Disneyland Half Marathon Meet-Up Bound

In last week's post I introduced you to one of my BRF's (best running friends), Jen.  We are both anxiously counting down the days until we are Disneyland-bound - 8 more days!!!!!  We have both been making up a variety of different to-do lists including: expo vendors, rides, food, and of course meeting up with friends.  Just by looking at our lists, we are both going to have a lot of blogging to do when we return.  :) 

If you have ever done a runDisney race, you might have heard about their meet-ups/tweet-ups.  The meet-ups occur typically the day before the race weekend begins and is an opportunity for their social media followers to come together, run 2 miles through the parks before they are open, meet with inspirational athletes and other runDisney personnel and sometimes other fun surprises!  Sounds like a wonderful way to kick off race weekend, right?  Well, everyone else thinks so too!  The meet-ups have various capacities usually around 50 participants, so when you have thousands of other runDisney runners wanting to get in it can get a little intense.  

The meet-up registration is announced around 1-2 weeks before race weekend via the Disney Parks Blog and the runDisney Twitter page (@runDisney).  Once announced, the first XX number of "qualified participants" are in and you register by sending an email letting them know you would like to be a part of the meet-up.  

Last Tuesday night, runDisney started posting teasers on their Twitter page that the meet-up announcement was coming.  Talk about creating a HUGE buzz in social media!  Instantly my feeds on Twitter and Facebook were blowing up with everyone speculating when it would be.  A group of friends who I have met through social media started a group text so we can be on the look out for the official announcement and notify everyone else in the group.  Once that teaser went out we were all on official "operation meet-up watch"!  It was a blast texting and chatting with everyone with our speculations as to when it would happen.  We all had our notifications on for runDisney tweets and were stalking the Disney Parks Blog page.  We went all night Tuesday without anything and finally got another teaser on Wednesday and we knew it had to be coming. 

FINALLY!  It is here!  It is posted!  Like a flash of lightning, all of us sent in our emails to try to get into the meet-up!

via Disney Parks Blog

@runDisney

After a few minutes, the Disney Parks Blog announced that it is full and emails will be going out to the lucky selected participants by 5:00pm EST.  

SUBMITTED!  Now, I wait....

We all waited impatiently for the next hour and a half.  Social media was in a buzz about what time everyone submitted their email to try to gauge if they got in.  We waited, and waited, and waited...

Around 5:00EST (as promised), this came out!

via @runDisney Twitter page

I was by no means fast to see this one.  I actually found out that the list was up through other people on social media.  I read the disappointment from a lot of my friends that we all turned in our emails within moments did not get in.  Gulp!  I kept seeing the texts from my group of friends that they did not get in, including Jen!  It would be great to do the meet-up, but Jen and I want to do it together for the best possible way to kick off the weekend.

I got a call from my mom with her super excited....I GOT IN!?!?

via Disney Parks Blog

I am SUPER excited that I got in - it is going to be a great experience!   I cannot wait to do meet up with other people that I have been interacting with on social media over the past year or so as well as meeting new friends as well.  I wish that all of my friends that I was in "operation meet-up" would have gotten in as well.  I cannot wait to share the experience with everyone.  

Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@brandi1369) for the most frequent updates during Dumbo Double Dare (Disneyland Half Marathon weekend).

8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS! 8 DAYS!


QOTD:
Have you taken part in a runDisney meet-up?  What are you most looking forward to at Dumbo Double Dare weekend?


Time to Run,
Brandi

Ready to Go DUMBO!

In 17 days, I will be starting my journey of 19.3 miles over the course of two days to complete the inaugural Dumbo Double Dare Challenge at Disneyland!  Saturday I will be running the inaugural Disneyland 10K and Sunday I will be running the Disneyland Half Marathon.  After I complete both races, I will be the proud over of some impressive bling: 10K medal, half marathon medal, Dumbo medal, and my Coast to Coast medal!

I am very excited about the trip and I am counting down the days until I leave.....15 days!  The races for the weekend sold out at record speeds, so unfortunately my mom will not be participating in the races :(  However, she has always been my #1 cheerleader, and this weekend will be no different - she will be part of the chEAR squad and chEARing me on for 19.3 miles.  After I first registered I was a little sad knowing I would be running 19.3 alone.  Little did I know in January that all of that would be changing.

Through social media and our love for running and Disney I have have met several amazing girls that have been very close friends of mine.  Jen, Jill, Ramona and I started out being Twitter friends and then started meeting up at races, doing breakfasts, dinners, etc.  They are definitely my "best running friends"

A few months ago I found out that Jen was also running Dumbo.  Since we both run the same pace for the most part and we are both running it for the fun/memories, it is a no brainer that we run our 19.3 miles together!

Jen and I have had our fair share of fun over the past few months to say the least:

#TeamRunDisney meetup at the 2013 Publix Half Marathon (March 2013)

Our first run together: Big Peach Run for Boston (April 2013)

Possum Trot 10K (June 2013) - Ramona, myself, "Creepy Possum", Jen and Jill

Peachtree Road Race 10K (July 2013)

Post Peachtree BBQ

Jen cheering on Ramona and me at Light Up the Corners (August 2013)

Jen and I have made some awesome memories over the past few months and I can't wait to see what memories are made at Disneyland!

We will be tweeting our journeys along the way, so be sure to follow us:
My Twitter Page
Jen's Twitter Page

Also be sure to follow our Facebook Pages for additional updates:
My Facebook Page
Jen's Facebook Page (Hello Fitness - We Meet Again)

Finally, be sure to check back with both mine and Jen's blogs for full race weekend recaps.  You can follow Jen's blog at http://hellofitnesswemeetagain.blogspot.com