheers were just a bit more enthusiastic for her.

One finisher literally brought me to tears. Something I didn't realize was that competitors in wheelchairs were allowed to participate. Most were athletes, like the people who compete in the paralympics with those super rad looking wheelchairs. However, there was one wheelchair competitor that blew us all away. She was a young girl, possibly 14 or younger. I am not sure what kind of disability she had, but from my seat in the bleachers (read: nosebleed section) it appeared to be similar to cerebral palsy. She was being pushed in her wheelchair by her mother and right before they hit the finish line, the most amazing thing happened. Her mother stopped running and helped the girl climb out of her wheelchair. Then, even though it was clear that walking was a struggle for the girl, they both walked across the finish line - together. It was truly a magical moment that I am humbled to have witnessed.

The photopass photographers got some really great action shots of Barry along the race! Click to enlarge and scroll through!

All throughout the race, Barry continually sent me pictures from along the course and at one point we even face timed! Click the pictures to enlarge and scroll through!

It was so much fun to see the race through his point of view, and I was so excited for him when he crossed the finish line! If you listen towards the end of the video, you can hear me excitedly shout: "Barry!!"

Barry looking stoic as he crossed the finish line! He actually finished the race much earlier than the time posted, the time are just off because of when his corral started.

Waving at me as I shouted his name!

After a quick nap, the rest of our Saturday was dedicated to hanging out with friends and Animal Kingdom. We even stayed up “late” to watch the new night show - Rivers of Light. We were back to our room and in bed by 9/10 PM. After all, we had an early wake up call again for the half marathon!

Read Part 2 of our runDisney blog here!