How all this running got started

Drinking = Goofy

On April 25^th 2009, Annette and I were drinking around the world at Epcot to celebrate our birthdays (mine on the 24^th and hers on the 26^th).  Running starting with drinking, this should be good…

She told me about a 5K/obstacle course event called Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom her husband, Brian, had signed up for.  Honestly with the words “obstacle course” I totally tuned her out.  Army crawl and rope climb… no thanks.  Then she started telling me about another race – the Tower of Terror 5K at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Now this sounded a bit more interesting.  “Let’s sign up”, I said, “we have 6 months to get ready for this we can do it”.  Registration for the race opened up the next day and I was introduced to a fun new website called Active.com.

Who knew we would really start training
to be Princesses

For the next 6 months Annette diligently prepared for the race and I ran maybe once a week.  I am definitely a procrastinator and this new sporting adventure proved to be no different.

October 23^rd was the day of the race and I was only moderately prepared.  I had also just spent the previous two weeks in Europe for work and I was sick. 

The race was at night, a 10pm start, and that morning I decided not to go.  I spent the day feeling bad for myself and thinking about the finisher’s medal I was giving up.  I am obsessed with medals, ask anyone.  I think it is because my high school cheer squad never was good enough to win one, and it was always something I wanted. 

Anyways, the lure of the medal got me off my butt and at 4pm I was in my car driving the 4 hours from Miami to Orlando.  Annette obviously thought I was crazy, which I was, but nonetheless I made it to my very first race.  My gear check bag was full of tissues, cough medicine and Nyquil, but I had made it to the start line!  My first 5k was a run/walk odyssey through Hollywood Studios which took me 42 minutes to complete.  Oh well, at least I got my medal :)

My very first running medal!

Over the next few months I actually started running… consistently.  I got help from the Couch to 5k app on my iTouch (which worked GREAT for me) and by February of last year I was able to complete a 5k running the whole time.  The race was the Publix Gasparilla 5k in Tampa.  It was rainy and really cold that morning but it was a great race.  The course was along beautiful Bayshore Blvd, there was a fun finisher’s medal and free beer at the post race party.  If there is anything I love more than a cool medal it is free beer after a race.  They say beer helps you replace your electrolytes… ok sure, it was only 3.1 miles, but I’ll live by that rule.

Cheers!

Beer = electrolytes