As Walt said, “To all who come to this happy place…Welcome!” Why I runDisney is a blog written by a runner who is finding his way to better health and physical fitness by running one magical mile at a time. If you would have told my junior high (or senior high) school self that I’d be running in a full marathon, I’d have told you that’s crazy! In school, I absolutely did not like running. In PE, I dreaded those days where we had to run. It was excruciating. Playing basketball, football, volleyball, baseball, etc. was fine. However, the days we ran, I didn’t like. So, how did I end up running a marathon? Well, you can read about that journey here. My first race was the Inaugural Neverland 5K at Disneyland in 2012. However, it wasn’t until a year later, when I finished the 2013 Tinker Bell Half Marathon at Disneyland that I caught the running bug.
2013 was a year of discovery for me…a year to dream big…a year to become a runner. I started this blog as a way of chronicling my journey towards becoming a runner. Now that I’ve arrived at that moment, this blog will further chronicle my growth and development as I become a marathoner and beyond.
In 2014, it finally happened!
I finished the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon to officially join the ranks of marathon finishers.
I followed that up by finishing the 2015 Asics Los Angeles Marathon! I can hardly believe that I’ve ever finished one marathon…2 just seems crazy.
In October of 2015, I made it THREE marathons and my first World Major Marathon at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Then, in November 2017, I crossed the line at my 4th marathon and second World Major Marathon at the TCS NYC Marathon. With the finishing of this marathon, I have now crossed the finish line of 4 Marathons, 20 Half Marathons, 13 10K’s, and 17 5K’s.
At the conclusion of the 2017 TCS NYC Marathon, I decided to strip it all down and re-boot my running journey. Starting in 2018, running became very sporadic for me. Hey, when you’ve got a little one at home, that can happen. With all the stops and starts, here I am, at the middle of 2021, focusing on new goals that will hopefully build a solid foundation as I chase down the ultimate dream of marathoners everywhere….to run the Boston Marathon as a time qualifier.
This journey has been filled with hits and misses. However, it has also represented a journey of “I can’t” to “I Can!” I hope that in some way, I can inspire others to turn their challenges into victories. So, who am I?
My name is Greg and I’m a huge fan of almost everything Disney. My favorite Disney characters are Mickey Mouse (it all started with a mouse, you know.) and Buzz Lightyear. My favorite Disney theme park is the original…Disneyland. In addition to my love of almost all things Disney, I am a trumpet player, singer, and lover of music. So, you will find my love of music mixed into these blogs about Disney and running. It seems like these things all work pretty well together. On top of these things, I am happily married to a woman who is not only my best friend, but my soul mate. In March of 2016, after nearly 3.5 years on the waiting list for domestic infant adoption, we were finally chosen to adopt this amazing little boy…becoming a family of three! As great as all of the above can define me, nothing defines me more than being a child of God and a follower of Jesus.
In this blog, I will be discussing anything related to the Walt Disney Company, runDisney events, running, training, and music. I intend to publish new posts at least once a week. As you can see, there are indexed pages to organize all of the blogs I’ve posted. You can see my race bling, and check out my race schedule (with results and links to the recaps).
- I’m always open for suggestions on how to improve this blog. So, don’t hesitate to contact me either through comments on the blog or by sending an email to whyirundisney@gmail.com.
- There is a box below the blog postings where you can choose to follow this blog. It’s the best way to stay up to date with this blog.
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- For the highest level of interaction, please join the Facebook group and share your triumphs and tragedies as you go through your running journey.
Thank you for choosing to follow along my journey. I sincerely appreciate all of you who choose to read and comment on the blog postings.
Why I runDisney 
So glad to have found another Disney Running Blogger! A Disney 5K was my first race ever too and I’ve been hooked since then completing several Disney races each year! Congrats on completing the Marathon. I can’t wait to follow your journey!
Thanks Meranda! Funny how things work. Isn’t it? Run in one Disney 5K and you’re hooked. I’m already registered for the Dumbo Double Dare this summer and am planning on signing up for the Avengers Super Hero Half Marathon. I loved running at Walt Disney World in the Marathon and 10K this past January. Can’t wait to run through my home Disney park…Disneyland…again this summer! By the way, I enjoy reading your blog as well.
I love your blog 🙂 Found it googling running blogs somehow. Your love of running has inspired me. And your love for your wife and Jesus gave me a huge smile as I was reading “about” you. I’ll be back to read more. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Greg!
I’ve recently be nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award ( http://bit.ly/1zUSkQ8 ) and in return I’m nominating you. I really enjoy your blog and its helping me to get my butt in gear and start actually training for my 5k during the Princess Half Marathon Weekend. Looking forward to more posts, keep up the fantastic work!
Thank you for the nomination. I’ll look into that more this weekend. Thank you for the kind words as well. 5K’s are a great place to start your running journey. Mine started with the Neverland 5K back in 2012. Now, I’m a Marathon finisher. I’ve heard such fantastic things about the Princess Half Marathon Weekend. The folks at runDisney put on such great races, I’m sure you’re going to have a blast at the Princess 5K! Now get out there and run!
Hi Greg, I enjoyed reading your blog about the Disneyland 10k in 2013 and the map for Star Wars Half. I too did the Disneyland 10k in 2013 and remember the weather being an issue for me. I’m from Las Vegas and here we have very little to no humidity year round. So on race morning when I realized how hot and humid it was I knew I was going not going to run my best race. But I still managed to finish and had a great time. Star Wars will be my first half and I’m a little nervous about the start time and the cooler temps. I’m not worried about the mileage though. 🙂
Good luck on the Star Wars Half and thanks for posting the race course. Every little bit helps for those of us coming in from other states.
Anna M. Johnson AKA – The Running Showgirl runshowgirlrun.blogspot.com
Good luck to you in your first half! The Star Wars Half looks like one of the flattest half marathon courses at Disneyland, if not the flattest. Bring a sweatshirt to the start that you won’t mind throwing off once the race starts and you’ll be fine with the temps. Once you get running, you won’t even notice the cooler temps. So glad I could help ease some of your nerves!
I just stumbled upon your blog after running my first RunDisney Star Wars half marathon, and having some major withdrawals from it. I’m signed up for the Tinker Bell half marathon, and I’m going to sign up for the Dumbo Double Dare challenge too. I love reading your blog and getting some insight on the other races. I’m new to running, and I think we’re at the same level. 😄 So it’s nice to dream about getting some of the same bling as you. Thanks for all of your posts, and I can’t wait to look for you at the Tink half.
Thanks for the kind words! I totally understand the withdrawals feeling. It was such a fun weekend! Good luck with Tink and the Dumbo Double Dare! Make sure you are ready to sign up for the Dumbo Double Dare exactly as the registration opens. It will sell out fast. Sadly, I won’t be running Tink. It’s always hard to say “no” to a runDisney weekend. However, money doesn’t grow on trees either. So, decisions had to be made.
Keep running and the bling will pile up fast!
Enjoy your blog, I too have caught the disney running bug-have done the 1/2 the last 2 years and debating the full in January. Curious about your choice of a running belt? Did I miss a post on gear you like?
I don’t think I’ve done a review of my running belt. I use the Fitletic belt. I use a pretty basic one with no water bottle holders attached. They sell ones that you can add to the belt. I got that one because I can wear it for races and take the water bottle holders off. The only problem I have with this belt is that the water bottles are a little small. If I’m running longer than 11 or 12 miles, I need more hydration. So, for those longer runs, I have a vest that was designed by an untra-marathon runner that’s worked really well.
Hi.. I am new to running. What do you use a running belt for? Also, I see some of the photos you have taken during your race that you held your cell phone. Do you recommend on using some of the armband to hold your cell phone?
thanks again and your blog is a great source to me to run the 1/2 next year.
A running belt’s main use is to hold water, gatorade, or whatever will keep you hydrated for your runs. Many belts will also have a place where you can store fuel to eat on the longer runs (like Gu, CLiff Shots, Cliff Shot Bloks, etc.). The pouch on the belt can also hold things like your keys, ID, Credit Cards, money, etc. When I began running, I visited my local running store to check out the different kinds of fuel. Everyone has their own preferences. You should try these out on the longer weekend runs and see how it works out.
As for the phone. I run with it to make it easy to grab pictures on my races. This is totally unnecessary. I do have an armband for the races where I don’t need to get photos. Whether you use an armband or not is totally a preference thing. If you don’t plan on taking lots of pictures, I’d highly recommend an arm band. Just make sure your phone/mp3 player fits.
Hope this helps.
I love this blog. You are a good writer and I really enjoy reading your posts. I’m a first time Disney runner and will be doing the Dumbo in Sep, followed by the Dopey in Jan – hope to see you there. Keep on running!
Thanks! Good luck with your training. The Disneyland 10K is one of my favorite runDisney courses. It will make a great race for your first runDisney experience. Assuming that the Disneyland Half Marathon course does not change, I’ve written a preview of the course to give you an idea of what you will experience at the Disneyland Half.
As a former college program cast member AND new runner who is dreaming of running a Princess Half, I am sooo happy to have found your blog! I look forward to following it. Stay Disney and Make it a Magical Day! 🙂
As a beginning runner who plans to run my first ever race next month, your blog is inspiring! Reading about your ups and downs, triumphs and failures has helped me to realize that I can do this, even when life gets in the way. Your blog has helped me prepare for the Princess half marathon in February, and I look forward to reading about your 2017 goals and progress! Thanks for an insightful and informative blog! 🙂