Run, Karla, Run!

Cinderella at the ball is like a runner at a big race.

runDisney Cinderella

If Disney characters were runners, what kind of runners would they be?

In honor of registration opening today for runDisney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend including the new Enchanted 10K and Glass Slipper Challenge, I thought I’d share another installment of my runDisney Character Profiles.

Previous installments have looked at Sleeping Beauty as the runner who needs to take a few weeks off even if she doesn’t want to, and Alice in Wonderland as the newbie runner who has fallen down the running rabbit hole.

This week, we’re working hard with my favorite runDisney Princess and one who suits Disney’s Princess Half Marathon perfectly…Cinderella Read the rest of this entry →

The Walt Disney World Marathon finish. (Photo: runDisney)

Tribesports asked me to create a guide to the Walt Disney World Marathon course for their social networking site for active minded folks. “Whether you’re a novice or a pro, we think seeing your friends sports activity, and sharing yours will make you want to be more active and do more sports,” their website states. Seems like a good premise to me, since that’s what the blogging community does in a different way.

So I thought I’d share my Walt Disney World Marathon Guide here as well since it highlights the race in a different way than my race report. If you’re thinking of signing up for the Walt Disney World Marathon—registration is still open for the 2014 race—here’s a play by play of what you can expect on the course.

Guide to the Walt Disney World Marathon Course

Runners fill Magic Kingdom. (Photo: runDisney)

The Walt Disney World Marathon is the crown jewel in the runDisney series of races. Nearly 25,000 runners tackle the 26.2-miles around “the World,” many dressed in costume in homage to their favorite Disney characters. The vibe on-course is as much party as road race with Disney’s signature entertainment lining the way: marching bands, DJ’s, cheerleaders, acrobats, rock bands, and, of course, those famous Disney characters. Read the rest of this entry →

My girl, Cinderella (Photo: RunKarlaRun.com)

My favorite four-legged running pal turned 4-years-old today. Or at least, that’s what we think.

Cinderella was a stray living in the woods of Tennessee when a kind man spotted her and earned her trust over time by feeding her. Soon, she was living in his yard as a yard dog named Maggie. But after a few bad-weather nights, he decided his yard was no place for a dog and he couldn’t keep her, so he brought her to local rescue group Shelly’s Angels that works to save strays and find them homes.

Meanwhile in New York City, my husband and I were on the hunt for a dog. Read the rest of this entry →

Cinderella in rags and Jacque the Mouse. (Photo: Marathon Foto)

Wearing running costumes at runDisney races has become an art, thanks to the popularity of events like Disney’s Princess Half Marathon. The race celebrates its fifth anniversary on February 24, and probably inspires more runners to dress as their favorite Disney characters than any other Disney race.

Last year, I was not immune. My husband, Phil, and I ran the 2012 Princess Half Marathon dressed in Cinderella and Prince Charming running costumes. It was so much fun that we got costumed-up again for the 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13—this time, as Cinderella in Rags and Jacques the Mouse.

Here’s how we put together Cinderella in Rags and Jacques the Mouse race-friendly running costumes that were both recognizable and comfortable to run in. Best of all, the only tools we needed were a needle, thread, tape, safety pins and a healthy imagination. Read the rest of this entry →

Cinderella in rags running costume (Photo: Karla Bruning)

I’m a Disney running costume junkie. I’ve run four Disney races and three of them in costume: 2012 Tinker Bell Half Marathon, 2012 Disney’s Princess Half Marathon and 2013 Walt Disney World Marathon.

So I’ve decided to spread the running costume love.

Running Costume Skirt Giveaway

I’m giving away a brand new skirt identical to the one I wore at the Walt Disney World Marathon on Jan. 13 when I dressed as Cinderella in Rags.

If Cinderella in Rags isn’t your style, the skirt could also double as a running costume piece for Pocahontas, Sleeping Beauty’s Briar Rose, Hercules, or something more creative like Bambi.

Here are the details: Read the rest of this entry →

Photo stop in front of Cinderella Castle (Photo: Marathon Foto)

Hot dog! It’s one of Mickey Mouse’s favorite phrases and it couldn’t have been more appropriate for the 20th Anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13, 2013. The mercury climbed to unseasonably warm temps, with a high of 81 degrees and humidity to match.

But the heat didn’t stop the 20,000 finishers—myself included. Dressed as Cinderella in Rags with Jacques the Mouse by my side (played with gusto by my husband), I soaked in the sun as I ran around the world—Walt Disney World, that is.

It was a magical run punctuated by an army of Disney characters, spectators, and volunteers who helped make it a fairy tale run to remember. Read the rest of this entry →

The Walt Disney World Marathon

Hot dog! It’s one of Mickey Mouse’s favorite phrases and it couldn’t have been more appropriate for the 20th Anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13, 2013. The mercury climbed to unseasonably warm temps, with a high of 81 degrees and humidity to match. The sun hung hot and heavy in a largely cloudless blue sky as runners worked their way around the World—Walt Disney World, that is.

I was on hand for all of the weekend’s action, from the Health & Fitness Expo to the Pasta in the Park Party, the Walt Disney World Marathon Meet Up and the Downtown Disney Cool Down After Party.

As one of the weekend’s 65,000 runners, I soaked in the sun as I ran through Magic Kingdom, the Walt Disney World Speedway, Animal Kingdom, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot on marathon morning—dressed as Cinderella in Rags with Jacque the Mouse by my side, played with gusto by my husband. These are my highlights from the weekend, including a few brushes with Mickey Mouse himself. Read the rest of this entry →

Running as Cinderella in rags. Jacque the Mouse will be by my side.

Hot dog! As Mickey Mouse would say. The Walt Disney World Marathon is in less than 24 hours. It’s my first 26.2-mile rodeo around “the World” and I couldn’t be more excited. And perhaps more than anything, I’m excited about my running costume.

The Walt Disney World Marathon will be my sixth marathon and my fourth runDisney race; I already have the Wine & Dine, Tinker Bell, and Princess Half Marathons under my race belt, not to mention a Coast-to-Coast medal. Talk about falling down the rabbit hole.

For the first time, I’m treating the marathon as a fun run; no gunning for a personal best—like I have every other time I’ve run a marathon, and with much success. I’ve shaved 86 minutes off my marathon PR since my first stab at the distance in 2007. Read the rest of this entry →

(Photo: runDisney)

The “12 Days of Christmas” was one of my favorite carols growing up.

In honor of the child that lives not-so-deep within me, I’ve crafted the “13.1 Days of Disney Running Christmas.” I love that Disney celebrates the child in all of us, and that Disney running does it while putting one foot in front of the other.

So here is my homage to Disney running and the Walt Disney World Marathon, which my true love and I will be tackling on January 13, 2013. I tried to incorporate as many elements and runDisney events as I could—including the brand new Dumbo Double Dare at the Disneyland Half Marathon and bonus verses in homage to half-marathons. If you prefer, I’ve created a very silly video version here. Enjoy! Read the rest of this entry →

In our Disney running fairy tale, running is true love.

If Disney characters were runners, what kind of runners would they be?

This thought occurred to me as I looked at my training plan for the Walt Disney World Marathon on January 13, 2013. The race comes exactly eight weeks after the Philadelphia Marathon on November 18, which I ran to a new personal best.

So every week, I’ll countdown to the Disney marathon with the Disney running profile of a different Disney character. Yes, in addition to being a running nerd, I am a Disney running nerd too. Drum roll please…

Sleeping Beauty: The Runner Who Needs Rest and Recovery

Let’s face it, no other Disney running character could possibly own the time honored running tradition of rest and recovery quite like Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Beauty is the runner who needs to take a few weeks off, even if she doesn’t want to, whether it’s to recover from a marathon or a more pernicious injury. Read the rest of this entry →

The start of the 2012 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon. (Photo: runDisney)

Nearly 14,000 runners stormed Walt Disney World Saturday night for the third annual Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon. The half marathon is unique for it’s 10 p.m. start and a private after-party at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival that lasts until 4 a.m.

It’s also a race that holds a special place in my heart. It’s the one that started my tumble down the Disney running rabbit hole. Read the rest of this entry →

Running as Prince Charming and Cinderella. (Photo: brightroom)

Disney’s Expedition Everest Challenge took place Saturday night May 5 in Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom theme park in Florida. Runners faced a 5K laden with obstacles and clues to a mystery they had to solve in order to finish. Some runners tackled the race in Disney running costumes, dressed as their favorite Disney characters, like Minnie Mouse, and others ran as the fearsome Yeti of the Expedition Everest roller coaster.

As a veteran of three Disney races—the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon, Tinker Bell Half Marathon, and Disney’s Princess Half Marathon—I know the slide down that particular rabbit hole all too well. After running my first runDisney race sans costume and my second Disney race in a store bought Tinker Bell costume, I decided to go all out for my third Disney race. I learned from Team Sparkle running costumer extraordinaire Kelly Lewis that when it comes to pulling off successful Disney running costumes that are comfortable and easy to run in, the devil is in the details.

Armed with a few pieces of basic running gear and a creative outlook, my fiancé and I transformed into Cinderella and Prince Charming’s athletic alter egos for Disney’s Princess Half Marathon in February. Here’s how to make your own Cinderella and Prince Charming Disney running costumes. Best of all, the only tools you need are a needle, thread, safety pins and tape. Read the rest of this entry →

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon was a fairy tale race.

If you keep on believing, the dreams that you wish will come true. Cinderella sang those words and I took them to heart. At Disney’s Princess Half Marathon in Walt Disney World in Florida, I channeled my inner Cinderella and believed that I could break my half-marathon personal record (PR). Disney races aren’t for PR’s many people say. Just have fun, they tell you. But on Sunday, Feb. 26, I learned that it’s possible to PR and have fun too.

Running in Costume: Cinderella and Prince Charming

For starters, I feel compelled to confess: I ran in costume. Not just that, I cajoled my fiancé, Phil, to run in costume with me—as Cinderella and Prince Charming. Cinderella has long been my favorite princess, ever since I saw clips of the film on my Fisher Price Movie Viewer Theater back in the early 1980s. I even named my dog Cinderella. What better character to summon for a half-marathon than a gal who knows how to put her head down and work hard?

I found that once you put on a costume and give in to the Disney spirit, it’s inevitable that you’re going to have a good time, no matter how painful the running itself may be. Read the rest of this entry →

2012 Disney Princess Start

Cinderella and Prince Charming are ready to run

The castle before dawn

Cinderella's Fairy Godmother

Runners leap at Cinderella Castle

Pausing for a castle pic

The real Cinderella and Prince Charming

Princess Minnie strikes a pose

Running through the castle

The cast of Sleeping Beauty

Inspiration from a gospel choir

Running Leap

To Epcot

Through Epcot

Charging past Spaceship Earth

Princess Minnie and Mickey

Rachel Booth wins

Daisy Duck waves runners in

Minnie high-fives runners

The finish is in sight

Last stop before the finish

Mickey waves me in

Victory

Earning a medal

Disney's Princess Half Marathon Medals

Runners show off their medals

Coast to Coast Race Challenge medals

We model our bling

My hero

And they lived happily ever after

Tangled Royal Family 5K Start

Rapunzel and Flynn

Disney girls

Runners pose with Belle and the Beast

We say hi to Pocahontas

Runners charge through Epcot

With Jasmine and Aladdin in Morocco

Tangled Royal Family 5K finish

Dressed to impress

Disney 5K's are stroller friendly

Tangled Royal Family 5K medals

Royal Family Kids' Races Medals

Royal Family Kids' Races Start

Kids love to run

My nephew admires his sister's medal

Royal Family Kids' Races Runners

Crossing the finish line

My nephew runs his heart out

And he won!

The pride of accomplishment

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend was a fairy tale tour of Walt Disney World in Florida. Runners tackled the Tangled Royal Family 5K, Disney’s Royal Family Kids’ Races and Disney’s Princess Half Marathon. Races took runners through Epcot and Magic Kingdom, where Disney characters cheered them on to victory.

I ran the half-marathon with my fiance dressed as Cinderella and Prince Charming. My sister and I ran the 5K, and my niece and nephew ran the kids’ races. Photos courtesy of runDisney.

Karla (left) and her sister with Daisy Duck and Minnie Mouse at Disney’s Royal Family 5K. (Photo: Karla Bruning)

We came. We ran. We conquered. The Bruning family stormed Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend from Feb. 24-26 at Walt Disney World with the aim of turning our annual family Disney vacation into a fitness fiesta.

My sister, brother-in-law, nephew, niece, fiancé and I participated in every event runDisney had to offer, from the Pasta in the Park party to the Tangled Royal Family 5K, the Royal Family Kids’ Races and Disney’s Princess Half Marathon. We did it all and then some—enjoying lunch at Cinderella’s Castle with a bevy of princesses and taking in a luau at the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show. But the highlight had to be watching the Royal Family Kids’ Races. Seeing a whole new generation of runners embrace the sport was a heartening sight. Read the rest of this entry →