This morning Steve and I woke up very early in the morning to get ready for the Disneyland Half-Marathon, we had to arrive by 4:30 am to get to our designated corrals. Although it was still dark when we arrived, the air was pretty warm, an indication of things to come...
Approximately 14,000 people participated in this event. The starts were staggered by group, Steve and I were in the last of 7 groups, each with approximately 2,000 people each. Here we are as we headed to the starting line.
Of course I couldn't do this event without a camera. The serious runners carried minimal items, and I wasn't in that category. As soon as I saw Mickey and Minnie at the starting line, I had to take a photo and told Steve to go on ahead. The first 4 miles of the course took us through parts of California Adventure and Disneyland.
My plan was to run what I could while taking care of my knee, walk hills and slopes, and to not get bumped into or injured. Here I am on Katella, I believe this was around Mile 5. I had a spectator take this photo of me and the masses.
By Mile 8 I met up with friends Rachel and Matt, and Matt's sister Margaret. Each mile had a handy sign and clock (not shown) to let you know how much time had elapsed.
Each mile also had some sort of entertainment, here we were greeted by hula dancers. Rachel also entertained with her dancing!
At Mile 10 we hit Angel Stadium. By this point it was most likely in the high 80's.
Back in California Adventure on Mile 12! Had to take a photo with Mr. Incredible.
Whew, we made it! All runners who maintained a 16-minute per mile pace or better received a medal. Steve finished first of our group, while he was running he had to shed his shirt and cap, it was soooo hot, he's not just trying to show off his physique here. (Anaheim reached a high of 107F today, wow!) During the half-marathon there were several people who had to be assisted by the paramedics, I would assume due to heat exhaustion.
What I enjoyed about this "race" was being able to run where we normally couldn't, namely in the parks and in Angel Stadium. I also appreciated the hundreds of volunteers manning the water stops, and all people cheering us on... The challenges included always being surrounded by sheer numbers of walkers/runners, and the heat (Steve and I felt slighty ill afterwards, but we are ok!).
What I love about running (on my own, and with Rachel, who has been my running partner for the past year) is being able to move freely and just relaxing, which I now realize in this type of race you cannot do. Still, it was an incredible experience!
So, how long did it take me to do the 13.1 miles? Type in my name
here, and look at the "ChipTime".
