Life’s A Beach, And Then You Run: A 2012 Marathon Weekend Trip Report!

Hello friends! Welcome to the story of my Marathon Weekend.

The Cast (the only picture of the 3 of us from the entire weekend):

That would be mom (Kriss), my brother (Craig, aka Princes Craiggy, 25) and me (Shannon, 27).

This was my 6th trip to WDW, and 3rd trip in the last 12 months…lucky me! :sohappy:

Past trips include…

August 1995 (All-Star Sports)
May 2009 (Honeymoon at Boardwalk Inn)
November 2009 (Boardwalk Inn)
February 2011 (Princess Half Marathon/Port Orleans Riverside)
June 2011 (Split-stay: Animal Kingdom Lodge and Boardwalk Villas)

There’s not really much to say in regards to how this trip came to be…basically before the Princess Half in 2011, Princess Craiggy and I agreed that if we made it out of the half alive, we’d sign up for the 2012 Marathon. And here we are! Yay! :sohappy:

 

[PartOfYourWorld]

Um, I'm not counting either...it's not like I don't have a live countdown on my phone or anything...:lookaroun Oh wait, I totally do.

Glad I'm not the only one! Can't wait for it!!!

Great trip report! Thanks for letting us all tag along! I hope to start enjoy running more, I like it it gives me a sense of accomplishment when I do run, but I'm struggling a bit and it gets frustrating. But that ToT run keeps me going!

Crossing my fingers to see ya in Sept

 

[Ariel484]

Awwww it's over already! And I missed getting to read the end when it happened.

I'm glad you had fun, and I think we've all got fingers crossed for that ToT trip!!

No worries! I know you're busy...you do have a trip coming up, after all! :sohappy:

Any finger crossing for the ToT trip is greatly appreciated!

Glad I'm not the only one! Can't wait for it!!!

Great trip report! Thanks for letting us all tag along! I hope to start enjoy running more, I like it it gives me a sense of accomplishment when I do run, but I'm struggling a bit and it gets frustrating. But that ToT run keeps me going!

Crossing my fingers to see ya in Sept

I find that getting out the door to actually run is the hardest part, but nothing beats that sense of accomplishment when you DO get through a run...except for crossing the finish line of whatever race you trained for! I totally hear you on the frustration, just know that it WILL get better, and it will all be worth it when you earn that ToT medal in September!! :sohappy: I hope to see you there!!

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Loved the report...all the way thru! The race finish was awesome. Can't say that enough!

OOooh...your final pics at Beach Club really have me itching to try there next. I loved the Yacht Club so so much! Those Stormalong Bay pics were soooo calling my name. I love that place with my whole entire heart. It was soooo relaxing.

The wrap-up was great. I've wondered if solo would ever suit me. On one hand I'd say yes but then I think I'd miss the guys and feel incomplete on some level.

Yes! I want to run a Disney event! These reports totally work against me. Like I was saying in Holly's thread, I don't like running itself. That part is the pits. It's the perks that come with it that draw me in. Disney adventures would be another to add to the list.

Great report beginning to end. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment even if I slacked on my commenting. Can't wait for the girls cruise. That's gonna be one epic adventure!

Best of wishes on that Goofy medal. You can do it, girl! :wave:

 

[crystalight33]

What a great report!! Thanks so much for writing it for us. Really liked the final thoughts section.

So, thanks to your report, I'm officially signing up for the 2013 marathon . I put aside the money today and broke out my Marathoning for Mortals book. I'm so excited!! If there is a group of us from wdwmagic going, we should make a ressie for Be Our Guest.

Again, I really enjoyed your report .

 

[Ariel484]

Loved the report...all the way thru! The race finish was awesome. Can't say that enough!

OOooh...your final pics at Beach Club really have me itching to try there next. I loved the Yacht Club so so much! Those Stormalong Bay pics were soooo calling my name. I love that place with my whole entire heart. It was soooo relaxing.

Thanks Kelly! Like I said in the report, I'm so sad that I didn't get to fully take advantage of all that Y&B has to offer...the pool area especially (I know you guys practically lived there after your cruise! ). It's on my list for a longer trip in the future, for sure.

The wrap-up was great. I've wondered if solo would ever suit me. On one hand I'd say yes but then I think I'd miss the guys and feel incomplete on some level.

I'm a pretty independent person, so I'm a little surprised that I didn't really enjoy the solo portions of the trip more. Maybe if it had been planned that way all along and wasn't a situation where Will was supposed to be there but couldn't...who knows. I know I'll enjoy the girls cruise though! Totally different situation

Yes! I want to run a Disney event! These reports totally work against me. Like I was saying in Holly's thread, I don't like running itself. That part is the pits. It's the perks that come with it that draw me in. Disney adventures would be another to add to the list.

I started running in 2008 and I really don't think I began to *like* it until this year. I think a lot of it has to do with what you and Holly were discussing in her thread - it is really starting to make me feel good and healthier, and I like being out there by myself and just having time to THINK.

Great report beginning to end. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment even if I slacked on my commenting. Can't wait for the girls cruise. That's gonna be one epic adventure!

Best of wishes on that Goofy medal. You can do it, girl!

Thanks!! :sohappy:

My countdown widget on my phone says the cruise is in 585 days! WHEEE! I'm trying to convince Will to look into a cruise in the future (currently he's anti-cruise) so that I can book one for us when we're on the girls cruise...I had him read your report and I think he's coming around to the idea! Fingers crossed.

And thanks for the Goofy luck...I'm gonna need it. :lookaroun

What a great report!! Thanks so much for writing it for us. Really liked the final thoughts section.

So, thanks to your report, I'm officially signing up for the 2013 marathon. I put aside the money today and broke out my Marathoning for Mortals book. I'm so excited!! If there is a group of us from wdwmagic going, we should make a ressie for Be Our Guest.

Again, I really enjoyed your report.

Thanks Krista! SO exciting that you're signing up to do the marathon!! :sohappy: So far it sounds like you, Krisi and I will be there, and Holly mentioned possibly going in her TR as well. How fun would that be?!

Thanks for reading the report! :sohappy:

 

[UKDisneyAddict]

I was there at the same time and my husband ran the marathon too. It was great to see things from a runner's perspective.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

:wave:

 

[Ariel484]

I was there at the same time and my husband ran the marathon too. It was great to see things from a runner's perspective.

Thank you for sharing your experiences.

:wave:

Hey, thanks for reading! Please pass my congratulations on to your husband for completing the marathon!

 

[Rescue Ranger]

Wow, just seeing your picture with the Villains now.....was Scar just a statue or was he in full movement? I would love to have a meet n' greet with Scar!!! He looks amazing :king:

 

[Ariel484]

Wow, just seeing your picture with the Villains now.....was Scar just a statue or was he in full movement? I would love to have a meet n' greet with Scar!!! He looks amazing :king:

Hi there! I can't be sure about Scar because I honestly didn't notice him until I was looking back through the pictures later (I was too distracted by the other 4 villains!), but I THINK he was not moving. Even so, I was super excited to see that he was there! :sohappy:

 

[imagination30]

i loved reading your Marthon report shannon , makes me more excited and no what to expect when i do the Half in 2013.. thanks for the joy and the experience!

 

[Ariel484]

i loved reading your Marthon report shannon , makes me more excited and no what to expect when i do the Half in 2013.. thanks for the joy and the experience!

Thanks! Glad you liked it. Good luck with your training and with running the race...you'll have a blast! :sohappy:

 

[djpoore94]

I think (and Will agrees) that I just need to accept the fact that our vacation styles are different. When Will and I go to Disney, each Table Service meal is not just a dinner for us, it’s an event itself. Having good meals is something we look forward to as much as our next ride on Tower of Terror, and that’s saying something. The mom and bro just don’t feel the same, which is not a bad thing at all…it’s just something I really need to keep in mind for next time.

Great trip report Shannon! Even though I'm not a runner I like reading the marathon (and other Run Disney events) reports because you guys are all so inspiring :sohappy:

I'm happy to see that DH and I are not the only ones who approach our table service meals as an event and not just grabbing something to eat! We're DVC members so we know that we'll be back again even if we don't have firm plans so for us it's not a huge deal to miss some park time in order to have really good meals! So many people are caught up on park time and nothing else that they forget Disney has so much to offer. To us it's about the whole experience at Disney and not just the parks!

I'm looking forward to reading more of your trip reports :wave:

 

[Ariel484]

Great trip report Shannon! Even though I'm not a runner I like reading the marathon (and other Run Disney events) reports because you guys are all so inspiring :sohappy:

I'm happy to see that DH and I are not the only ones who approach our table service meals as an event and not just grabbing something to eat! We're DVC members so we know that we'll be back again even if we don't have firm plans so for us it's not a huge deal to miss some park time in order to have really good meals! So many people are caught up on park time and nothing else that they forget Disney has so much to offer. To us it's about the whole experience at Disney and not just the parks!

I'm looking forward to reading more of your trip reports :wave:

Thanks for reading the report! :wave:

Sounds like we are all on the same page when it comes to Disney Dining! We just enjoy having a reason to sit and relax, and enjoy some great food. We like interacting with the CMs (who have been excellent for the most part) and trying new things. It's fun for us!

Sadly enough, I won't have another report in the works for awhile. But I think I linked to my old ones at the beginning of this report, so if you need a way to kill some time, check 'em out. :wave: