So yeah, I'm going to run a half marathon

My cousin Debbie (you know, my favorite cousin from South Carolina) and I have decided to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon this upcoming February. Debbie has recently become a runner/triathlete and has motivated me to get running. The decision to do the half marathon went something like this:

Me: If you do one of the half marathons at Disney I'll do it with you

Debbie: Let's do it!

Me: Whoa, hold on I meant 5K, I'll do a 5K

Debbie: You said half marathon, no backing down

And so it is....

Now I'm not a runner, I've never claimed to be a runner, I don't go pound the pavement or whatever runner's say. I bike, I do the elliptical, love yoga, maybe some pilates, running not really, but, after signing up with Debbie to do this I'll tell you what, the motivation is totally in me. Debbie is a good pep-talker and reminded me that if she go do it at her age (which we won't mention) I could certainly do it at mine.

Needless to say the training started from day 1. I have 200 days until the race (198 until the weekend kicks off). I really want to get some 5/10K's under my belt before the big half marathon as well. I figure the half marathon should not be my first race, that would just be silly. So to get my butt in gear I'm doing the Couch to 5K program, where you run and walk in the beginning and build yourself up to being able to run a 5K in 9 weeks (I think?). There are some 5/10K's in October through January that I'll probably do to get ready as well. I think the one race I saw in October is actually only 2 miles, which may be good for me to start with.

The whole weekend looks like a ton of fun. There's the Fit for a Princess Expo the first two days where they have seminars, shops and all the latest info on training and nutrition. The race itself is that Sunday at 6 am. You start in EPCOT's parking lot and then run to the Magic Kingdom, through it and back for a total of 13.1 miles. They have characters and bands and fun trivia all along the way to keep you motivated. After watching the videos for the event it seems like it's going to be a lot of fun and I cannot wait. Plus, the medal is AWESOME. I already know what I want to do with my medal and bib after the race (see you make plans like this and it motivates you to finish).

Thank you again Debbie for convincing me to do this with you. I cannot wait to cross the finish line with you!