Race Recaps runDisney

2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon

Originally posted at laurabowers.net on January 25, 2016. I’m updating my author website by moving all older runDisney and running content here!

2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon Recap

Seeing as how there’s only, yikes, 23 days until 2016’s Princess Half Marathon, I’m keeping this short and sweet with mostly photos.

Okay, so where was I? I’ve already chatted about the Fit for a Princess Expo. And the frozen Frozen 5k and Enchanted 10k here. Now on to the second half of the Glass Slipper Challenge and my third Princess Half!

2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon Recap
I kept it simple for this race. Cheap tank, (not cheap) Lululemon skirt, sleeves, and tiara. Done.

As mentioned before, I got no sleep on Thursday night and only an hour on Friday, but Saturday night, I slept for about seven glorious hours. Ah. By 3:00am, I was on the first bus with a mission: Buy a commemorative jacket at the Disney merchandise tent before they sold out. (Preorder, people, preorder.) A couple of my running pals wanted jackets as well, so seeing the nearly-empty parking lot was a relief!

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Mission accomplished! They had a fair amount left.
Mission accomplished! They had a fair amount left.

After scoring my lovely jacket, I met up with some of my lovely running pals and hung out for a short while before heading to the corrals. I can’t remember if there were characters out … my memory ain’t what it used to be, but the DJ was cranking and the energy was high! And the weather! A perfect 54-ish degrees, such a big difference from the 5k’s 28, so I felt perfectly comfortable in a tank top with just an emergency blanket to keep off the pre-race chill.

2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon Recap
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon Recap
I never get tired of seeing this sign.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon Recap
The benefit of getting to the corral early … a spot right up front and plenty of time to settle in!
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon Recap
This photo made it onto the big screen thanks to using the #PHMHalf hashtag.
As usual, I left early for the corrals in order to get a nice spot up front and have some time to settle in. Not a lot of us out there yet!
Wouldn’t it be fun being Carissa, if just for one race?
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon

We were soon off and running with fireworks and a bippidy-bobbidy-boo from the Fairy Godmother! I was a little concerned about my ankle after spraining it in January and whether or not I had trained enough, but so far so good. I settled into a brisk 8-ish pace without any ear buds or music. It’s more fun listening to pounding feet and distant fireworks from the other corrals!

As usual, I left early for the corrals in order to get a nice spot up front and have some time to settle in. Not a lot of us out there yet!
The first two miles breezed by!
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon

My plan was to skip Captain Jack and the princes since the lines are usually long and I could hit them on the way back, but eh, the line was short so why not? I have a better picture, but the way it looks like Captain Jack is picking bugs from my hair just had to be shared.

Afterwards, I made the decision to hit each and every character stop, so I kicked it in high gear. And the weather!Perfection! So much better than the 5 and 10k!!

As usual, I left early for the corrals in order to get a nice spot up front and have some time to settle in. Not a lot of us out there yet!
These whippersnappers are half my age but eh, no harm in hamming it up.
Another sign that I'll never, ever get tired of.
Another sign that I’ll never, ever get tired of.
Talk about hamming it up ...
Talk about hamming it up …
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Whoa. This picture got a little psychedelic with the lights! But I was so excited about getting a picture with Ralph and Vanellope. If memory serves me correctly, the line was on the longish side, but well worth the wait!

Me: Going for gangsta. Cruella: What are you doing, trying to pee???
Me: Going for gangsta.
Cruella: What are you doing, trying to pee???
IMG_0916
And yet another sign that I will ALWAYS stop for.
I will always brake for Ryan.
I always love the drummers near the Polynesian.
I always love the drummers near the Polynesian.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
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Seeing as how I’ve yet to get a picture with Buzz, out of all the races I’ve done, I was happy to see his line was short! Unfortunately, the concrete was still damp, so I slid right into him. Yikes. Buzz almost bit it.

And by this time, I realized that I had once again made the same mistake as with the marathon: Failure to eat enough! I was STARVING and the Gu’s weren’t getting it. Catching the occasional whiff of something yummy smelling didn’t help matters much.

Note to self: ALWAYS EAT!

And here we go again with the peeing pose.
And here we go again with the peeing pose.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
Much better.
2015-02-029
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
I’m looking more Charlie’s Angels instead of Snow White here.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
There really is something about Mary.

Seeing the tux guys near Grand Floridian made me miss Ginny, seeing as how we ran back to get a picture with them during the full marathon! My feet must have been stinking, though, judging by the look on the one guy’s face…

2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
Had to crop this one because of my poor leg placement choice. #posefail #whatwasithinking
Yeah. I might run like a beast at times but I sleep like crap.
Yeah. I might run like a beast at times but I can’t sleep worth a crap.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
I do finish happy, though!
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
Well, I did say I would stop for all characters!
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
Now this one is better!
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
Much better picture with Jack as well! Not a bug was picked.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
2015-02-034
Yeah. I was having a total blast!
Yeah. I was having a total blast!
This guy. I LOVED HIM!!
This guy. I LOVED HIM!!
Already???
Already???
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
Almost there!
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
My overly-joyous goober face.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
I controlled myself a little more in this one.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon

Before I knew it, my Princess Half Marathon run had come to an end and my second Glass Slipper Challenge was completed! Wow, did I have a blast. I mean, I always have a blast. But this one was extra blasty for some reason. I ended up getting a photo with every character, and then some.

And the bling! Gorgeous as usual!!

2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
Why, don’t mind if I do! Cheers!
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
Getting a picture with Megan, one of the gals who just rocked the Dopey Challenge with me!
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
Hanging out with more dear friends…
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
… and this poor prince who must have been bombarded with lots of photo requests! But come on. We had to.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon

I also had to get this picture in memory of Jackey and me accidentally taking a bus to Pop instead of Boardwalk after the full marathon. Duh. Still can’t believe we did that.

For the rest of my day and vacation, many more blasty times were had with friends, the Dapper Dans, Coke Man, Mary, and of course, my awesome husband.

https://laurabowers.net/run/2015-wdw-marathon-weekend-recap-the-full-marathon
https://laurabowers.net/run/2015-wdw-marathon-weekend-recap-the-full-marathon
And I got my traditional photo at the Writer’s Shop which is closing in April. Sniff. Don’t wanna talk about it yet.
2015 runDisney Princess Half Marathon
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All in all, I had an absolute amazing time at the 2015 Princess Half Marathon … it was most certainly my most favorite yet! I did have some ankle swelling the next day but eh, nothing a couple more weeks of rest couldn’t cure.

Thanks for following along on my PHM journey and I hope to see you at 2016’s race!

Laura Bowers

Laura is a writer, runner, reader, runDisney addict, blogger, vlogger, wife to an amazing guy for 26 years, mom of two wonderful boys, excellent chili maker, and obsessive list keeper. She still thinks Spice World was an awesome movie and feels no shame about that plus she can quote most lines from Talladega Nights. Shake and bake!

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