I will attempt to keep this short and to the point, however we all know I’m a bit hopeless with my words and stories :-)
So, are you sitting down? Because I was sure glad that I was.
Let me briefly set the backdrop to this stage. Ever since I first saw @whiskey_tamago_flowers post during one of her RunDisney events on insta I have fallen madly in love with all things RunDisney. Except - I knew I would never actually get to run a live in-person race in Florida, through the Disney parks.
Mostly due to two factors. #1) They are all ridiculously hard to actually get registered for. I mean we are talking in past years, the race has seen up to 56,000 runners, and registrations selling out within minutes of it opening up. and #2) I would never be able to afford to actually do it. Let's just say, the registration fee to run through the parks does not include anything other than... the race. If you want to go to any parks after, extra. Travel and airfare, extra. Disney photo package, extra.
So over the years I have creatively put together a few #disneyonadime runs as I have called them. I have planned, and trained, and spent hours online shopping and bidding and putting together three different major virtual disney themed run challenges for myself.
My first was in 2019 when I was able to register for all the RunDisney Virtual Shorts races and I would put them all together to virtually run, in my basement, and earn those metals during the same live in-person races during the RunDisney Marathon weekend. Read more on this HERE.
My second was in 2021 when I again put together a virtual run, in my basement, to earn a set of used RunDisney Princess Weekend metals, which I again ran during their then also virtual races of the RunDisney Marathon weekend (thank you Covid 19). Read more on this HERE.
While on my mission to put together my #dreambigprincesschallenge for the above run, I also put together a RunDisney Donald Half Marathon 12 month challenge. I put myself up to the challenge to run a half marathon every month for the 12 months of 2021, earning past Donald Half Marathon metals that I was able to find online. It took a while, but I would eventually have twelve metals in a box in my closet and one official RunDisney Donald Half Marathon race shirt to wear for each race. I set a price limit on what I’d spent per medal, and kept track of the years I had so there were no duplicates.
My full initial plan was that I was going to also publish a blog post every month featuring that year’s metal and researching all the facts to share. How many people ran that race that year, what the weather had been, was going to feature a photo of the original runner whose metal I now had, at the finish line holding that same metal. I wanted to feature that runner each month and also open it up to see if there were any other finish photos of other runners and their same metals from that same race. I ran into a small snag when I was not able to ask for any personal information to follow up with anyone after purchasing- due to rules of poshmark and ebay. Totally understandable of course … but, it did kind of hinder my resolve.
I don’t even know if I have shared that much about that publically, but there are 12 official RunDisney Donald Half Marathon medals sitting on my table in the basement, waiting to be displayed on the new medal rack I bought for them, which I also haven’t gotten hung yet. For some reason, I never quite felt brave enough to share about this challenge I guess.
Anyway, every month in 2021 I was able to get myself through a half marathon, and the night of every one of those half marathons I gave myself the gift of an hour massage as my reward.
One random day in February 2022 I happened to click on the RunDisney registration page, and there was a freak registration opening for just the Princess Half Marathon, two weeks out. Not going to lie, I almost clicked the button to register, but I didn’t. I didn’t want to do just one of the three races, and my 2022 PTO was already all spoken for (one of which was for a long weekend family vacation to the Black Hills where I would be running (finally) the Deadwood Half Marathon after 3 years of having to cancel or defer for various reasons. Read more on this HERE.
That race was to be six weeks ago. I didn’t end up taking that trip or running that race because we would become first time grandparents AND welcome home a long awaited new puppy into our home in less than 48 hours during that exact same time. Read more on this HERE.
So - get on with it right? Sorry - as I said, too many words… I know, I know… always.
On my work desk calendar I may have penciled in “Watch for Disney Princess Registration” during the third week of Aug. And somehow over the last year I had started following a few facebook and instagram RunDisney pages. Mostly because of the total cancelation of all races due to Covid 19…
On June 21, 2022 I sat down for a few minutes of scrolling before logging on to work. I randomly caught a few posts about the big excitement of registration opening at 10am that morning. Registration day? Why had I thought it was going to be in August sometime? I may have googled what time that meant for my time zone. I may have gone to the actual website registration page at 8:55am.
At 9:00am when it showed Registration Open, I may have clicked on the button.
It quickly popped up that I was in a holding queue to get into the registration page and the approximate wait time was 1 hour 15 minutes. I almost closed the browser page, what was I honestly even thinking. But I got busy with work and it was just spinning away in a window in my background.
After about 15 minutes I decided it was totally silly what I was doing and I needed to just stop, it was all giving me a stomachache. But this little person in my head kept saying - well, just leave it and if it’s meant to be it’s meant to be and if not, you are not out anything. Just take a chance, who knows.
An hour and twenty minutes later there was a little chime and a note popped up that I was being moved into the registration queue. FOR THE LOVE, what was I even doing?!?! I could already see that two of the four individual race options were already sold out. But the 10k/Half Challenge Race was still open.
So I clicked it.
I clicked the boxes and typed in the lines and clicked “add an additional race” and then clicked on the 5K race, which crazy enough was also still open. Suddenly I was entering my credit card information. And my shaking hands of course typed something wrong. Denied. Ugh. I typed it all again. Denied again. Crap - it was a hefty chunk of change, was my card maxed out, I had no idea. Then I thought, shoot I bet it sold out before my card was processed and that why it’s denied.
I almost closed 'er all up right there out of frustration, but… I entered it all one.more.time.
And then I found myself sitting there looking at a Congratulations pop up window. Apparently I was registered. But I totally didn’t trust it or believe it. Everyone talked of how they got all through the registration process to have it sold from under them.
I went to my email. For the love, there were two registration confirmation emails from RunDisney in there. One for the Princess 5K. One for the Princess Challenge (10K & Half) I clicked on them. I went into my account. Ummmmmm. It showed two valid registrations for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend. I went back and clicked on the main registration page. Everything was showing as sold out. Everything.
I had no idea how, but I was officially registered to run the Princes. 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon three consecutive days in a row, live, in person, in Florida, at Disney.
I almost closed 'er all up right there out of frustration, but… I entered it all one.more.time.
And then I found myself sitting there looking at a Congratulations pop up window. Apparently I was registered. But I totally didn’t trust it or believe it. Everyone talked of how they got all through the registration process to have it sold from under them.
I went to my email. For the love, there were two registration confirmation emails from RunDisney in there. One for the Princess 5K. One for the Princess Challenge (10K & Half) I clicked on them. I went into my account. Ummmmmm. It showed two valid registrations for the Princess Half Marathon Weekend. I went back and clicked on the main registration page. Everything was showing as sold out. Everything.
I had no idea how, but I was officially registered to run the Princes. 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon three consecutive days in a row, live, in person, in Florida, at Disney.
No words. None. How does one process something so unexpected like this?
I had no idea what to even think or feel. And I was too scared to tell the hubs. He was not going to be impressed with this.
Within minutes I had put in my PTO request for work, and had it approved. I then messaged a few of my core peeps with the congratulations screenshot I had taken, all of them replying back that they didn’t even know I was going to try register. (Well, I didn’t know I was going to either when I woke up! I replied back to everyone)
And then I continued working as if something completely life altering had not just happened to me.
I would work until the end of the day. The hubs called on his way home and I was standing at the front door putting the puppers out. He was chatting and I was hearing nothing and I finally interrupted and said - Ummm, wanna know about my day? Apparently the RunDisney Princess weekend registration opened today. Pause. Ummmmm, wanna know how that went? Pause. Oh, the race thing you’ve talked about before…. Yes, that. I may have gotten registered. WHAT? For which one? Well, all three. What were you thinking?!? Why would you do a thing like that? Well….that’s kind of how the whole thing kind of works…
I had no idea what to even think or feel. And I was too scared to tell the hubs. He was not going to be impressed with this.
Within minutes I had put in my PTO request for work, and had it approved. I then messaged a few of my core peeps with the congratulations screenshot I had taken, all of them replying back that they didn’t even know I was going to try register. (Well, I didn’t know I was going to either when I woke up! I replied back to everyone)
And then I continued working as if something completely life altering had not just happened to me.
I would work until the end of the day. The hubs called on his way home and I was standing at the front door putting the puppers out. He was chatting and I was hearing nothing and I finally interrupted and said - Ummm, wanna know about my day? Apparently the RunDisney Princess weekend registration opened today. Pause. Ummmmm, wanna know how that went? Pause. Oh, the race thing you’ve talked about before…. Yes, that. I may have gotten registered. WHAT? For which one? Well, all three. What were you thinking?!? Why would you do a thing like that? Well….that’s kind of how the whole thing kind of works…
There was a little more small talk and I was then asked - This isn’t at DisneyLAND is it? Because I’m NOT going back to DisneyLAND! To which I replied - who said I was going to ask you to even be the one to go along with me?!? And no - it’s in Florida at DisneyWORLD (#eyeroll).
A few minutes later he arrived home and sat down on the couch. He asked about the actual dates, I told him I’d already had my PTO request approved, and that apparently according to social media chatter all the Disney resorts had already sold out before the registration opened, and then all the people who don’t get in cancel their reservations, so some will open back up.
He didn’t quite realize the vast immensity of it all apparently, as not many do.
I assumed it was end of conversation, and I put travel and lodging on my future to-do list and would deal with it all later. He surprised me a little later as he looked up from his phone announcing he was looking for flights and lodging. The flights were already pretty limited, and our first option actual sold out before we got through booking.
In the end, by the end of that night we had two plane tickets and a reservation at a resort and spa four miles from Disney. Race registration and airfare all non refundable. Again, what in the world was I doing?
Needless to say it was a very unexpected, very expensive day. It took a bit for it to all sink in. Still trying to wrap my mind around it all if I’m being honest. But, Lord willing, I will be getting to mark off one huge bucket list box in February 2023.
And I have one more very large announcement to add to this one!
I am going to be partnering with a very special non-profit, and raising money through this huge race opportunity. Mere’s Mission is a precious group of other loss moms who love and support all those who never signed up for their specific loss journey. I first took some huge brave big steps about a year after we lost Faith and reached out and connected with them. I dialed in to their support group, I took myself off mute, and I shared my story, our story, our Faith MaryJo’s story.
Years have continued. Relationships and friendships and mission opportunities have continued to grow since then, and one of the very first things I was thinking about after getting that Registration Confirmation was how I really wanted to run this for Faith, and for all the little ones out there we have said good bye to too soon, and for all the little ones yet to reach Heaven’s gates before their parents as the days and years continue.
Below I will give some brief information and links about Mera’s Mission, with a promise of more specific information and ways to donate as I get all those specific details rolling, and I would love to ask everyone to just open your hearts and be in prayer as to how you might be able to come alongside me as I partner with them while training and running in this dream race that I have carried in my heart for so long.
Mera’s Mission is a non profit, started by loss mom Kim Maimone in honor and memory of her precious little mermaid, Mera. The mission offers love and support during all the steps of loss, while recognizing all the different types of losses from embryo loss, early trimester loss, miscarriage, stillborn, and beyond. It is a safe place to connect, to cry, to reach out, to share, to listen, to walk alongside those on all their various journeys and stages of loss.
All donations will go directly to the mission to help them continue to offer support services, memory walks, a lending library of free books and resources, purchasing and donating Caring Cradles to hospitals, and many other areas of help for those needing a special touch during their times of need.
Get connected, find out more, pray for
A few minutes later he arrived home and sat down on the couch. He asked about the actual dates, I told him I’d already had my PTO request approved, and that apparently according to social media chatter all the Disney resorts had already sold out before the registration opened, and then all the people who don’t get in cancel their reservations, so some will open back up.
He didn’t quite realize the vast immensity of it all apparently, as not many do.
I assumed it was end of conversation, and I put travel and lodging on my future to-do list and would deal with it all later. He surprised me a little later as he looked up from his phone announcing he was looking for flights and lodging. The flights were already pretty limited, and our first option actual sold out before we got through booking.
In the end, by the end of that night we had two plane tickets and a reservation at a resort and spa four miles from Disney. Race registration and airfare all non refundable. Again, what in the world was I doing?
Needless to say it was a very unexpected, very expensive day. It took a bit for it to all sink in. Still trying to wrap my mind around it all if I’m being honest. But, Lord willing, I will be getting to mark off one huge bucket list box in February 2023.
And I have one more very large announcement to add to this one!
I am going to be partnering with a very special non-profit, and raising money through this huge race opportunity. Mere’s Mission is a precious group of other loss moms who love and support all those who never signed up for their specific loss journey. I first took some huge brave big steps about a year after we lost Faith and reached out and connected with them. I dialed in to their support group, I took myself off mute, and I shared my story, our story, our Faith MaryJo’s story.
Years have continued. Relationships and friendships and mission opportunities have continued to grow since then, and one of the very first things I was thinking about after getting that Registration Confirmation was how I really wanted to run this for Faith, and for all the little ones out there we have said good bye to too soon, and for all the little ones yet to reach Heaven’s gates before their parents as the days and years continue.
Below I will give some brief information and links about Mera’s Mission, with a promise of more specific information and ways to donate as I get all those specific details rolling, and I would love to ask everyone to just open your hearts and be in prayer as to how you might be able to come alongside me as I partner with them while training and running in this dream race that I have carried in my heart for so long.
Mera’s Mission is a non profit, started by loss mom Kim Maimone in honor and memory of her precious little mermaid, Mera. The mission offers love and support during all the steps of loss, while recognizing all the different types of losses from embryo loss, early trimester loss, miscarriage, stillborn, and beyond. It is a safe place to connect, to cry, to reach out, to share, to listen, to walk alongside those on all their various journeys and stages of loss.
All donations will go directly to the mission to help them continue to offer support services, memory walks, a lending library of free books and resources, purchasing and donating Caring Cradles to hospitals, and many other areas of help for those needing a special touch during their times of need.
Get connected, find out more, pray for
and watch for more information to come on how you can help support:
Mera’s Mission
Facebook: Mere's Mission Inc. click HERE
Instagram: @merasmission click HERE
Caring Cradles (Giving more time with a baby who has died): click HERE
#dreambigpricesschallenge
#runlikethewindbulleye
#faithmaryjo
#aswejourneytofaith
