I set my alarm for 5:00 AM

To start getting ready for the Disneyland 5k Family Fun Run. I casually woke up & checked the time....5:39 am! YIKESABEE! I jumped out of bed & turned on the lights---uh, yah, it was still dark! I had wanted to arrive @ the race by 6-6:15 AM!

We were out of the house a bit after 6, no one on the freeway & $11 parking---we were there.

I was intimidated as we were walking across the parking lots & walkways towards the race area....all the ladies I saw looked like 'real runners'. I was annoyed by a hyper teenage girl as she bounced, hopped & stretched her way along w/ her muscularly, tight, tan calves & thighs in her short shorts. I felt a little silly in my 'minnie' red & white polka dot running skirt. But figured hey, @ least L & I look cute cause we match. lol We all matched actually, in red/black & white.

BEFORE

I felt a little better when I saw a teenage girl in front of us in JEAN shorts...I told my friend, J----we have NOTHING to worry about.

We are SO far back from the starting line it is ridiculous!!! It took quite a few minutes to even REACH the starting line once the race officially began. I took my camera w/ me BUT somehow hit/changed/moved the settings so ALL my pix were just a blur! I took pix of the castle & everything...my favorite part.

As soon as we started running---my skirt was falling DOWN! I forgot what size I had @ home when I bought this new one...it's stretchy so of course it FIT...well I should have gotten a SMALLER-tighter size....Lil E was nice enough to take my phone (it was in the side pocket) & that helped it not be weighted down...but man, was THAT annoying! And I'm not exaggerating...even J was like "WHOA! Your skirt!!!" kwim? crack kills, people!!!

It was pretty frustrating as there were WALLS of walkers so J & I & lil E had to dodge & weave in & out of them...it was annoying. It SEEMED like a NO brainer to me that all the walkers should have been to the RIGHT & joggers/runners to the left...but what do *I* know?

I finally lost J, I saw lil E up ahead of me, he had 'lost' me & was trying to 'catch up'! lol....& I wanted to QUIT! It was HOT! A lot of my energy was used trying to get around people.

They had characters out cheering us on. I WISH I would have taken MORE time & stopped to take pix w/ them. It would have been ALOT more fun----BUT *MY* focus was on FINISHING ASAP.

Lil E & I decided IF we do this next year...it will be fun to RUN & stop @ each character & take pix & then continue sprinting to the next one... If I don't do the HALF.....

J & I caught each other's eye around a turn towards the end & she was nice enough to wait for me. When we saw that finish line approaching...we SPRINTED! YAY for us! Then we were caught in the funnel...we got our 'medals'...it was all Ratatouille themed. lol We grabbed a cup of water & squeezed out between the fences to get away from everyone...we missed the free food & powerades! I regretted that later.....

We got a free chevron-techron car toy & went to find our DH & children...we could NOT find them.We stayed in a OPEN area.....she went on into the kids racing area thinking hers were in there....Eventually I found them all when I headed back to the crowded finish area...it was @ least 15-20 minutes later. Uh, Yah, we should have PREplanned an after race check point. lol

Ernie had finished quite a few minutes before us. YAY! I don't know our official times because the time of the finish is based off the the 1st person starting the race...so the clock said 44 or so min when we crossed. According to J's watch...her & I's time was around 37 min...which is a little slow for me. lol A lot of time wasted trying to get around people. But that's ok.

I was DRENCHED afterward. I have NEVER sweated THAT much in my life. Not in all this time I have been 'training'...I had sweat dripping INTO my eyes & it stung! lol You can't really tell in these pix i guess...but my shirt was SOAKED! Lil E...even in his 'duo-dry running shirt'...was SOAKED! lol I don't know...I kinda LIKE that sweaty feeling now...cause I know I worked so hard. kwim? I don't like to sweat from the heat, but it's a good feeling after I've been running. I'm glad this casual race was my first so I think I won't be so nervous when the LA Cancer Challenge rolls around in Oct.

AFTER sorry, I was a too spent to smile, it took awhile.

The guy who finished first, his time was 16 min somehting. Can you imagine?

The first female finisher had 22 min something. wowee!!

I'm glad this casual race was my first race so I won't be so nervous for the La Cancer Challenge. I registered for the 10K for that one! Yikes!

Tomorrow Lil E & I must be there by 4 AM...we volunteered to pass out water for the HALF MARATHON! I don't think it's a 'black out' day either...so I think when we're done w/ our shift...the park will barely be opening, so we might reward ourselves & go on a few rides. ;-)

OH! And yesterday, we were Year of a Million Dreams winners....again! :-D We had to go to the Disneyland Hotel to pick up our race packets & t-shirts & on the way, they were awarding gifts to passer bys. We received commemorative lanyards w/ 2 commemorative collecter pins on them that said: Year of a Million Dreams. They are nice. We are SO cool!!!