“I’m so disappointed there aren’t any fireworks... I’m soaking wet... and it’s all in FRENCH!”

This is a direct quote from my daughter, Lara, 8, as we watched the light show at the end of the day at Disneyland Paris.

It was about 11.05pm, we were all drenched and all thinking ‘why on earth did we try and do this?’

We booked a few days away there over the weekend as part of my wife Alison and I’s 40th birthday celebrations (they’re two days apart) but unfortunately a late storm meant there was no fireworks display on Sunday and just the light show.

Lara had hit the wall... a feeling I’m very familiar with from previous marathon training.

That feeling when you could be in the most picturesque place in the world on a run and you couldn’t care less... you just want to go home.

Tired and emotional, Lara just wanted to be back in our hotel room.

In the moment it feels dreadful... but it passes and by the next morning she was ready to go again and living her best life interacting with all the Disney princesses at the parades.

There’s always joy to find amongst the disappointment. It’s about what you choose to focus on and that takes a bit of mental discipline, especially when you’re tired (I wouldn’t expect an 8-year-old to realise this... I still struggle at 40!)

A trip to Disney with young children is rather like a marathon as you experience a rollercoaster of emotions.

One moment you’ll be thinking ‘why on earth have we put ourselves in this position?’ and then a few minutes later your children will get a wave back from Buzz Lightyear and their smile makes it all worth it.

You might have to queue for an hour for a ride that lasts less than two minutes. You might have to put yourself through hours of marathon training, for one race.

We’re all chasing those moments of pure joy and as runners they can come along fairly frequently with the right approach to your training.

You have to go through the difficult times to appreciate the good and you’re willing to do that to chase those moments of pure joy.

The marathon training had to take a back-seat for a few days whilst we were out in France despite the fact I would have loved to have a go at the Strava segment around the lake there (yes, I checked on day one when I still had energy).

Alison and I have been joking that it has felt like decent training with the amount of time on our feet we had. On one day we walked around 19 miles... no wonder Lara was tired and Alison convinced herself that dancing during the parades was cross training.

I wouldn’t change any of it. The difficult periods make the happy ones all the sweeter. The important thing is not to dwell too much on the tough ones remembering they often get you closer to the joy – I've finished easy runs recently where I’ve thought ‘how on earth am I going to keep that up for over 26 miles?’ but those tough runs build our mental fortitude and give us the tools we need for those PBs.

I have to catch myself and realise it’s still pretty early and trust that it will come together as I continue to bank as many miles as I can around the other responsibilities in my life.

So how is a family trip to Disney like a marathon and what lessons have I learnt?

  1. Fuelling – carbing up and fuelling for sustained energy release – perhaps the Micky Mouse waffles may have to wait for another Disney trip...

  1. Distraction you feel tired – there were times when energy levels were slumping – then a character would pass by or we would go on a ride and the energy levels soared. I will be looking out for any runners dressed as a Llion King character or enjoy any entertainment on the course at Chicago. It’s all a welcome distraction from the mileage and fatigue.

  1. Celebrating the small moments – the look on the children’s faces when they met one of their Disney heroes or Alison’s when the buffet opened. We all strive for happiness and it can be found in those small moments. They often go hand in hand when times get tough and as runners we are lucky enough to be able to access them often.