longest 6.2 miles of my life

so, the inaugural disneyland 10K.  when they announced it, i knew i was totally gonna register for it despite the fact that 10K is truly my most hated distance.  i don't know why, really.  it just is.

and then it got even better when i found out that the theme was going to be "alice in wonderland."  if you recall our halloween costumes from last year, you'll understand why this worked out so perfectly for me.  i mean, i already had the perfect costume hanging in my closet, just waiting to be worn.

my favorite racing buddy kelley had signed up for the same run, and she was kind enough to let me crash in their on-property hotel room for the night.  in fact, the girls joined the party too, and with kelley's husband running the 5K and li'l d and the bean registered for the kids' run, it all worked out perfectly.

as always, disney runs start before the buttcrack of dawn.  that early morning wake-up call came all too soon, and i dragged myself outta bed to get ready.  now, i'd been battling a nagging cough for several days by then, and as soon as i was upright i knew it was gonna be a rough morning.  my chest was feeling a little tight and i was having a little trouble with my breathing, but hey!  we were at disneyland for one of their awesome runs, and i was counting on some of that disney magic to work on me.

it was super dark when we arrived at the staging area.

i don't know exactly how they figured out placement for everyone in this race, but i was somehow back in E, while kelley was assigned to F.  and as we headed towards the corrals, we overheard some chatter from folks who were in G.  seems that for some unknown reason, there WAS no corral G - and all those people were just kind of stranded, hanging out wherever they could find a spot, and those last several corrals were uncharacteristically disorganized.  when the first few groups were released, the crowds started moving up, and although i'm typically a stickler for rules, kelley and i hopped over the barricades to join a faster corral.  sorry not sorry.

we passed the announcers, dressed like tweedledee and tweedledum.

then we scampered through downtown disney.

these two did most, if not all, of that 6.2-mile run holding hands.

mile marker!  i missed the first one, as i was panting and waving my way through.  the temperature was already nearing 80, with horrible humidity that was doing nothing to help my coughing/wheezing/breathing dilemma.

i didn't stop at a single character photo op.  instead, i settled for taking run-by shots so as to get closer to the finish.  i was seriously struggling, yo.

although the weather sucked, mornings at california adventure are always so pretty.

i got someone to take this for me as i stopped for a walk break.

i tried to use the sight of this sign as motivation:  "you're halfway there!  you can do this!"

as much as i try to stay positive and upbeat through most situations, it was damn near impossible for me during this race.  between my sickypoo situation, the unusual early morning heat, plus that uncomfortable humidity, i was afraid i'd have to flag down a medic or something.  i pretty much walked the entire second half of the run, and i was feeling beyond awful.  but as is typical of me, i soldiered on and found myself entering disneyland at last.

just beyond the archway was a very welcome water station.  when it comes to well-organized runs like the ones put on by disney, i don't usually worry about bringing my own water.  this time, though, i could've used some hydration well before this point.  the water was warmer than room temperature and did nothing to help cool me down, but it helped a little.

two to go!

i think this is one of the super old-school parking lot trams from back in the day.

i always enjoy catching a glimpse this kind of stuff - things you normally wouldn't get to see unless you're one of the cast members...or doing a disney run.

i wonder if this chick did the whole 10K in those flip-flops.

heading back through downtown disney towards the finish was...frustrating.  there were zero barricades set up to make a clear path for the runners, and people were everywhere.  i had to dodge a number of strollers and even one or two little kids as they wandered through, and i was really annoyed.  not cool, man.

finally!

finisher's swag.  why yes, those ARE skittles in the snack box.  how very odd.

i may be smiling in this picture, but that joy is simply due to the fact that i finished without collapsing.  i'm so sad that i was so miserable, considering the fact that run disney events are my most favorite.  but i'd definitely overdone it this time.  bah.

but hey - i earned my bling.

i'm paying for it, though.  i spent the next two days on the couch, wanting to die from the pain of it all.  and when i finally threw in the towel and went to the doctor, it turns out i'd managed to give myself asthmatic bronchitis.  i got meds and an inhaler for the first time in my whole life, and a week later i'm still struggling and about to go in for another visit.  i haven't been able to run since that day, and i've got a half in freaking san francisco to do in just over a month!  help. me.

oh, the things i do for disney medals.  send me some happy healing vibes, will ya?  i need all i can get right now.