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Hey there! The Princess Half Marathon Weekend is officially complete, and I had the honor of running once again with a charity bib for the Parkinson’s Foundation.
Before I share the race recap, I want to remind you that our fundraiser is still open, and we’ll be selecting raffle winners on Friday, March 13th. When you donate, you’re entered to win a free MamasteFit fitness program (prenatal, postpartum, or a year of Beyond Postpartum), a 1-1 session with Roxanne or me, an in-person chiropractic session with Dr. Savannah Gardner, or a virtual or in-person pelvic PT session with Hayley Kava.
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$20.00
Win a MamasteFit Fitness Program
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Princess Half Marathon Weekend Recap!
Going into the 10K, I had some pretty lofty time goals. I originally planned to truly race the 10K and then just “vibe” the half marathon the next day. But honestly, a lot felt off leading into race weekend. Everyone had been sick, our flight was delayed, there was a weather advisory that threatened to cancel or significantly alter the 10K, and I just wasn’t feeling mentally settled. The morning of the race I overslept (only by 30 minutes, thankfully), skipped my usual character photos, and went straight to my corral so I could line up toward the front of the first wave.
It was raining and incredibly humid. The course was narrow and crowded early on, and just after mile two I slipped and fell on a tight turn. I was okay, but it definitely made me cautious for the rest of the race, especially around corners. At that point, I realized I wasn’t going to maintain the pace I needed for my original goal, so I made the decision to shift gears. Instead of forcing a race that wasn’t there, I chose to enjoy it. I stopped for characters, took in running through EPCOT, and let myself have fun.
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Somewhere along the way, I realized that even if my big goal was out of reach, I could still break 50 minutes. I kept my pace and finished in 49:19. It wasn’t the lofty time I had imagined, but it was still a PR and my first 10K since college track! I count that as a win!
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After the 10K, we spent the day in Animal Kingdom and wrapped up the night in EPCOT before heading back to the hotel to rest for the half marathon. The next morning felt completely different. I woke up on time (with about 15 alarms set), made it to the start with plenty of time to warm up, and decided to wait until after the race to see characters so I could get settled into my corral.
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The weather was much cooler, and I decided to try the run-walk-run method popularized by Olympian Jeff Galloway, who sadly passed away last week. I ran for about six minutes and walked for thirty seconds, counting any character stops as my break before restarting my interval. As the race progressed and my legs grew more fatigued, I shortened the run intervals to 4 minutes but kept the walk breaks consistent. It worked incredibly well! Every time I started to feel tired, I knew a short walk break was coming, and that kept me steady and strong through the entire course.
I didn’t run a PR in the half, mostly because I stopped for nearly every character and a porta potty, but I still finished with 1:52:27! It was a really fun weekend, and we will be back in October for Wine and Dine. Between now and then though, I need to find a few road races to do if you all have any recommendations on any great half marathon courses!
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Running for the Parkinson’s Foundation gave this entire weekend deeper meaning. Parkinson’s affects movement, and as someone whose life and career revolve around helping women move well through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond, supporting research and advocacy for neurological movement disorders feels especially important.
If you’d like to support the cause, our raffle tickets are still available! You can enter as many times as you want, knowing your entire donation will go towards the Parkinson's Foundation (and we will be covering transaction fees). Winners will be announced on Friday, March 13th.
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Thank you for supporting not just my running, but a cause that truly matters.
And if you’re curious about how I returned to running after birth after nearly a ten-year hiatus from racing, I’ve shared more in these blogs and podcast episodes below.
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It has been a long journey back to racing, and it feels really good to be here again.
Thank you for cheering me on.
Gina
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