Have you ever thought about running a Disney race? Marathon, half marathon, whatever… If you are like me, your main problem is motivation. Running a marathon sounds all fine and dandy, but you actually have to get up and DO something. Therein lies the problem. I will write the training schedule on my calendar, so I make sure I know what the training plan is everyday. I start laying my clothes out in the evening, making sure they are ready in the morning for the 6 am start time. Then morning comes.
You’re tired. You’ll do it later. You got too busy. I know. I have made up every excuse in the book, too.
After a recent experience, I have suddenly gotten motivated. I live in Southeast Kansas, about 30 miles west of Joplin, Missouri. As most of you know an EF5 tornado recently devastated the town, leaving many dead, and even more homeless. For about 2 hours that evening, I sat in my bathtub with my cat, waiting for the tornado sirens to stop blaring.
Earlier that day, I had gone for a run, thinking the marathon training was once again in progress. It looked like it was going to storm, but I sat on my porch in a little green lawn chair, watching the lightning and talking to my mom on the phone, totally unaware that we had warnings out the whazoo. To my surprise, shortly after heading back inside, the tornado sirens went off. It poured rain. Baseball sized hail pelted my poor little car as I sat, huddled in the tub feeling totally unprepared for the storm overhead.
Little did I know that the tornado of the century was brewing, ready to destroy the city of Joplin. Joplin is a life-line for us. It is the closest big city to my small town. So many people from my community were affected, losing loved ones, losing jobs, or just feeling helpless.
In the wake of all the destruction, I attempted to find a way to help the people of Joplin. I was scared to drive there, as I knew that the area was dangerous. After milling over it for a while, I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to get motivated! Why not use the tragedy of the tornado as motivation to run that marathon and raise money for the people that need it…I have run almost every day since then.
There are so many good causes that you can get involved with. From Give Kids the World to Lou Mongello’s Dream Team Project, there is sure to be something out there that will get you motivated. Start your training, people! And make sure that you proudly represent the group that you are running for. We all know that every little bit is appreciated. Even a small donation can make a big difference. Run for yourself or run for something or someone else. The moral of the story is–when the sun comes up, you had better be running!
Contributed by: Jen Ginn (NDI#27) Jen is the DDL Pets and Sports Blogger. She is also the creator of Hyperion Travel Company.
Jen has had a fascination with the Disney culture since her first trip with her family when she was 12. After discovering that there was a community of people who were “as crazy as she was” about her love of all things Disney, she started finding ways to visit WDW more often and give back to the community. In 2010, Jen started her own company, Hyperion Travel, and became a Disney Destination Specialist. As an avid endurance athlete and a college volleyball coach, Jen is very connected to the WDW athletic world. She also trained and completed the 2010 Walt Disney World Marathon. As a pet travel specialist, Jen brings unique destination advice to her clients by “experiencing the magic” with her bulldog, Lucy. You can follow Jen and Lucy on Twitter at @hyperionginn and @thedisneydog, or visit her website, hyperiontravelco.com, or Lucy’s website at disneydogblog.com.
