See V run. Run, V, run!

Were we inspired by cheering the runners at this year’s Walt Disney World Marathon? Am I in need of a new “project” now that my schooling is complete? Or did a runner friend secretly slip Runner’s Kool-Aid in our drinks at lunch at the WDW Marathon? Whatever it was, my nine-year-old seems to have talked me into running the upcoming Walt Disney World Royal Family 5K with him, and a few friends have pretty much talked me into joining them for the Princess Half Marathon in February 2013.

Save me! 

I’m not one of those natural-born runners, though I clearly remember taking my brand-new Nikes, striped tube socks and terrycloth running shorts out for a few fashionable neighborhood jogs in third grade, (which should give you some idea of my present age – read: not a youngster.)  While my mother donned a track suit and ran miles about town, I spent my youth in the ballet studio, which, while aerobic for sure, is nothing at all like distance running. 

Neither am I much of a distance walker.  Given a choice between walking and driving somewhere, I’ll almost always choose the car.  I do own and use a treadmill, but rarely for more than 30 minutes and always with the distractions of television or music.  Save for the occasional sprint for Fast Passes, I would never call myself a “runner.”

Well, that’s about to change.  First, there’s Disney… the prospect of running a race through my Happy Place is pretty enticing.  Also, never underestimate the inspirational power of watching a whole lot of people digging deep – way deep – to finish a race they’d never thought they could run; cheering on the last runners of the WDW Marathon was unbelievably moving.  And never, ever underestimate the motivational power provided by one small child with, as yet, minimal athletic talent looking deep into your eyes and saying, “Mommy?  We can DO this.  We’ll do it together.”  How on earth do you resist that?  You don’t. 

And so we begin what I expect may be a roller coaster year of race training.  For the record, I have NO desire to race anywhere other than Walt Disney World, excepting a small, local fun 5K in April that benefits our favorite park.  No NYC or Boston marathons for V.  But that Royal Family 5K is coming up quick – in six weeks, in fact – and it’s time to get focused. 

Will we make it through the training program without injury or mental breakdown?  Can we move fast enough to keep up with the required 16-minute-mile pace?  How many times can we stop for photos with characters along the course without falling behind?  What’s the over/under on the number of times my tiara will fall off over the 3.1 miles of the Royal Family race? 

All of those burning questions and more will be answered over the next six weeks before turning to the biggest question of all: can a previously untrained, novice runner really finish the Princess Half Marathon?  Stick around and find out!