How RunDisney Celebrates Everyone

There are a few small things that can sometimes annoy me about RunDisney races, but they are far outnumbered by the overwhelming "warm fuzzies" that participating in a Disney race gives me.  I'm working on another post that's proving more difficult than I imagined to write (which is also why there hasn't been anything new recently) that deals with this topic as well.  But it'll probably be another few days before that one is published, so until then, so I'd like to share a Disney Parks Blog post about finishing last:

Finishing Last is Finishing First at a Disney Race

posted on January 23rd, 2013 by Robert Hitchcock, PR Manager/Content Producer, runDisney

If I am not running in a runDisney event you will find me at my second favorite place – the finish line. It’s there I find inspiration and a reminder of why I run. Of course it’s exciting to see the winners glide across the finish line with ease, and admire faster runners setting personal records, but for me the thrill is seeing the smiles, laughter, cheers and tears of runners finishing in the middle and at end of the pack. Whether they are doing it for themselves, for a specific cause or in honor of someone who can’t run, they set a goal, achieve it and make their dreams come true. Winners train to win – these runners train to finish.

It’s because of that determination, beating the odds, that I find myself cheering louder for the last place finishers than I do for the first place winner. On Sunday at the Tinker Bell Half Marathon at Disneyland Resort, after the bleachers cleared and confetti from the winners blew around on the ground, I got to cheer on my newest runDisney hero, Jenna Boyd from Wisconsin. Fighting the clock and turning down offers for rides by race staff, she fought her way to the finish line and was greeted with a welcome fit for a champion. You see at a runDisney event, finishing last is just as special as finishing first.

Please allow me to introduce you to my hero Jenna Boyd.

Congratulations, Jenna!

Isn't Jenna's story a great one, and don't you love that RunDisney celebrates the last finisher with as much excitement and emotion as the first finisher?  Just one of the many reasons I love a Disney race.

Keep an eye out for the next post, which will also discuss finishing last, including it's benefits and inspirations.  Can't wait to share this awesome and inspiring story with y'all.

2013 Mini Goals: January : Plan Your Race Year

The Runner's World article "A Month-by-Month Guide to a Fitter, Faster You" lays out monthly mini goals for the year and January's is to Plan Your Race Year.

Putting a race on your calendar now is one of the best ways to get and stay motivated. You commit to a goal. But staring down a year of race options, you may feel excited or daunted—or both—especially if you've never raced before. Should you tackle a first 5-K? A mud run? The annual mega-10-K all your coworkers sign up for? Aim for a PR in a half-marathon? Here are some guidelines to help you figure out what event—or even better, events—to sign up for in 2013. ... (read the rest of the article here).

Since my main goal for the coming year is to find the fun in running again, I'm trying to cut back on my race schedule a bit, and the longest distance I'm registering for is half marathons - no fulls for a while!

Of course, the temptation of new and exciting races means that my spring racing schedule is perhaps a little fuller than it should be, but I'm really excited about it!  Each race will be with friends and family and in fun and exciting locations, so I couldn't pass them up!

So here's what 2013 has in store for me:

• January 13: Walt Disney World Marathon - Orlando, FL
• February 9: Hot Chocolate 15K - Dallas, TX
• February 24: Disney's Princess Half Marathon - Orlando, FL
• March 23: Firefly 5K - Plano, TX
• April 28: Big Sur 10.6 - Carmel, CA
• June 22: Rock'n'Roll Seattle Half Marathon - Seattle, WA
• July 20: Moo Cow Mini Marathon  - Dallas, TX
• October 12: Baltimore Running Festival Half Marathon - Baltimore, MD
• November 28: Turkey Trot - Austin, TX
• December 8: Dallas Relay - Dallas, TX

Q4U: Have you planned out this year's race calendar yet?  Is it full of races or does it only have a select few?

Room for More?

My Christmas present to myself this year was a "real" medal display (I've been using a tie/belt rack the past few years).  I mounted the Allied Medal Display this weekend on the wall of the office/workout/craft room.  Then I began the painstaking process of deciding what medal went where and arranging and re-arranging the display (which I'm still not 100% happy with and think I will make a couple more placement changes next week).  As the process neared the end, I realized I had misjudged exactly how many medals I have, and how many I plan on earning in the coming year.  Oops.  The medal rack is already fairly full!

New Medal Display as of January 5, 2013

So, exactly what races are on the schedule next year that this is an issue, you ask?  Great question!  Check back later this week to see my post about Runner's World January Mini Goal: Plan Your Race Year!

Q4U:  I'm very excited about having an "official" display for my medals!  How do you display yours?  Are they proudly exhibited on a wall in your house?  Tossed in a drawer some where?  In shadow boxes?  I'd love to hear what others do with their hardware!