At the end of April, we packed up our SUV and drove 16 hours from Pennsylvania to Florida. The main reason for this trip was to complete our very first runDisney event! My dad and I watched all of the Star Wars movies together last year (my first time seeing them), and had such a great time together. So when it was time to talk about planning 2017 trips, we decided to include the Star Wars Dark Side 5k in the lineup!

Neither of us are runners, by any definition of the word. My dad played basketball his entire life, which unfortunately meant that his knees got a little too much wear and tear. But two years ago, he got both of his knees replaced. So not only was this 5k a celebration of my newfound love of a galaxy far, far away, but it also let him celebrate the gift of being able to enjoy exercise without pain again. So proud of him for this accomplishment!

Like I said, I don't run. I did some moderate training for this, but planned on walk/running the 5k, and stopping for pictures along the way. Having been through the race now, I honestly would’ve been fine doing nothing, (that’s me, though) based on the crowd alone, you can definitely walk and be fine. So if you're toying with the idea of signing up for a run, and you don't run, just do it, you'll thank yourself later.

One thing that I did love about my little preparation for the run was what it did for me physically. Knowing that I had an event coming up, I began to enjoy my workouts, watched what I ate more, and made it a point to stretch and stay hydrated. I tracked my workouts and hydration with my Fitbit or Apple Watch, and used the app Couch to 5k to help me learn to pace myself. 

The run itself was a lot less intense than I thought it would be. I signed us up for the last corral, just because I didn't know what to expect. We easily could've done an earlier corral, and next time, I'll be sure to do that. Though the race began at 6am, we didn't start until close to 7. The MCs kept the spirit alive for the hour, so despite my rapidly growing hunger, I was still feeling the magic!

Once the race began, we jogged a little, but mostly just walked and enjoyed the sights of Epcot before and during sunrise. In general, the same could be said for many people I saw, some jogged, many walked, a few ran. This time around, we didn't stop to take pictures with any characters, simply because the lines were too long. I was honestly surprised at how many people waited to meet characters, maybe it's something I'll count on doing next time! 

As for pictures, there were PhotoPass photographers stationed all throughout the course, and we managed to get a few decent "I don't look like a potato" shots! We took a few selfies, and did our best to take pictures of the scenery without pausing. It was certainly relaxed enough where I could've stepped to the side to snap better pictures, but I had to keep up with my dad. He didn't want to break stride, and considering that he's a foot taller than me, if I stopped, my little legs had to sprint for a second to catch up to him. 

 It all went by relatively quickly. I couldn't tell you what our time was, it wasn't something we paid attention to in all honesty. All I know is we were under the required 16:00min/mile pace, and I hit 10,000 steps at some point. Anyone else do things just so their Fitbit displays fireworks? Just me? Okay. Once we crossed the finish line, we were handed our medals, and proceeded back to the starting area, where there were tents with snacks and drinks. We took a few more pictures, then headed to the parking lot, where we basically did another 5k searching for our car.

In the end, I'm really so happy we chose to do this. I caught the bug. I'm itching to do another one soon!

I signed up for the Virtual Shorts Series this summer, so that'll placate me until next time. I said this at the beginning, but I can't say it enough: if you're thinking about doing it, just sign up! You won't regret it, I promise. 

Magically,

Maya