Posts Tagged by support
Farewell Peggy Sue
| January 19, 2015 | Posted by Running at Disney under Inspiration |
This morning I learned of the passing of a legend in the runDinsey community, Peggy Sue. This is a huge loss not only to our community, but to me personally as she has touched me in so many ways over the years even though she probably had no idea.
Photo Credit: Tony Conticello
If you have run a race in Walt Disney World or Disneyland, chances are you have seen Peggy Sue and you have smiled. She was always near the end of a race course holding her famous sign: “Hello Complete Stranger, I’m Proud Of You Too!”
My first memory of Peggy Sue was during my first half marathon, the 2012 Princess Half Marathon. I recall seeing her near the bus stops as you head into Epcot for the final mile of the race. I was so emotional about finishing my first half marathon and to think that this person had come out to cheer ME on was mind blowing…I will never forget her there.
I continued to see her at every Disney race. In front of the Yacht Club for the Wine & Dine Half and the WDW Marathon and in Downtown Disney for the Disneyland Half. I didn’t know who she was, but I was always thrilled to see her and would stop to thank her for her support.
It wasn’t until after a year or so of running that I found her through the Pacebook Running Club (PbRC). I was thrilled to learn her name and I quickly friended her on Facebook. She was a HUGE part of the PbRC and always attended their meet ups on race weekends.
Photo Credit: Nahed Jawhari
The last time I saw Peggy Sue was during the 2014 Wine & Dine Half Marathon. I had known she was ill and I wasn’t sure if I would see her. Plus is was pouring rain and chilly for that race. When I saw her and her signature sign in front of the Yacht Club I was elated. I ran over, gave her a big hug, asked how she was feeling, and thanked her for coming out on that incredibly crappy night. I didn’t know it would be the last time I would see her, but I’m so thankful for that moment.
This incredibly kind and selfless woman will surely be missed both on and off the race course. She meant so much to so many and touched thousands of lives. Her spirit will surely live on in all of us and she will never be forgotten. Thank you Peggy Sue!
Photo Credit: Tiffany Johnson & David Jones
Please take 5 minutes to view this wonderful tribute:
RAD Recap for February 16, 2014
| February 16, 2014 | Posted by Running at Disney under RAD Recaps |
Are you all in a candy coma from Valentine’s Day? I’m in a bit of a cupcake coma and I think it’s about time for a detox. It’s just so hard to resist when you have an amazing cupcake place in town…plus they won Cupcake Wars!
This has been a week of recovery and reflection. I know I’ve hinted that there has been a lot going on with me and I finally decided to open up about it on RAD Living today….the good and the bad. Thank you to everyone for your love and support…I’m humbled and forever grateful.
Looking ahead, I am excited about Princess Half Marathon Weekend coming up! It is the perfect time to get away for some fun and I’m even more excited that B is coming with me. We both need to escape the cold weather and all of the heartache of the past few weeks…what better place to do that then at Walt Disney World?!
This week on RAD began with a look at the Dopey Challenge by Sparkly Runner Sarah, who also has some great tips on how to run these races smart!
Registration opened this week for the 2014 Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler in October. It looks like the races haven’t reached 50% capacity yet, so there is still time to get in!
The second Wednesday of the month means it’s time for another fun game of Kill, Refurb, Marry! This month’s theme was Live Musicals in the Parks. I’d love to hear what your picks would be!
And finally, I put together all of the info you will need to navigate Princess Half Marathon Weekend, including corral assignments, course maps, transportations times…you name it! These race weekends can get overwhelming, so I hope having everything in one place helps! Who will be picking up these beauties next weekend?!?
And please don’t forget…If you see me around next weekend, STOP ME AND SAY HI! One of my favorite things about race weekends is getting to meet so many new people and put faces to the names I have been chatting with online for so long. Tweet me, send me a Facebook message, or reach out on Instagram. I will be all over the World and would love to meet up!
Have a great week and thank you again to everyone for your love and support…I’ll never be able to express how much this has all meant to me and my family 🙂
The Metamorphosis of the runDisney Community
| January 3, 2014 | Posted by Running at Disney under Disney Running |
Oh my how times have changed. When I ran my first Disney race back in 2010, there was a VERY different vibe. We were all out there having fun and running a race as part of our family vacation. No pressure…just fun!
I met all of the people in this photo (well except B) in the online Disney community…Twitter, Facebook, message boards, etc… We had a love for the parks and wanted to try a new experience since we had all visited the parks a bagillion times.
In the past 2 years as the popularity of runDisney races has grown, so has the online community. Overall, this has been more than wonderful. It has given me the opportunity to meet so many interesting and inspiring people who share the same interests as I do. I started this blog as a place to share my love for all things Disney, including the races, and I finally felt like I found a place where I belonged and was accepted for who I am. The support that I received was beyond anything that I expected and all I wanted to do (and continue to want to do) is support he community back.
Unfortunately when groups grow, negativity is bound to creep in. Cliques form and jealousy rears its ugly head…it’s human nature. It always reminds me of this:
I have seen so much ugliness surrounding the past few race weekends in the days leading up to a meet up announcement. (If you’re not familiar with how these announcements work, here is a great post the ins and outs) This has happened yet again in the past few days in various online groups and it has made me incredibly sad. I have always tried to stay out of these conversations and remain neutral, as I see validity in both sides of the various arguments like: Should people be allowed to attend more than one meet up? Is the selection process fair? Etc… However, I don’t like when people start becoming mean and spiteful. Saying hurtful comments in an open forum or behind other people’s back is not ok. That is not why we’re here people!
Running is hard enough. We put our bodies through hell to achieve a personal goal and when we find other crazies who enjoy doing the same thing, we should embrace that. Being a Disney nerd is hard enough. We are constantly having to justify our desire to not want to grow up and spending all of our vacation time at a “kid’s park” (oh how they’re missing out!). Finding others to share in our geekiness is a gift! To find people who share in both interests is rare and should not be taken for granted. We might not all share the same views, but damn it let’s at least be civil to each other.
So as Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend gets ever closer, let’s all remember why we do this. This is supposed to be fun. Those races should put a smile on your face and you should look forward to every second of it. You are lucky to even have the opportunity to run and you are creating memories that will last a lifetime. Yes, it might not seem like it after shelling out all that cash and not being able to walk for a few days, but trust me it’s worth it!
Have I liked everyone I’ve met in the runDisney community? NO…big fat NO! But that doesn’t mean I should ever be mean to them or take away from their magical experience. I hope as a community we can all get past this petty fighting and embrace each other. Don’t get sucked into the drama and just smile…negativity won’t help you cross that finish line.
