Today, I thought I'd take a little bit of a trip down memory lane. This is s rough day for my family as it's been six years to the day since we lost my Papa. But, it's also the anniversary of a day of great personal triumph for me because today is also the four year anniversary of the day that I crossed my first Disney finish line and officially finished my first runDisney race. So while Papa is obviously on the forefront of my mind today, I've decided to try to focus on celebrating the positives as well.
If you've followed my journey here for a bit, you've heard about my struggles with RunDisney races. Eliot and I have done quite a few at this point, but I've never been able to finish the longer ones. For the most part, I've chalked it up to the damage done to my right knee when I was 18. I had a meniscus tear and they weren't able to fix it, so I only have 30% of it left. Walking, jogging or running can cause me a lot of pain and it's not good for my knee joint. Eliot and I don't usually train for these events like we should- but I'm not really sure that would help in my case anyways. Try as I might, I've never finished a half marathon. But four years ago today, I did finish my first 10K.
Eliot and I woke up that morning much like any other RunDisney morning- super early and after not enough sleep. That day felt different though. I was finally at Walt Disney World for Princess Half Marathon Weekend. Not only that, but I really wanted to finish the Enchanted 10K race and to do it in honor of my Papa.
Throughout the race, I thought of him often. As Eliot and I progressed farther along the 6.2 miles, I felt more and more like it was possible. We kept a decent pace through the Boardwalk area and we just had to make it through Epcot. As I approached the finish line in the Epcot parking lot, I couldn't help but feel a sense of immense pride.
Afterwards, I was exhausted and sore, but I'd done it. That 10K medal will always be my favorite and I treasure it. I couldn't wait to text my Mom and tell her that I'd finished the race. The rest of the day, I wore my medal proudly around my neck for all to see.
That night, Eliot and I had drinks to celebrate at the Pop Century bar. Papa often joked about going down to the pool bar to have a drink with me. That's one thing we never had time to do on our trips as we were usually exhausted by the end of the day. I wish that we had made time to get one together. That night, exactly two years after we'd lost him, I finally made it to the bar. Even though we had the half marathon the next morning, Eliot and I both enjoyed a fruity concoction in Papa's memory.
February 25th definitely isn't my favorite day on the calendar, but I'm glad that I have something good that has come out of it. I wish that Papa had been here to hear all about us finishing the 10K. I know he would have been proud of me and I know he was there in spirit, cheering Eliot and me on to triumph. °o°
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