In this third installment of the Kingdom Keepers Series, we are reunited with the Kingdom Keepers, a group of teenagers who are fighting the Overtakers, a group of malicious Disney characters, bent on taking over not only the Disney theme parks, but the whole world.

As we join the Kingdom Keepers, we discover that Wayne, the imagineer responsible for creating many of the Disney landmark attractions and creator of the Kingdom Keepers, is missing.   And not only does the team need to find Wayne, but there is something major happening over at EPCOT, and the team needs to figure out what the Overtakers are up to, and how to defeat them!

The most fascinating aspect of the Kingdom Keepers series, and Disney in Shadow is no exception, is that Ridley Pearson is given unlimited access to the Disney parks.  And that give this series facts and information that normal Disney fans cannot experience.  And he weaves those facts into each book so that the reader gets to experience Disney in a new and exciting way.

Even though Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow is categorized and a “young readers” book, I find them exciting and very enjoyable to read.  They are great books to take your mind off your daily routine AND they give you the sense of being on an incredible adventure throughout Disney World, after dark, and in the shadows!

I have never been very athletic, but I have always had an affinity to being a runner.  I don’t have a “runner’s body,” but I do posses that passion to become a real runner.  My dream is to one day run a full marathon, and the first step was to complete a 5K race.

5K equates to 3.1 miles, not a long distance, but when you’ve spent most of your adult life fairly inactive, 3.1 miles can be a VERY daunting number. But as the fortune cookie states: Journey of a 1,000 miles begins with a single step.  So step, I did.

My lovely wife, Sarah-Irene [Sid], helped me train by running as many consecutive days as possible, eating a much more healthy diet, and educating ourselves to proper running etiquette.  We spent many early mornings at the YMCA and started to build up our endurance.  She really has been an inspiration and a driving force behind our success.

Saturday, March 6 – 5:00 AM

Sid and I woke up at the All-Star Movie Resort, got dressed and headed out to EPCOT.  Our arrival time was 6:00-6:15, we didn’t want to be late, plus we had no idea what to expect, so we played it really safe, and arrived at 5:45.

It was almost a carnival atmosphere: there were lights, a DJ jamming out upbeat music, people everywhere, and a Disney fixture: a queue line.  The line was for runners to meet Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, or Louis.  It was outrageous!

6:45 – Loading the Chute

The announcement was made for all runners to load the chute, a narrow runway that launches them through the Start/Finish line.  It felt a little like herding cattle, but the jokes, laughing, music, and excitement about the 5K was infectious and the nervousness I had started to fade to excitement and expectation.

Fear

When I started this process, I was 345 pounds and seriously needed to lose weight.  So, starting in January of 2010, I radically changed my diet, lost 20 pounds, and started to train for this 5K.  But I couldn’t run more than 1 minute without being completely out of breath.  And standing in the chute, the reality of my NEVER having run 3.1 miles without stopping was weighing very heavily on me.

Another cause for anxiety was the 16 minute mile pace that Disney imposed on the race.  I could easily walk 3.1 miles non-stop.  I could even jog/walk 3.1 miles, but to keep the 16 minute mile pace was too much for me.  Up until that day, I had only kept an 18 minute mile pace, to say that I was scared of NOT finishing would be an understatement.

Ready – Set – GO!!

We were off!!  It was awesome, the music was playing, people were cheering, and we were running!  Well, actually walking…  There were SO many people in the chute, many of whom had running strollers, it was impossible to run, so my anxiety about the 16 minute mile pace was even more exaggerated.

But I had nothing to fear.  Disney places characters throughout the course for people to take pictures with, so the 16 minute pace would be really difficult, unless you ran FAST from character to character, which many people did.

The coolest part for me was being allowed in the mythical “backstage” area of EPCOT.  We were privy to some sights that very few “guests” get to view.

Finishing the Race

After leaving the parking lot, moving backstage, continuing through World Showcase, and progressing through Future World, I could actually SEE the finish line.  And, when I looked behind me, I could see LOTS of people, not only was I going to finish, I was going to finish well!

I had made a promise to Sarah: I walked most of this 5K.  I had developed some severe pains in my shins (not shin splints).  So I was a little concerned about trying to pound out the entire 5K.  So I walked (very quickly) most of it…but I promised Sid that I would run the last .1 of a mile.  So as I saw the 3 mile marker, I picked up my pace and ran it out.

And finished….at 53:27 (which is about 17 minutes per mile) not great, but better than I had been doing in the week prior.

Moving Forward

I’ve started training again for the Expedition Everest Challenge, a 5K + Obstacle Course + Scavenger Hunt in June.  It will be a challenge because I have set the goal to RUN the entire 5K.  Sid and I have also added some close friends into our running team.  I’ve even bought my first pair of ‘high end’ running shoes…  I said it best the other day… “I’m a runner’.

FRIDAY
Sid and I loaded the truck and headed to our 2nd home: Walt Disney World, and prepared for a great weekend of friends, food, and 5K’s but I don;t want to get TOO ahead of myself.

We arrived at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex to check in for the Royal Family 5K that we would be running in the next day.  It was truly amazing.  The entire complex is, from a purely architectural sense, gorgeous.  And to see SO many venues available to pro and armature athletes, it was awe inspiring.

Inside the Jostens Center, we got to walk through the expo and meet hundreds of other athletes before our competition.  Sid and I have never felt so excited to be apart of something like this.  We were definitely inspired to start training for a much longer/harder race than a 5K.

After the expo, we spent some time walking around the other complexes.  Like I have said before, “Disney NEVER does anything half-way, they do it right!”

After walking around, we bounced over to Disney’s Boardwalk for a late dinner with our friends, with whom we would be spending the night at one of the Disney Resorts.  I think that I enjoy spending time at Boardwalk almost as much as visiting one of the theme parks….almost.

SATURDAY
5:00 am came WAY to early for Sid and myself.  We got up, got dressed, and headed out to EPCOT to compete in the Royal Family 5K, our first foray into competitive running.  To say I was nervous would be an understatement.  But I had nothing to fear, because I was met with an amazing cacophony of music, cold air, friendly people, and that Disney Magic that we all keep talking about.

Sid and I met Princess Tiana from the Princess and the Frog, and then we loaded the chute to launch into the race.  3…2….1..GO!!  And we were off…I knew that if I could just get into World Showcase (mile 2-3) I could survive, but would my times be good enough to last…

And then I say my first character…  They stationed characters along the

route, for pictures…  We were never meant to run this 5K like a ‘regular’ race, this was all about fun…  I felt the nervousness and tension melt out of me…I was GOING to run it, I was GONG to finish, and finish well.

Actually, 53:27 was a horrible time for a 5K, but it was my first 5K, and there was plenty of things to look at in EPCOT and it slowed my times considerably.  But I succeeded, and achieved one of my 2010 goals: To run is a 5K (I walked a good portion of it, but I DID run some of it.)

After a shower and some breakfast, we were all off to Animal Kingdom for a little Expedition Everest, and then BACK to EPCOT to meet up with Lou Mongello, author, blogger, and maintainer of WDWRadio.com, my FAVORITE Disney related website.

As always, Lou was amazingly friendly, personable, and gracious.  he spent a lot of time talking about our shared passion (Disney) and discussing ideas, opinions, and dreams, just like most Mickey Mouse-obsessed people do.  When I introduced myself, I got a remarkable reaction…he KNEW my name!

After I picked my chin off the ground, we started up a little conversation about a review I had done on some of his material, and how he needed to send me an email.  With everything that had been going on in his life recently, I couldn’t even imagine that he would be self-aware enough to remember that he owed me an email.  Wow, I was amazed, floored, and thrilled beyond belief!

On another side note, I got to me ANOTHER of my favorite authors as well, Steven Barrett, author of the Field Guide to Hidden Mickeys. He was gracious, signed my book, and we talked about some hidden Mickey’s we THINK we found at Animal Kingdom!

SUNDAY
This was going to be one of the longest, and best, days of 2010.  Common Ground, the church where I work, was going to 2 services, I was drumming, we were premiering a new series, with new video and images, I had to hang new banners, that I had created, AND we were trying to getthe services UNDER 70 minutes…something that had not been ever been done at Common Ground.

Everything came together and was just awesome!  You could tell that we were still riding the momentum we had built up in the last few weeks, and we came in UNDER 70 minutes BOTH services.

After church Sid and I came home and crawled in to bed for a good afternoon nap, very content in knowing that we had experienced things that weekend that very few people get the chance to.  We were blessed.  We thanked God and crashed.  Besides, the Academy Awards was on, and Disney/Pixar had to represent!!

I am a goal motivated leader.  I’m the type of guy that HAS to have a goal or deadline to properly motivate action.  So, on March 6th, I will be joining my lovely wife in running the Disney’s Royal Family 5k.  I’m not in the proper shape to do this, as of this writing, but I will be ready.  Why? Because with this goal, I am pushing myself.

How to Push Yourself:

1. Choose a BIG Goal

I’m not planning on running a marathon THIS year, but I would love to NEXT year, so my ultimate goal it to run a marathon.  Pick A goal, one thing that will take you some work to accomplish, and focus all your energies on that one single purpose.

2. Define Specific Performance Targets

To do the marathon in 2011, I have to run a few 5Ks and a half marathon before my 2011 marathon, so I’ve committed to a 5 K in March and October with a goal of a 1/2 marathon in January of 2011.  Pick your goal, define what it means to succeed (i.e. running in the marathon) and work backwards to today and set up smaller targets along the way to accomplish your overall agenda.

3. Properly Resource Yourself

I’m reading about running, talking to other runners, and researching 5Ks, 1/2 and full marathons.  I am also eating better and losing as much weight as I can to get to the my best physical shape.  I will also get some really good running shoes and run with my wife, she’s my best partner to run/work out with.  Once defined, now you need to arm yourself with information and the resources to accomplish your newly found purpose.

4. Track Your Progress

I keep a log of what I eat, when and how I work out, how I feel.  I also keep a log of what I read and study as well as how much I work.  If I run well one day, and poorly the next, I need to know about it and track my progress.  You should track how well you do on a daily basis, I’m not a list guy, but I do appreciate the journal of where I’ve come, and ultimately where I am going.

5.  Submit

I have to submit myself to do whatever it takes to prepare to run 5K, 13, and 26.2 miles.  I have to let go of my selfish desires of eating what I want, not getting enough real rest, and not working out.  I have to submit to the greater good of working as hard as I can to succeed.

6. Stop Procrastinating

What are you waiting for?  Just get up and go do it.  If you don’t know how to do it, get a book, Google it, ask a friend, or try it, fail, and learn from your mistakes.  Tomorrow NEVER comes.  Today is all you have.

7.  Surround Yourself with Motivation

People, music, posters, screen savers, post-it notes, whatever it takes to remind you of what you are working for.  I have told several people about the 5K, and I get asked a lot about it.  My wife helps hold me accountable to the workouts and running, and I have a daily reminder about the 5K in March to help motivate me.

Find a goal and push yourself.  You’ll be thankful you did.