Race Reports/Encouragement/Kudos January 13th

[Maherae]

Sunday, 13th

tiberius (Richard) Aramco Houston 1/2 Marathon; Houston, TX

Walt Disney World Marathon and Second leg of Goofy

Orange denotes :goofy: entrants.
Red denotes ALL three events :scared1:. (I need a Dopey icon!)

akasleepingbeauty (Rhonda)
andromedaslove (Dana)
angietuck2 (Angie)
BelleMa87
Big Vic (Vic)
Calcio (Craig)
Cdn_gal_eeyore (Leana)
ChiFiveO (Donna)
chimera (Mel)
CinderellaPug (Sarah) and DH
CindyLou (Cindy)
cohoe
crain (Angel)
Cruella de mom (Cecilia)
Dennyha (Denny)
DianeL (Diane)
disneybelle (Darcey)
dznymom96 (Cathy)
disnutt (Kiena)
deekaypee (DKP) and DH
drdelsol (Alvo)
duanerice (Duane)
ecr110 (Erika)
escape (Susie)
FungLu (Brett)
getnthinr (Wendy)
Goingthedistance (Paul)
Goofyin08forErica (Erica)
gsu1988 (Ken)
Hey Mickey (Erica)
hockeygirl (Laurie)
Honeibee's DH (Charlie)
hoosmi (Jen in GA)
jeanneg (Jeanne) and DS (Jason)
jeanneg's DD (Jeannie)
Jenn117
JimB (Jim) BIKE MEDIC THANK YOU!!
Jodi (Jodi)
kareneast (Karen)
KatieLovesMickey (Katie)
keenercam (Cam)
KeenHo (Howard)
KelNottAt (Kelley)
Kimickey (Kim)
kzmarathon (Kevin)
Lexxiefern (Becky)
Lisa loves Pooh (Lisa)
lourodrigis (Lou)
mkymsehi (Jeff)
monte (Monica)
Moonie (Moon)
mousemgr (Susan)
mrstropicana (Cheryl)
MrsTrx and DS
npullen (Nicole)
nucpharm29 (Stephanie) and DH (Scott)
NYcpa (Kathy)
Optimator (Mike)
padisneyfan (Nancy)
pinky4disney (Sandy)
plutosmyfav (Sunny)
RedDragon (Martha)
rKyDex(Chester)
robnkris (Krista)
Roxy (Roxy)
sap1227 (Christy) and DH (Steve)
msblrobs' DH (Mike)
rosy1020 (Kristin)
runwdw2008 (Dona)
Sandi321's DH
Scoolover (Scott)
ScottH (Scott)
ScubaDiver (Jim)
SilverE (Steve)
sk8ingmom and DH (Steve)
solotraveler (Kevin)
Space Ranger (John)
stiej (Christie)
Stitch_luvr_sith (Erin)
TEK224 (Terri)
Theta/formerly known as princessmomma (Colleen)
Thndermatt (Matt)
Tiger Lily 03 (Lily)
tigger2esq (Renee)
TiggerFreak (Kevin)
ultramickeymouse (Robert) and DW (Linda)
WDWFAN9 (Pat)
wfloyd (Bill)
windwalker (Dave)
wtpclc (Carrie) and DH (Scott)
xterratri (Lynne)
Zela
Zoegirl (Bree)

:banana: :banana: GO! WISH Team GO! :banana: :banana:

[Tiger Lily 03]

Thunder, Thunder, Thunderation!
We're the WISH Team delegation!
When we move with determination,
We create a Great! sensation.

:dance3: :yay: :yay: :cheer2: :cheer2: :grouphug: :cheer2: :cheer2: :yay: :yay: :dance3:

[DianeL]

Have a fantastic race Richard!!!! :cheer2:

To my fellow Jan 13th racers .... Wooohooo!!!!! Can't wait to see you all!!! Best WISHes for a wonderful race too all!!!! :cheer2: :grouphug:

[Kristi1357]

:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: GO WISHers!:cheer2: :cheer2:

[ironz]

Marathon RR (thought I'd get it in before the rush) ;)

I didn't do the full because I am not trained and decided to do the 1/2 and 5K only. I spent the day at Epcot having an adult beverage or two and cheering runners.

Good luck to all the full marathoners and Goofy people!! :banana:

[scoolover]

Wahoo!!! Let's get em' boys and gals!
By the way after a quick calculation, we WISHers are the proud holders of 1.2% of the Goofy entries.

Good luck everyone

[wtpclc]

Wahoo!!! Let's get em' boys and gals!
By the way after a quick calculation, we WISHers are the proud holders of 1.2% of the Goofy entries.

Good luck everyone

OMG, that's amazing!

GOod luck RIchard! We'll be thinking of you!

Hope to see the rest of you on teh course! GOod luck!!!

[CynthiaCindy]

Go WISH Team!
:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

I can't wait for the race reports!

[hockeygirl]

Good Luck Richard! :cheer2: :cheer2:

To everyone else---see you out there on Sunday...wow we have a BIG group of participants!!!! :cheer2: :cheer2:

[panthergirl]

You guys are my heros! We'll be screaming you on at the YC/BC. Good luck!

[TnTsParty]

Wow - Go WISHers Go. Have a great time!! Can't wait to hear all the reports!!

[lenshanem]

Good luck tomorrow! You all rock! :rockband:

[o2bacelt]

Add me to the list of those cheering from home!

I know you all did awesome today and you all will do awesome tomorrow.

Can't wait to hear the reports!

[fan_of_small_world]

GO WISH TEAM!!!

:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

[Sandy321]

Met with Mahaere and apologize for not adding us to the calendar -

dh/Tim is running tomorrow, and he was scream teaming with a few wish'ers, he has his shirt, and will do AWESOME -

and I add my
RUN WISHERS RUN:cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2: :cheer2:

[tiberius]

Thanks for the cheers, TEAM!!!

Here is a short race report, I ran in Houston, other than not being in Orlando most things went well. We had about 40 degrees (F) at the start and was still n the 50s when I finished (maybe close to 60), with clear skies and a breeze. It seemed like weather fit to set a new PR, but alas it was not to be. I ran a 2:47 half-marathon, about 11 1/2 minutes slower than my 2:35 best time, but it was my 2nd best time so all was not lost. While the weather worked out well (maybe just a bit too chilly at the start) I just didn't have my best race in me today. Although it has been a long road from the day when a 2:57 half marathon was a major accomplishment for me last April to today, so who knows what my future races will bring.
All in all, Houston puts on a real good event, and I had a great time on the course. Since the course runs through downtown, then residential, then mixed commercial/residential, then park, and finally downtown areas; there was plenty of official and "unofficial" race support and high-fiving going on all the way around.

[KelNottAt]

I will never, ever do 2 events on consecutive days again. Ever. Future marathons? Sure. Future halves? Absolutely. But not 2 in a row.

I finished the marathon in 6:13:15 (14:00). Got my Mickey and my Goofy. So, that's the good news.

The bad news is that it was the most painful thing I've ever done. Worse than that time I gave birth without drugs.

The first quarter was fine. Met and chatted with escape and (apologies) another WISHer whose name is on the tip of my tongue.

The second quarter my quads started to hurt. So I got Tylenol and Bio-freeze at a med tent (mile 8?) and called DH to have Advil ready at mile 18.

The third quarter was the long, lonely dead zone from MK to AK. Got more bio-freeze at some point and got Advil from my family by the African drummers (mile 16? 17?) in AK.

The stretch from AK to Studios was long and hot. Dreadful. Made the MK-->AK stretch look pleasant. Quads still killing me. But now my feet ached and the soles burned. On the hiway overpass I got that "Oh, great I think I'm gonna throw up" feeling. Am I dehydrated? Overhydrated? Sunburned? And, why is there a knot in my left calf? That's never happened before. Ouch, that live rock band hurts my ears. (And I'm a former head banger.) Ahh, a simple high school band. That's more like it.

The last quarter was the worst. Except for Baby Ruth upon entering Studios. That was nice. Tasted good, too. Oh, didn't throw it up. Good sign. More Tylenol and bio freeze. I started crying when I saw my family by our BW villa at 24.5(?). Cried more when I saw them at Beach Club and coming on stage by England and then cried all the way to the finish.

Cried when I got my Mickey.
Cried when I got my tangerine.
Cried when I got my water.
Blubbered when I got my Goofy.

My family wanted to high-five me, hug me, take pictures. All I could do was say "I want to go home. I want to go home." (meaning back to the villa.) Everything hurt. Still kind of nauseous. Too tired to peel the tangerine. (DH, the saint, did it for me.) Medals too heavy to wear. :sad1:

And then DH did the nicest thing of all. He got a taxi to take us back to the Boardwalk. :love2: I think he could tell I was in no condition to walk that last mile back through Epcot. Best $10 he ever spent, IMO.

Back at the villa, I spent about 20 minutes just lying still and sipping something. Eventually I HAD to put my burning feet in icy water, which felt really good for 10 mins and led to filling the whole tub so my body/muscles could cool off. By 2:00 pm I was in the shower, by 2:30 I had a sandwich and a whole can of Pringles. Napped a little while we watched the Colts lose, then we were off to the airport.

By this point I was feeling 60%/70%. Even so, I was not looking forward to our flights home: 7:01 MCO --> 9:30 Atlanta --> 11:00 BWI.

So, imagine my delight when we get to our gate and find the flight before ours is direct to BWI. DH came through again and managed to get us switched to this flight. We got the last 4 seats and landed at 8:10 pm, way ahead of schedule. At home and in bed by 9:30. Hallelujah.

This morning I feel really good. Teensy stiff, but nothing that gets in the way of my normal routine.

There was one thing that happened to add insult to yesterday's injury: My Garmin is missing. I know I took it off for my shower. I know I packed it and the charger in its little ziploc. But, I can't find it anywhere. :sad1: :sad2: I fear it's gone, left back at the villa someplace. On the bed? Kitchen counter? Who knows? I called BWV lost and found, but they didn't have it. I'm heartbroken.

ETA: See pics in post #22, below.

[nepatsfan73]

Great job Kelley and thanks for the report. Sounds like DH came through with a few "little" things that, given the time and place, were BIG. Kudos to him and your family as well for their support. :thumbsup2

[nepatsfan73]

Richard--Congrats on your Houston run. Glad the event was well organized and your 2nd best time ain't nothing to sneeze at (unless, of course, for someone who has only run two races).

[TnTsParty]

Thanks for the report Kelly. Hope you find that Garmin. I can imagine how upset you must be loosing that. Hopefully it will turn up. Great job finishing the Goofy. What a great DH you have for making all those "little" things come through for you.

Richard - Congrats on finishing the Houston half marathon - sounds like you had PERFECT weather. A 2nd best PR isn't bad - you still had a great time. And it sounds like the atmosphere was great for a good time as well. That always helps I am sure!!

[MouseDogMom]

Richard - Great job on your half. If you couldn't be in Disney, sounds like a good place to be!

Kelley - Even though I only did the half on Saturday, I hurt with you as I read. I had some of those same emotions after the event. I love that your DH came through for you and did everything to make it better. Great job on finishing both events. I have my fingers crossed that the Garmin is in the luggage somewhere.

Jackie

[KelNottAt]

Some photos to go along with my report (Post #17).

Me passing by the Boardwalk Villas, along the canal (mile 24):

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/747/43319Mile_24-5_crop.jpg

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/747/43319by_the_canal_crop.jpg

Inspiration/motivation hugs from the kids (also mile 24)

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/747/43319Hugs_crop.jpg

Back at the villa, cleaned-up, and finally wearing my medals:

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/747/43319cleaned_up_crop.jpg

[TnTsParty]

Kelley - So AWESOME seeing the pics - especially the one of your kids giving you hugs and encouragement!! I am sure that was just what you needed to get through those last 2.2 miles!!

[hoosmi]

Hey kids-

Just got back from Disney! This is a short report- I need to download my pictures and my little one is screaming at me, so don't have much time. Still, here's the basics:

Half was soooo fun! WISH team support was wonderful. I took a ton of pictures, but ran a little faster than planned (about 2:13).

Full- so, I'm with Kelley- it was hard! I realized in the first half mile that my left IT band hurt (it's always been my right before). Again, the WISH support was great! I ended up ok, but I used a lot of Biofreeze and was pretty nervous. I ran into Bree somewhere before the Magic Kingdom, and Cecilia/Cruella. I lost Bree while I was taking pictures and hung with Cecilia and her girls she was mentoring. Somewhere outside MK Bree and I found each other again- we stuck together for the last 16 miles or so! That was really great. I never even listened to my iPod- we just ran, chatted, walked, wished for Diet Cokes, etc, all the way to the finish (around 5:40ish). Saw a bunch of WISHers as I was walking back to the hotel- they were looking strong!

Kelley- I went with the Butterfinger, and it was fabulous!

OK, must deal with baby- will post more soon!

Jen in Ga



Can't walk today!

[angietuck2]

Congratulations to EVERYONE THIS WEEKEND AND ALL OF YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :cool1:

I am living vicariously through my family this weekend, so I hope you will let me post a little report for them.

DH & DS-11 did 5K -- THEY ROCKED :banana: DS-11 first race ever, he was scared to death, and oh yeah one running shoefor DS "somehow fell out of suitcase" when DH was packing it up --- soooo he wore mine, only a size and 1/2 too big:confused3 Well DS was a really good sport and they did great, about 35 minutes!! Here they are at finish:
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p275/angietuck2/100_0804.jpg

Next was kid's races for DS - 8. That also had a little fiasco where he lost a shoe right after start and had to run against 100 sprinting 7 to 8 year olds, I thought he would fall into a heap crying but instead he put it on and BOOKED to finish line. GO SETH GO :yay: I told him that i was very proud of him for not giving up and he spoke words of great wisdom, he said: "MOM YOU NEVER GIVE UP EVEN IF YOU ARE IN LAST BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN, YOU MIGHT END UP IN FIRST" :sad: VERY PROUD MOM :flower3: Here he is PROUD OF HIMSELF:
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p275/angietuck2/100_0808.jpg

Then the 1/2 , DH did 2:05 which was great :dance3:
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p275/angietuck2/100_0814.jpg

I had so much fun cheering on all the WISH ers and everyone else on Sunday!!!

You guys are awesome.

angie

[andromedaslove]

OK... well I don't have alot of time on the computer this morning.... so I am gonna try and make this quick!! I had an absolutely amazing time this weekend. I loved running the 5k with Michael. He did so awesome!! The first half he kept asking .... Mom can we walk.... but the last half he was running like a little mad man out there. I mean sprinting for as long as his little legs would take him, and then stopping just long enough to catch his breath before he started running again. I am so proud of him!!

Friday night I didn't make it to the Pop meet. We had to get to the A-T dinner and had a really good time there. Michael immediately become shy and started talking to his feet whenever anyone tried to talk to him, but it was fun. I got to meet the Mom of the little girl who's team we were on, and that was wonderful. Poor thing she started crying and I almost lost it right then and there. They are such wonderful people and I can't wait to help them again. I did get to meet ANGIE (and her family) there, which was awesome!!

Sunday was amazing... I got to meet a ton of WISHers .... and even had some WISH friends to talk to before the start of the race!! Which was wonderful, because last year I stood by myself the entire time!! My pace was awesome for the first 8-9 miles, but I had to make a potty stop in Magic Kingdom which put me behind. My final time was 4:23:08!!! I am REALLY proud of this year's time. I can tell that I left everything out on the course, because I can barely walk even today!! And it's a huge improvement over last year's.... 5:49:40

This Year-
5 Mile 45:17
10 Mile 1:31:23
Half Split 2:03:35
20 Mile 3:16:08
Chip Time 4:23:08

Last Year -
5 Mile Split 58:10:00
10 Mile Split 1:54:51
Half Split 2:38:29
20 Mile Split 4:20:04
Chip Time 5:49:40

So I shaved 1:26:32 off of last year's time!! YAY!!

Ok... I gotta run... clothes to wash and house to clean. I'll try and pop in again later with a full race report!!

Dana

[gatorphipps]

WTG everyone! It is AWESOME to read all the reports.

Dana - that is huge girl! Taking that much time off of your marathon. You worked so hard and should be proud!

Angie - WTG to your DS and DH!

Jen in Ga - Bree said she ran with you! WTG on the great finish.

Kelley - I know it was hard, but you finished!:cool1: Love the pictures!

I know I missed tons of people but gotta go!

[KelNottAt]

The Disney Magic lives!

Housekeeping found my Garmin and Lost & Found will mail it to me!

Yippee!!:cool1: :banana: :cheer2:

[princessrunner]

YAY KELLEY!! :woohoo:

[hoosmi]

Christa- I did run with Bree! Hello, lifesaver. We were together something like the last 16 miles. It was very cool. I've written my race report on the half, but the full may take awhile- I've got lots of pictures to add!

Kelley- :cheer2: So glad you'll have your information to plug in!

Dana- wow!

Jen in GA

[getnthinr]

More later, but I'm at work now and this week will be hectic so it might be a couple of days.

First, I cannot say enough about all the wonderful WISH support! Oh my gosh!!!!!! How can I thank you for that?!?!?! How can I express my deep gratitude for the wonderful feeling you gave me time and again that someone "out there" actually cared whether I made it?!?!?! I love you guys! I loved seeing you laughing and smiling and cheering and always being just around every corner. You really have NO IDEA how much that lifts the spirits when you are tired and hot and running behind schedule. You stayed out there even for me -- way at the end. I am all teary just thinking back about it. You are real heroes because you unselfishly gave support, time, and energy when there was nothing in it for you. I am humbled by your generosity of spirit.

I finished the marathon just under the wire. I finished the half a bit earlier. I finished the 5K a LOT, LOT, LOT better timewise. (No character photos! :rotfl2: )

To give you some idea of a Wendy-style marathon... I stopped for about 6-8 character photos and a diet coke on the course. :rotfl: PRs are not high on my list of priorities for these races! I saw a million WISHers on the course -- some passed me, some I passed -- all offered affection and encouragement. My standout encounters during the race were with Matt and his Minnie/princess, who kept leapfrogging me until they blasted past me in EPCOT headed to the finish line and into the proverbial sunset. It's funny how folks you've never met before in person suddenly seem like your best friends -- I enjoyed them so much! (Matt, if you read this -- I'm the "serious walker"!)

I'll have photos and details later. Just wanted to pass on the love I received this weekend. I am forever in the debt of so many of you -- I hope I can encourage someone else as you all encouraged me. :hug:

I'm officially Goofy-cubed now! (I completed my third Goofy and have already signed up for my fourth in 2009! Yahoo!)

[Cruella de mom]

WOW!! That was so much fun!!

The half
Met a whole bunch of WISHer's at the start and hung around getting to meet people. Then I headed to my corral and found Howard, Lynne, Steve, and Kevin. When they told me what they were planning to do for the half I was like "what am I doing up here?!" and sure enough when we started moving it didn't take long before they were out of sight.

At the second water stop, I got hit by another runner trying to get to the powerade. I had to catch myself to avoid falling and ended up hurting my knee with the manuever. I ran the next 3 miles thinking that I might not be able to finish the half much less run the full. But I got distracted by the crowds and before I realized it, my knee wasn't hurting any more.

My garmin wasn't charged so it gave up by mile 1. The only way to judge my pace was by the clocks at the mile markers. I have never run a race that I didn't push myself to the tip of my endurance so I was really struggling to keep my pace steady. It seemed like the entire race was passing me. I told this to my coach when I saw him at mile 11 and he laughed and assured me I was way up in the pack.

Right before mile 12, my mentor from last year tapped me on the shoulder and said "lets go." I raced with her to the finish line and it felt SO good to finally push myself! I ended up finishing in 2:13:13. About 17 minutes ahead of schedule but I felt fantastic!

My sisters did exactly like I asked them and rushed me back to the hotel and into an ice bath. 40 pounds of ice for 20 horrible minutes!!! Luckily, they stayed with me and told me jokes and let me complain. Then we took of to Hollywood Studios for rides on the Rock & Roll Roller Coaster and lunch at the Brown Derby. I left them at the park to join my team for dinner at Wolfgang Puck's on the Westside then straight to bed by 8pm.

The Marathon
Today was all about getting my girls through the marathon. I had 4 women and 4 men that I was supposed to help get to the finish line. By mile 10, I had 2 left with me that desperately needed me to get them to the finish. I was trying to pull them up to an 11 minute mile but by mile 13 things were unraveling fast.

One girl couldn't run anymore and I and the other girl could not walk for more than a minute or two. I tried dancing, running backwards, skipping, marching. Finally, I sent the runner on to meet my older sister at mile 16 and I stayed with my injured runner.

I hopped, danced and joked with her all the way to Animal Kingdom. By then, I was almost paniced that she would not be able to finish. Just as we turned into the park, another team mate met us and offered to wak with her. I took off and started notifying the TNT coaches along the way to please check on her.

I walk/ran with Jen and Bree for a few minutes more. Then I saw the time at mile 19. 4 hours. I have never ru 7 miles in under an hour so I knew right then that a sub 5 was gone so I just decided to have fun. If I passed a band, I danced. If I passed an obnoxious comedian, I heckled. If I passed a WISH teammate, I stopped and said hello. I had the best orange slice ever from WISH Screamers at mile 20. I walked with Martha for little while before mile 21. I met up with Dave right before we entered Hollywood Studios. I walked with him for a couple minutes and I think we passed each other several times over the next couple miles.

I tried to talk Mr Incredible into flying me to the finish line. The poor guy tried to stayin charactor but he was laughing. I offered my Donald Medal to a medic if he would give me a lift, he said he'd only do it for the Goofy medal. I decided the price was too steep. I tried to buy a margarita in Mexico but they said I had to come back after I finished.

My big sister met me with .2 miles to go and ran me in to the finish. I high fived all the charactors on the way in and hammed it up for my finish photos. But when they put the Mickey medal around my neck, I felt my throat close up and by the time I made it to the Goofy tent I was pouring tears. I couldn't sob because I couldn't get anything past the huge lump in my throat. I just nodded and tried to smile to the volunteers. I probably looked sick to their eyes.

After all my people made it in, I went back to the hotel for another ice bath, which felt really good this time. It might have been the beers and pizza I had while in the tub. Then we took off in the rain to Epcot. I decided to boycott Mexico and opted for a beer in Canada and wine in England, Japan and France. (stop counting) I left my sisters in Epcot while I went to the TNT Victory Party. My coach insisted I wear all of my medals and I had to show the Goofy Medal to almost everyone. I ended up dancing on my chair with some of my runners. I felt incredible! After the party dwindled down, I took off to Epcot again to meet up with my sisters. We rode Soarin' then enjoyed a couple more beers in Canada while we watched the light show.

I am back home now. I feel great! I can't wait to do it again. I haven't decided if I will do it next year or not. I was thinking of taking a year off but I had so much fun! I can't decide!

[TnTsParty]

WOW WOW WOW is all I can say to all who finished the Goofy!! Well actually to anyone who finished any of the races but WOW the Goofy sounds like a real feat!!! I might have to try it one day - just not in 2009!!! Congratulations!!

[chimera]

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Oh wait, I think that’s been used.

But it’s appropriate in this situation.

We drove up Fri morning with no problems as I-4 had reopened from the horrific accident a couple days before. Went straight to the Expo for packet pickup. DH was excited as this was his first Expo as a runner instead of a spectator. Did some shopping and found Anne, Carrie and Scott. DD15 was sitting up looking down on the Expo floor and was able to spot Anne’s WISH shirt. It was really crowded so I didn’t get to visit many of the booths but all I really wanted was my marathon pin and a shirt. DH got his and we went off to check-in at the Poly for our first visit there.

Got in and got settled in time to head over to Pop for the WISH meet. This is always one of the highlights of marathon weekend. This was my third year with the team and I was constantly amazed at how much we have grown. So many people were there, I don’t think I got to meet everyone (Kevin…how have I missed you 3 years in a row?) There were cowbells, pompoms, clappers and those wonderful backpacks that Karen and John made. It was really great!

My Pop picture is a little off-kilter but this is the team for 2008.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/747/77486IMG_0148a-med.JPG

We ate then left to go back to the room and start settling in for the night. DH wanted to go back to the Expo so we dropped him off on the way and he rode the bus back. One of the best things about staying at the Poly was watching Wishes from the beach which we did 2 out of 3 of our nights there.

Half Marathon

Neither of us slept much that night. DH got up about 2:30 and was out the door a little after 3 for his first half. We were both worried about him...he really hadn’t run much in an effort to heal the shin splints and we weren’t sure if his legs were going to handle the race at all. I went back to sleep after he left and got up about 6. Got ready and went to TTC about 6:35...it was packed! I couldn’t get anywhere near the gate so left and went over to the road by the Poly. It was really early so only the elites were going by. They all look so serious...it doesn’t seem like they’re having much fun.

My first WISHer was Mike who ran by looking fresh as a daisy. I also saw Howard, Lynne and Kevin, Chester, Matt and Cheryl, Cecilia. I got a 5K update on DH so was encouraged that he was moving along. I didn’t get any updates for awhile and was worried he’d had to pullout due to the leg pain. I finally saw him, but he was on the opposite side of the road. He was running with Erin and they both looked great! I packed up and ran back to the Poly to get the kids up and ready to go to EPCOT. I got his 10K update after they passed me at the Poly so figured the updates were about 2 miles behind. Went to the room, helped get the kids ready and we took off for EPCOT. I was afraid we wouldn’t make it after we got the 15K update while on the monorail to EPCOT. The cool part was passing over the runners on the course...we saw Lily and Judy both out there moving along very well.

Once we landed, we went straight to the family area. I was afraid DH had already finished but it still took them awhile to get in. They finished in 2:53:35 with no shin pain at all!

The medal mess at the end was unforgivable. I’m planning to send an email to Disney Sports. Hopefully, third year’s the charm and they’ll be able to pull it together for next year.

We took DH back to Poly to eat and rest, then I took the girls to MK for awhile. I was trying not to walk much, but we got to do a few rides, including WT’s new fave, the Haunted Mansion.

Full Marathon

I actually got some sleep the night before which is really unusual for me. Usually I sleep about 2 hours then just lie awake waiting until a reasonable time to get up and ready for the race. I got out the door at about 2:45 and realized how warm it was. Found out later, 67 degrees with 94% humidity. I went to the monorail. Doors were locked...they said they weren’t letting anyone on the trains until 3am so I sat down to wait a few minutes. Caught the monorail to TTC, then waited for the train to EPCOT. Next thing I saw was the lime green monorail pulling up to take up over to EPCOT...I figured that must be a good sign!

I got there and walked to the start and found Dana and Bill near the baggage claim. We went through and found a bunch of WISHers already assembled, so sat down. I was really nervous and spent most of the morning babbling so apologies to all of you that had to listen to me at that hour. I was really surprised at how quickly they moved us into the corrals. I hadn’t even started my potty ritual yet when they opened the gate. Jen and I got lined up in corral G where some WISHers were already waiting. It all seemed to go by pretty fast. Before I knew it, we were standing up, moving up and getting ready for the start.

We started off pretty well, got to see the WISHers at the first water stop (thanks for being there!) but I had to make an unscheduled potty stop in EPCOT so we hit the Odyssey before we got routed back out. I felt pretty good, but the humidity was brutal and I felt pretty damp by mile 3. We got to MK...hope the castle pictures turned out well! I was feeling pretty hot, wet and sweaty by then. I had packed an extra shirt for DH to have outside the Poly and was looking forward to changing. When we got there, I discovered I’d only packed a long sleeve tech shirt, not a short sleeve or tank...AAARRRGGHH. So, since I’d already taken off my WISH shirt, I just left it off and carried it...without putting on sunscreen. Oops.

I have a wall I always hit between miles 12 and 14 and it was there just like always for me. A lady ahead of us said she thought the next water stop had bananas and oranges, but we got there and only bananas. Really a shame...the oranges sounded so good and I craved one the whole way.

Jen and I kept up some sort of interval until about mile 15, then abandoned all pretense of running. I was pretty firmly in the BMZ by then. (Sorry Jen...I always seem to be the anchor you drag along in these races). We walked the rest of the way, hot sweaty with aches and pains I didn’t remember from training. My ankle started going somewhere in there. It’s weird, it doesn’t hurt until I stop, slow down or the terrain changes, but I can tell when it’s gone. I have to keep going at that point because stopping means it tightens up and doesn’t bend again until it’s good and ready.

I think the section between MK and AK was the hardest. Nothing to see, only generators with speakers playing random song snippets. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to stop, check into a medical tent and tell them it just wasn’t worth it. Thank goodness for Jen or I don’t know if I would’ve finished. Getting to AK helped...by then we were craving ice cold drinks. There were tons of photographers in AK which I didn’t want to see at that point. We got through and headed out on our way to WWOS and MGM. There were lots of characters along that way which helped.

It was great seeing Ann and Heather at the turnaround. Ann gave us ice which was fabulous ! We saw some WISHers on both sides of the turnaround and headed to MGM. I kept telling myself if we could just get to MGM, I knew we could finish because there’d be stuff to see then WISHers close by to keep us going. Just knowing you guys were out there waiting for us was huge!

Kim, I do remember seeing you at the water stop...sorry I wasn’t coherent enough to say hi. I think Vic joined us somewhere around there. We kept plugging along, I think all three of us were hurting. I kept thinking about what Lynne said before the race started...pain is temporary, pride is forever. Somehow that helped, knowing that I could gut out the pain and get through the rest. I also kept thinking of (is it Robert or Dave’s quote)...relentless forward motion. Toward s the end, I think I was just on autopilot.

I teared up when I saw Kathy, Jen and Erin outside MGM, then again when DD15 ran up to me outside BWV and walked with me for awhile. DH was there with WT and I saw them but was afraid to stop for long. I knew if the forward motion ceased I was a goner. It was sooo cool seeing more WISHers outside BCV...knowing you guys would be there was huge. We got to EPCOT and about halfway around WS, saw the big black cloud hanging over SE and heard the thunder crack. I was so afraid WDW would pull us off the course, I think I started going faster. The CM’s kept saying almost there, but it wasn’t nearly almost enough for me. We came around SE and saw Jen’s family, then came to the choir, then the chute to the finish. Jen and Vic ran it in...I finally got up enough to run and some guy stopped dead in front of me to take a picture of 2 girls crossing the finish line. So my finish photo may show me wiping out some random dude. I made it just under regulation 6:58:09.
Got my medal but didn’t stick around for a photo due to the incoming storm. I saw Carrie at the end then went to find the fam. DH brought crutches, I took off my shoes (aaaahhhh...such relief) and put on my ankle brace. The wind was kicking up so we packed up the kids and headed to the bus. Driver dropped us at TTC to take the monorail or walk back to Poly. We got to TTC and the rain opened up so we waited until it slacked off to head out. I actually felt okay except the bottom of my feet and ankle hurt. We finally got back to the room. The fam went downstairs to get lunch while I got in the shower. It felt really great until I almost passed out. I had to sit down in the shower, turned off the water and wait it out, thinking I couldn’t walk well enough to get to the phone in the other room and call for help. But it passed eventually. I think it was lack of food...I usually drink chocolate milk and eat right after a LR, but in the race to get out of the storm, only had part of a tangerine.

Boardwalk Bakery was great next day! I’ve never been able to go before as we usually leave on Sunday so this was a real treat. Unfortunately, the cold weather everyone had hoped for arrived. It was pretty frigid out there! Got to see everyone, heard some war stories and got another picture before we left.

http://photopost.wdwinfo.com/data/747/77486IMG_0174a-med.JPG

Can’t wait to do it all again next year!

Apologies for the length if you’re still reading, bless you! So many things happen on marathon weekend...it’s just amazing!

[Cruella de mom]

Mel - Great job! I love reading all the details! I can not believe how determined you must have been to continue on in so much pain. And you did it! Hang that Mickey Medal up where you can enjoy it all day.

Cecilia

[Big Vic]

Welllll, I had a plan, and to be honest, I thought I was adequately trained and ready to tackle the marathon. Guess I was wrong.

Wakeup time was 0200 as Marilyn was working at Waterstop #2 Red. She was up and out of the room by 0245. I got up when she left, made a pot of coffee and turned the weather channel on. 63 degrees and 100% humidity, oh goody!

Got my gear together and was out the door by 0330. Met Colleen (Princessmomma/Theta) at the bus stop and we rode the bus to the staging area.

I was suffering from WWHA (Walking With Head up A_s) as I watched Colleen walk into the tent to check her bag and never come back. I forgot everyone had to walk through the tent to get to the runner’s area. I figured it out when I read the sign I was leaning against. :rolleyes1 However, I did have the honor of meeting Cecilia (Cruella de mom) while I was standing there. Cecilia, it was nice meeting and talking with you. Once I got my stuff together I walked through the tent, found the rest of the WISHers, and hung out for a bit.

The walk to the corrals was uneventful. Dana and I had a nice conversation on the ½ mile trek. Got into Corral E and found Wendy and her brother Ken. We talked back and forth until race start.

http://members.cox.net/earnhardt03/marathonstart011308.jpg

0600 the race starts and we’re off. From what I can remember I hit the timing mats around 2 – 2.5 minutes later. I decided to run 3 minutes and walk 2 and set my Garmin for that interval.

I concentrated on not going out too fast and settled into a comfortable pace prior to the 1 mile mark. All was good. Made it to Waterstop #2 and saw all of our WISH volunteers. THANK YOU!! The run through Epcot was uneventful.

Taken from the overpass. Hey GaJen!

http://members.cox.net/earnhardt03/helen011308.jpg

No marathon would be complete without cheerleaders. :)

http://members.cox.net/earnhardt03/cheerleaders.jpg

Made it to MK and saw our WISH scream teamers for the first time. Kathy, thanks for licorice twists! They REALLY tasted good! The run through the MK was wonderful, and I hope the pictures outside of the castle turn out ok.

Met up with these two in Frontierland.

http://members.cox.net/earnhardt03/mkbears.jpg

When I hit mile 13 it was like I had never trained as I pretty much started to fall apart. Feet, knees and ankles hurt, and I could feel a blister starting on my left foot. However, we continued to soldier on. Played leapfrog with Matt and Cheryl from there until just before hitting MGM.

The trek through AK was uneventful.

http://members.cox.net/earnhardt03/akeagle.jpg

http://members.cox.net/earnhardt03/ak.jpg

Thanks to all of our scream teamers for being there. Kristi, I had to jump and act like a fool to get my mind off of the pain. Karen, thanks for letting me walk with you guys for a bit.

All I can say is the trek between AK and MGM is a mutha. I had to stop at the Med tent just before the turnaround to have the blister on my left foot attended to. Anne and Heather, THANK YOU for the wet wash cloth! Man did that feel good! Saw Wendy, Robert, Linda, Dave, Erica, Cam, and Rhonda either coming or going.

Stopped again at the Med tent prior to entering MGM for some Bio-freeze, and that’s where I met up with Mel and Jen. I decided to hang with them until the finish.

We walked and talked through MGM, Boardwalk, and Epcot. Not that we had a whole lot to talk about, but to get our minds off of the pain. I think at one time, coming out of MGM, we were a group of 5 or 6. Thank you to our scream teamers outside of MGM and at the Boardwalk. You guys will never know how much you helped!

As we were walking between China and Mexico IronZ came up to us and introduced herself. IronZ, it was nice to finally meet you. Don’t know why I started to jog. You either inspired me or I was racked with fever. Actually, I’m just a dork. ;) :rotfl:

We made it near the finish and I decided to jog it in. Looking at my official time it shows 7:02:58, so no finisher’s certificate. But, I don’t really care. I survived my first marathon. Not sure yet if it will be my only one. I told Marilyn she had permission to kick me square in the butt if I signed up for another one. I just may have to take that butt kickin.

Post race. Thanks for all those that hung around reception area. I wasn’t all there and I apologize if I wasn’t that talkative. I kept looking at the weather and wanted to get to the car before the skies opened up. Colleen, I owe you apology for not offering you a ride to the resort. That was very rude of me.

I’m currently nursing silver dollar sized blisters on the balls of each foot. They hurt like a mutha. This is the first time I’ve ever had blisters while running. I wore the same shoes and socks as I did in training. Not sure what happened.

All-in-all, we had a great time. Can’t wait for ToT.

[hoosmi]

Hey Vic-

You thought that was Helen from the overpass, but it was me!! I was so excited to see you up there- I have a blurry, tiny picture of you that I'm putting in my race report! I really don't know why I didn't just stop moving so I could get a better picture- I am such a dork. ;)

I'm with you on the pain. I'm still walking with my left leg totally stretched out- no bending of the knee or my IT band screams! And you're right, the Twizzlers and washcloth were great-

For all of you at the Boardwalk Bakery meeting- I'm soooo jealous. Harry woke everyone up really early, and my DH was obsessed with hitting the road. I tried to linger as long as I could, and did actually trick everyone into going to the Bakery, but I was too early. It was cold and my leg hurt, so I accepted defeat and left. Had I known such a big group was coming (including Bree who I lost after the finish when we'd been together for something like 16 miles:rolleyes1 Sorry Bree- I think the delirium took over!) I would have just parked my miserably body in a chair and refused to move!

Jen in GA

[Maherae]

Vic!!! What a great job!! You actually stopped for pictures!!! :cool1: CONGRATULATIONS!!

hoosmi/Jen, Thanks for straightening him out on the picture! :lmao:

[Big Vic]

Hey Vic-

You thought that was Helen from the overpass, but it was me!! I was so excited to see you up there- I have a blurry, tiny picture of you that I'm putting in my race report! I really don't know why I didn't just stop moving so I could get a better picture- I am such a dork.

Thanks for straightening me out. Maybe I was racked with fever earlier than I thought. :rotfl:

[deekaypee]

I'm still trying to process everything from the weekend. It was my first 1/2, my first marathon, my first Goofy! It was really enjoyable and my only regret was that I didn't take advantage of all the experiences--the photo ops, the conversations, the sights--as much as I wanted. I guess I was too nervous about pace/time.

THE 1/2
I did better than expected on the half, with a chip time of 2:53:18. I'd anticipated a 3:00-3:15 finish, and I was surprised at how great a difference the race adrenalin made, especially at the start. I deliberately slowed down because I knew I had to last not only through the 1/2 but have energy left over for the full. Heck, I should have used that time to talk with folks more, but again...first race, big anxieties. My only problem with the 1/2 was that I ended up with small blisters and hot spots, same as with my training.

THE FULL
I knew to expect the blisters, but they had an effect on my full, as did the humidity. I also made the classic beginner's mistake--I didn't stick with the plan. I'd run with a WISH shirt & my fuel belt in training for the LRs, but switched to another tech shirt for Sunday because of the weather. It turns out the weight/friction of the WISH shirt was what kept my fuel belt from riding up on me (I wear it on my hips).

So between blisters, the fuel belt slippage, and the humidity, I didn't do as well as I hoped based on the 1/2. I ended up walking most of the time, shifting greatly from my 3/2 WR. I finished in 6:27:12. I know, I know, I'd planned on finishing between 6 & 7 hours, but the 1/2 gave me what I began referring to as "the burden of expectation." I started thinking about the race I "could have" done, not the race I was capable of doing on that day, for those conditions. The mindset unfortunately interfered with me maximizing my pleasure with the marathon. Oh, well, I'll just have to try it again next year, right? :rotfl:

HIGHLIGHTS: WISHERS, YOU'RE THE BEST!!!
My highlights included seeing (from afar) many Scream Team WISHers, eyeballing WISHers on the course, and exchanging some brief conversations with some of you. I even enjoyed leapfrogging with a few of you. Thanks for the encouragement, the conversations, the inspiration to all of you. I'm afraid I was too anxious to retain names, but I was the chick in the blue Tortoise (um, that's me) & the Hare race shirt, with a blue bandana. If I saw or talked to you, please know how much your presence meant to me.

Other highlights:

Seeing all the characters (even if I didn't get my photo taken) and seeing runners pick up the pace just to get their picture taken with them.
The many friendly exchanges with spectators of all kinds. Just their presence was appreciated, but the oranges, Twizzlers, pretzels, and goldfish???? I couldn't believe the generosity of their time and spirit. I was and am humbled by it.
I kept my sense of humor, which I was worried would disappear once the sun came out. When I saw the runner at mile 24 with the Goofy medal, saying "This is what you're running for," I replied, "Hmm, I don't think I like them. I'm going home." And I turned around as if I was headed back. At the med station at the finish, I asked for a bag of ice and psychiatric exam. It turns out that humor is my most consistent coping strategy.


Things I'll do differently next year:

First, I'd like to move from a WR to a R. I've never thought of myself as athletic, let alone a runner. WISH has made me believe otherwise.
Less concentration on time, more on the experience. Now that I KNOW I can finish--which at times I doubted--I'd like to spend more time on the course & enjoy being in the moment more, with less concentration on the next mile marker.
Being a member of the Scream Team/volunteering next year. I really appreciated it, more than I could have imagined, and want to give back to the community that helped me complete my first races!
Finally, most importantly, I'd like to spend time with and get to know you all. This year didn't go as planned in so many ways. My DH got a new job, we relocated across the country, and we'd been trying to settle into a new life. Plus, this trip shifted from a "given" to a "maybe" to a "don't think we can do it with everything going on." Then the weekend was back on & became a week with my ILS! So I was unable to attend WISH events because I was with my DH and his parents. Still,l I really valued what little time I had to spend with you all, and have promised myself that next year will be different!!!!


Last note: I'm already tempted by the Goofy, who would have thought? But DH and I are thinking of going Goofy every other year just to maintain some balance in the training/social life, especially during the holidays. So 1/2 or full? Hmmmm...:scratchin

[TnTsParty]

Congrats Debra on your first marathons and to think you went Goofy and all!!! I think if I were you I would do the full - at least you KNOW you can do it and have fun while doing it!!

[wfloyd]

Vic - The official cutoff time was 7:10 so you should be getting your certificate. From what I remember in the past, if you have an official time posted then you get a certificate. It is when you don't have an official time listed that you don't get the certificate.

Bill

[Big Vic]

Vic - The official cutoff time was 7:10 so you should be getting your certificate. From what I remember in the past, if you have an official time posted then you get a certificate. It is when you don't have an official time listed that you don't get the certificate.

Bill

Cool. Shows you how much I know. :rolleyes1 :lmao:

Thank you, sir.

[Kristi1357]

Vic - The official cutoff time was 7:10 so you should be getting your certificate. From what I remember in the past, if you have an official time posted then you get a certificate. It is when you don't have an official time listed that you don't get the certificate.

Bill
Really? I might be getting a certificate then? :yay:
I was surprised that I have an official finishing time since I was over 3:30.

[andromedaslove]

The walk to the corrals was uneventful. Dana and I had a nice conversation on the ½ mile trek.


How can you say our trek was uneventful?! Didn't you see me throw that woman's camera at her?! Bet she'll think twice before asking someone to take a picture of her, huh?! I really enjoyed the walk over with you!!

Dana

[Big Vic]

How can you say our trek was uneventful?! Didn't you see me throw that woman's camera at her?! Bet she'll think twice before asking someone to take a picture of her, huh?! I really enjoyed the walk over with you!!

Dana

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

Forgot about that.

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

[getnthinr]

Vic, loved your report and the photos -- I still want that great start photo! It was great seeing you all through the course.

I’m currently nursing silver dollar sized blisters on the balls of each foot. They hurt like a mutha. This is the first time I’ve ever had blisters while running. I wore the same shoes and socks as I did in training. Not sure what happened.

Yeah, what is up with that?!?!?!? I've got the same problem! The balls of my feet are badly blistered -- and I did nothing more (or less) than I have done on any other marathon. I've got them taped now and I'm beginning to wonder if they'll be healed for the half I have scheduled in February. I've never had blisters this large and painful before. I feel your pain -- literally!

Congrats on your marathon and on that mondo medal!

[Big Vic]

Vic, loved your report and the photos -- I still want that great start photo! It was great seeing you all through the course.



Yeah, what is up with that?!?!?!? I've got the same problem! The balls of my feet are badly blistered -- and I did nothing more (or less) than I have done on any other marathon. I've got them taped now and I'm beginning to wonder if they'll be healed for the half I have scheduled in February. I've never had blisters this large and painful before. I feel your pain -- literally!

Congrats on your marathon and on that mondo medal!

Wendy, right back at ya!

The only thing I can think of, with regards to the blisters, overly sweaty feet Vs. thick socks Vs. loose shoes. If I would have had any prior indication that might happen, I would have went a different direction between socks and shoes.

[ironz]

Big Vic...nice to meet ya!! I was already on my 2nd margarita, I think, by then. I had a blast cheering out there....glad I spurred you on to jog a bit.

To anyone else, if you saw a loud chick in Mexico drinking a margarita, shouting, "Go WISHers!" that was me. :woohoo:

Not sure what to tell you about the blisters...it was so warm on Sunday (bad enough on Saturday), you may have had more foot sweat than usual. It happens.

[rosy1020]

Hi Wishers,
Congrats to all of you who made it through the races this weekend. I traveled all the way from Japan so I spent my visit to Disney as a mini family reunion and thus didn't make it out to any WISH events. I saw many of you at various points during the full but I was completely in the zone and didn't stop to say anything. I'm regretting that now but I'm chalking it up to the fact that I did all of my training completely on my own and am not used to actually having people to converse with to pass the time. I did chat with a couple people at various points on the course but for 99.9% of the time, it was just me getting myself through. Fortunately, since I'm used to doing that in training it wasn't too bad.
Ok, now onto the good stuff! The race was AWESOME! I had a vocalized realistic goal of under 5:00 for the full, a more optimistic/push a little harder goal of under 4:45, and a super secret/it'll take a miracle goal of 4:30. Much to my excitement, I finished in 4:39:51 according to the chip time on the results site. :woohoo: Although it was super humid that morning, I felt great, probably thanks to training in super humid Okinawa conditions. I met up with a friend at the start who I worked with on the Disney College Program 5 yrs ago. She runs a bit of a slower pace than I, which was good as it kept me reasonable for the first 6 miles or so. After that she had to take a potty break but I kept going and we never found each other after that. That's ok because the crowds, parks, entertainment, funny fort lauderdale running group dancers with hula skirts kept me entertained and enjoying myself through most of the race. I felt great and was beating my goal pace for almost the entire race. It wasn't until after I left MGM that I started to want to walk. I did take a bit of a walk break there but then picked it up and pushed in to the finished. I def felt tired and left it all out there, so to speak, but for some reason I never hit that wall. I'd hit it in training before and boy was I glad it didn't happen here. I guess the stars were just aligned. It also may be that the flat course really helped because my training over here was all hills, not by choice of course, due to the terrain on our little island. I have to say that I can't believe how quickly the race seemed to go by and I can't believe I'm already back over here in Japan after so many months of anticipation, training, and planning. I def want to do it again next year. There is nothing quite like the feeling while crossing that finish line. I'm paying the price for pushing a bit too hard and have been super sore since the race. I also wore the same shoes and socks as in all of my training yet managed to come away with a humongous blister on my foot. Oh well.
Congrats to you all and thanks for all of your support and advice over the last several months!
Kristin

[getnthinr]

OK, if I wait until I have time to do this it will never happen, so here's the short and sweet, I'm-sure-I've-left-something/someone out Goofy race report.

Wednesday (Thursday early morning) just after midnight I left NC to begin the long drive to FL. I arrived shortly after 1PM (had to stop for groceries for some folks who were flying in, stop for gas, and make one eat-and-shop Cracker Barrel stop). After pre-check-in (the unit wasn't ready), I caught a ride over to the expo with my Disney Dead friends. Made it through all the lines for packet pickup and chip verification and Goofy souvenirs (scored a cool jacket and another set of adorable Mickey/Donald/Goofy race plush figures, as well as a set of race pins), then went outside to pick up the 5K bib and shirt. Caught the bus back to the villa and started organizing for a very early morning.

Friday I had a fun little warmup race with an awesome medal (no character photos, though -- and there are usually some characters hanging around after the 5K), saw a couple of WISHers and a couple of Deads, then headed with my big brother over to the 7-HOUR "Backstage Magic" tour that begins at EPCOT and includes DisneyMGM (or should I say "Disneys Hollywood Studios"?) and Magic Kingdom. The tour was cool and shared a lot about the logistics and technology required to keep all the magic going (the theme of the tour was "it's not the magic that makes things work, it's the work that makes things magic." It was interesting to hear how much emphasis the Disney corporate culture puts on making Disney an escape from the real world -- everything from having tunnels and tubes to invisibly move people, trash, service and safety workers, etc. to landscaping like having a moat (Seven Seas Lagoon) separate the real world from the fantasy world that is the Magic Kingdom. The tour also included lunch, which was orginally scheduled at Mama Melrose's but was changed to Whispering Canyon. I love Whispering Canyon usually, but not the day before two very long races (too much heavy meat), and I was really looking forward to visiting Mama Melroses for the first time, but overall still a good day -- if, perhaps, a bit more time on my feet than I should have scheduled before Goofy. After the tour, I had to race to the Pop Century WISH meet without even returning to my room to change or pick up my camera. (Perhaps the one regret of this trip.)

At Pop Century, several generous WISHers showered us with gifts (you've already heard about the backpacks and green bells and all the other lovely gifts) and hugs and well-wishes. I'm not even going to attempt to call everyone by name, but we did have a huge group -- as the previously posted photos show. Finally I returned to my room to collapse before the "big show" the next day.

Saturday, I actually awoke later than planned and so hardly saw anyone pre-race. My brother and I started the half together, but he warned me that he wasn't running (a bout with PF has hindered his training) and I can walk faster than him (he can run MUCH faster than me), so we planned to stay together through the Magic Kingdom, then go our separate paces. My strongest memory of the half is just outside the Magic Kingdom where I encountered the loudest group of WISHers I'd ever heard screaming my name. I felt like a celebrity!!!! You guys were so awesome that folks kept coming up behind me and congratulating me for having such a supportive "family" -- I was so proud to be one of you! I didn't take a lot of photos during the half, but I did manage to get a couple.

Here's one of brother Ken and me in the MK
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/01pooh.jpg

Here's Capt Jack and crew backstage in MK
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/02pirates.jpg

Here's me at the finish with Mickey and my bling!
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/03finish.jpg

So, the half went well -- I felt fine and finished within the time limit and was so inspired by all the scream teamers. One race down and one to go. (Well, two races down if you count the 5K!)

Next post (from me) -- Part 2: The Marathon!

[rKyDeX]

I had a great weekend:banana:

The Ark arrived at Fort Wilderness at 4:00pm Thursday afternoon with Tracy, the 2 shelties (Hairry and Myndi) and me aboard. We set up camp and headed to the Expo to pick up race packets and check out the goodies. We closed the place down and returned to camp, then grabbed some takeout from Trail's End and welcomed Chet (DS18) from college.

Family Fun 5K
Saturday morning started with a surprise. When we were riding back from the expo on the bus Thursday night, the driver said that the buses would be running through the campground to pick up runners for the Family 5k. He was wrong. I waited with Tracy at the bus shelter from 5:30-6:00am. No bus. We quickly returned to the Ark where I grabbed Chet's car keys, kissed Tracy goodbye and jumped on a bike to pedal a mile up to the parking lot so I could drive over to AK. Just as I was entering the parking lot, the bus to AK was starting to pull out. I whistled at the attendant and he called the driver and stopped the bus. I skidded the bike to a halt, jumped off and climbed on board. Well, at least I got my legs and heart warmed up.

My second warmup came with the walk from the bus drop to the starting area. I checked in my bag and headed to the starting corrals. As I worked my way to the 9:00 - 11:00 mpm corrals, I saw Mike and Kathy, Wendy and Kenneth and 2 other lady wishers whose names now escape me. Sorry.

I really enjoyed the race and the course. I ran at my recovery heart rate pace and averaged 10:11mpm. My favorite memory was when the 3 Flamingo Guys ran past the AK flamingos and shouted out "run free our brethern". I guess you had to be there. My least favorite part were the parents who un-mercifully pushed their young children to run "faster" or "longer" when they were clearly already doing their best. This was supposed to be a "fun" race.

Friday Expo and W.I.S.H. Meet
Tracy, Chet and I headed over to the Expo so Chet could pick up his Goofy wrist band. There we ran into Cam and Howard. Later we were greeted by Colleen and then Anne.

At the W.I.S.H. meet we got to catch up with friends that we met at 2006 DL Half and last year's meet and met some others for the first time in real life. A great time was had by all and the W.I.S.H. backpacks were ingenious. What a great and generous idea. Thanks.

Half Marathon
We awoke at 2:00am just in case there would be a bus fiasco. Luckily there wasn't. We met up with a couple of wishers at the Sm - Z family meet tent and chatted until going through the baggage drop and to the port-o-let prairie. At 5:15am Chet and I headed for our place in corral B.

Just before the start, Chet got a "little rumbly in the tummy" and had to head to the corral port-o-lets. He missed starting with me, and ended up crossing the line 6 minutes later. He eventually caught up with me and then I had to make a pit stop at the Ticket and Transportation Center while he ran ahead.

I put on the cruise control and ran solo until I found Steve just before entering MK. We ran together for a short while until he found some photo oppurtunities. I continued on solo until about a mile out when Chet ran up to me. I thought that he had already finished and was there to cheer me on, but in reality, he had to make an extended pit stop and had just then caught up to me.

We ran to the finish and crossed together. 2:17:57 for me and 2:11:11 for Chet.

I'll have to report on the marathon later

Chester
W.I.S.H. Half-Fast Missing Link Marathon Team

[nucpharm29]

Well, let's just say the marathon itself wasn't so great. DH and I had a great 1st half, just cruising along, enjoying the sights and the scream teamers. Got all teary eyed entering Epcot (the first time) and running down Main Street. Saw Martha, AmyBeth, and Craig as we were running along feeling great. Crossed the 13.1 mat in 2:09. Well, we'll just say that after that the fun ended. Scott started cramping up really bad in Animal Kingdom. He could barely run a block without his calves just seizing up. So, since we run as a team, I stayed with him and we walked most of the second half. Once the 4:30 pacer passed us, I told Scott that we knew we wouldn't finish first and we wouldn't finish last, so let's just try to enjoy ourselves. We did (4:54) and got our Mickey medal. I will say that taking it easy on the second half made recovery much easier. We spent the rest of Sunday at Epcot and all of Monday at Magic Kingdom.

A huge "THANK YOU" to all the scream teamers. You guys made us feel like superstars even when we were at our worst!

[getnthinr]

Sunday was marathon day. I caught a much earlier bus this time and got to say hello to a fair number of Disney Deads and WISHers -- a very pleasant time getting pumped up (and calmed down) together. I realized as the race started that the start of the marathon feels very much to me like the slow climb up to the top of a very high roller coaster. As the countdown to the start began, I felt my heart racing and mammoth butterflies leaping inside my chest -- "10, 9, 8, 7,..." the announcer and the marathoners shouted and then the fireworks and cheering and the whole crowd lurching forward. It took a few miles to get the kinks out, but soon I was walking along in the dark with everyone else.

Again, everywhere there were WISHers who cheered me by name! It was fabulous. I can't remember everyone I saw running the race: Vic, Matt (who kept cheering me along), Diane, and so many others. I couldn't pass up the character photos in the Magic Kingdom.

I'd skipped Chip and Dale during the half the day before because the line for photos was just too long, but today I had to stop.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/04chipdale.jpg

Right before I entered the castle, there was the Wicked StepMother and the Ugly StepSisters -- and they were too cool to pass by as well.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/05wicked.jpg

I met WISHer Diane as we entered the Animal Kingdom and she reminded me that this was not too bad -- a couple of miles, a park, a couple of miles, WWS, a couple of miles, Disney MGM, etc.

Again, the photo with Donald and Daisy at AK was just too cool to skip, so...
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/06donalddaisy.jpg

Next was a photo with Louie and Baloo
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/07louiebaloo.jpg

Finally, as I was leaving the Animal Kingdom, there were Mickey and Minnie. My Minnie photo didn't turn out very well (Minnie had her hand in front of my face, but I'm going to try not to take that personally!), but I did get a cute one with Mickey.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/08mickey.jpg

For the first time in many years there were many characters outside the parks -- Wonderful. I was concerned enough about my pace, though, that I only stopped once.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/09tarzan.jpg

Finally, the homestretch... Disney MGM and my last two race photos: Jessie and Mater.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/10jessie.jpg

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/11mater.jpg

When I saw the WISHers outside Disney MGM, I chanted, "Sidewalk, Boardwalk, EPCOT, and we're DONE!!!!!!" They laughed and cheered and snapped photos of me like I was a celebrity again. I was so happy, I couldn't stop grinning.

Disney Dead Tom was waiting for me on the Boardwalk and commented on my huge grin. I don't know, I guess at that point, I knew I was going to make it. I actually started to jog a bit here and there.

Just as I reached the gospel choir in EPCOT, I saw Lily and I was so emotional that I could not even speak to her. What a blessing it is to be able to walk and run and see a dream unfold right before your eyes for yourself and so many others!!! What a gift that is!

I made it under the clock at 6:54 and change -- official as can be!

By the time I finished, there were no characters or finish line photos -- the lightening had the cast members sending everyone to the buses, so I had to get my bling photo the next day. (Anne, I wore my Dopey pin too!)
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i132/getnthinr/2008Goofy/12goofy.jpg

Thanks so much for an awesome, wonderful, fabulous weekend. I'm already signed up for next year -- and next year I want to be one of the ones bearing cool gifts for all my fellow WISHers. I love you guys!!!

[hockeygirl]

So here is my race report for the full on Sunday, sorry it is so long, but this was my first marathon!!

Sunday, January 13th – THE BIG DAY!!!

I woke up before my alarm went off since I was tossing and turning all night. I got out of bed at about 2:30am and started to get ready. I started to get really nervous at this point. It was so hard to believe that the race was finally here!! I had been waiting over a year for this and the day had finally come!! I got dressed made sure I had everything and headed down to the POP food court to buy a bagel. I got my bagel and then got on the bus a little after 3am to head over to EPCOT. When I got there, it was a ghost town, there was hardly any people around. So much for having to get on a bus at 3….something I learned for next time!! I had brought two garbage bags with me just in case it started to rain or the ground was wet. So, I sat there resting and taking it easy for awhile while I ate my bagel. My mind was all over the place, I was so excited to finally get to do the marathon, but I was so scared that my knees were going to bother me, or I wasn’t going to be able to finish. Around 4am, I saw some of the WISH team and went over to say hi to them. I met Ken, and a few others, it was nice to put some more faces with names, and it helped get my mind off the race. Around 4:30, they opened up the gates and we started to head down to the starting line…YIKES!!!!! This is when I started to get REALLY NERVOUS!!!! Since we were standing right by the gates, we were the first ones down at the corrals. I was in corral D, which was the first corral on the red course. Before heading into the corral, I went to the bathroom one last time before the race. I then went into the corral and since I was so early, I was able to get a spot right in the front!! I sat there with WISHer Ken, it was so nice talking to him before the race and he helped keep my mind off the race a bit! We were right next to the stage and we were close enough to see the people who were there as the emcee’s. As the race got closer, the elite runners and wheelchair athletes started to arrive and it was fun watching them warm-up and get ready for the race. After the national anthem, off went the wheelchair athletes, and I knew I only had about 5 minutes before my journey was to begin!!

At this point, I about broke down in tears thinking about the last year! I just kept telling myself over and over that I could do this and nothing was going to keep me from finishing!!! Out came Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald, and they counted down from 15 to 0….the fireworks went off, and off I went!!!!

My plan before the race was that I was going to jog for 3 minutes then walk for 2 minutes for at least the first half…well I abandoned that plan right away…I am not sure why, but I just did. I felt great, my body felt great, and I mentally felt awesome!!! Off we went on the red course, at the first water stop in the parking lot of EPCOT, we saw the first WISH team group volunteering…this was great!! The encouragement throughout the race from the WISH team was amazing, and something I could not have made it without!!! We entered EPCOT, and I decided to stop for a bathroom break right by Spaceship Earth since there was no line. After that I knew I was in for the long haul. Everything was going great until about mile 3.4 when the two courses merged…it was just WAYYYYYY….. too crowded. People were weaving in and out of people, my feet got stepped on several times, and I nearly fell on my face a few times almost getting knocked over. I was so happy when we got back out onto EPCOT center Dr near the start again, as it thinned out a bit and it was easier to run. I saw DBF Gregg around mile 4 near the water stop, and I knew he would be heading to the TTC to see me next.

We continued on and started the trek towards the MK. The overpass and cloverleaf ramp down onto World Dr. were killer….first of all the overpasses are hills and the exit ramps are all banked which was not easy to run on! As I entered the MK parking lot, I called Gregg on my cell phone to let him know that I would be coming soon, so he knew to look for me. When I got the TTC around mile 9, Gregg was there, and I stopped by him to use the towel I had him bring to dry off a little bit. He took a few pictures of me and I was back out on my way! He was worried about me at that point, but I still felt great…no pain whatsoever!!!! After I left, DBF Gregg headed over to the Polynesian while I headed towards the MK.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/lauriep717/waltdisneyworldmarathonweekend162.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/lauriep717/waltdisneyworldmarathonweekend163.jpg

As we entered the MK, I started to get all choked up….I was fighting back tears! I didn’t want to start crying because I knew I would start hyperventilating if I did so I was fighting it. As I turned the corner and headed up Main St. I was so excited!!! What a sight…..the street is lined with spectators cheering for everyone, it was the coolest thing ever. At this point, WISHer Denny went by me and we passed each other back and forth for about 6 or 7 miles. We headed around Tommorowland, and into Fantasyland, where I stopped for my first couple of character pictures.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/lauriep717/marathonpictures-0016.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/lauriep717/marathonpictures-0015.jpg

We left MK and headed past the Grand Floridian and Polynesian, where I saw Gregg again. I knew I wouldn’t see him again until the finish so I stopped one more time. He was awesome! His encouragment was great and he never doubted that I could do this!! I left him and headed off on what proved to be the hardest part of the race for me. I had jogged the whole way till I got to about mile 14, I had only walked through the water stops. This stretch of the course between the MK and AK is not really scenic at all. At about mile 14, I decided to walk a bit, I just needed a break from jogging. The balls of my feet were starting to hurt, but everything else still felt pretty good. Around mile 15 or 16 (I think), I heard my name from behind and there came WISHers Scott and Amy! I was so happy to see them, as I needed a little boost. I kept up with them as we headed toward AK, but after awhile, I had to slow down a little bit, and off they went. It was fun to run with them for a little bit.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/lauriep717/marathonpictures-0014.jpg

AK seems like a blur to me, I don’t remember much from that section, as it seemed to go by so quickly. I saw a WISHer in AK near Dinosaur who was walking as his knee was bothering him. I hope he made it to the end, I am pretty sure he was in quite a bit of pain. We headed out to the parking lot of AK and around near the front gate, and it was so awesome to see all the spectators. There was a WISH scream team who provided some much needed encouragement, as I knew I would be heading out onto another tough section of the course. Before leaving the AK parking lot, I stopped to get a picture with Mickey!!

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/lauriep717/marathonpictures-0013.jpg

The stretch between AK and MGM was tough, as there is nothing!! I was trudging along alternating between jogging and walking, with no particular pattern at all. I was talking to the people around me a little bit to keep my mind off of things. Along this section, I somehow caught back up with Amy and Scott, but they got going again and that was the last I saw them until the finish. I stopped for another picture and the next thing I knew I was to the out and back section!!

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/lauriep717/marathonpictures-0011.jpg

Along that out and back section, I saw Anne and another WISHer who were handing out wet wash cloths, this was awesome! I was wishing I hadn’t thrown away that sponge they had given us in the AK, so the wash cloth felt great!! I kept it with me until just before the end so I could cool off at ever water stop.

Once I got into MGM, it started to hit me that I was really almost there!!!! I started to get really excited, and I tried to run a little more each mile. I stopped one last time to go to the bathroom in MGM and then knew I was on my way to the finish. MGM went by really quick too, but there was a lot of people cheering in there so that was pretty cool. We exited the front of MGM and started heading to YC/BC. I felt like I started to pick up my pace at this point, although my split times don’t really show that, so I am not sure what happened there, I guess it was just the adrenaline carrying me! I called Gregg one more time and told him that I was at Mile 24 and I would be to the finish soon, he was so excited and told me how proud he was of me, which of course made me start crying, just what I needed at mile 24!! I saw another WISH scream team around mile 24.5, I think it was Angie and Krista, and some others. Again, they were cheering everyone on, it was AWESOME!!!

As I entered EPCOT again, I knew I only had a little over a mile to go. I actually got to see the medal a little before that, and I said to myself…’that medal is awesome’…there was no turning back now, I HAD to get to the end!! I got my last cup of water and headed out into the World Showcase. I jogged most of the way around the world showcase. I called Gregg when I got by the American Adventure and told him I would be there very soon. When I got to China, there was no more walking, I jogged the rest of the way. When I turned the corner to head towards Spaceship Earth, I picked up the pace a little bit. We passed Spaceship Earth and beared right and there was the chior that everyone talked about. Unfortunately, I kind of had them tuned out because I was so excited about getting to the finish. I don’t even remember hearing if they were singing. I came out of the exit and turned the corner and there was the finish!!!!!! It seemed so far away, and I tried with every ounce of energy to speed up but I just couldn’t. I jogged over the finish line and just broke down in tears. Official chip time was 5:28:30. I couldn’t believe I finished and I was so happy that I broke 5:30. At this point, all I wanted was the medal…we headed up further and got the silver blanket, then they cut of the chip and we finally got our medals!!!!! They are awesome!!!

I continued on and there was Scott and Amy near the Goofy finishers area. They had finished a few minutes before me. We talked for a few minutes, then I headed off to find Gregg! I found him and I started crying yet again, as I was so proud of myself and I knew he was so proud of me! We took a few pictures, went to the med tent to get some ice for my knees then we headed back to the hotel.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/lauriep717/waltdisneyworldmarathonweekend181.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj152/lauriep717/waltdisneyworldmarathonweekend180.jpg

[hockeygirl]

Richard--Great job on your half in Houston!

kelley--Congrats on finishing the GOOFY!! That is awesome! loved the race report and I am so glad they found your Garmin! I can't believe you were on an airplane that night...dont' think I could have done that!! Great pics too!!

Jen in GA--WTG on your race! That is great that you had WISHers to run with, that definetely makes the race go quicker.

Angie--It was so nice meeting you and the boys at the TTC on Saturday morning during the half. Your boys are real troopers despite all the shoe mishaps this weekend! Congrats to them and your DH on great races!! And thanks to you for being part of our Scream Team...YOU ROCK!!

Dana-WOW!! What an improvement over last years time, that is awesome!! Glad to hear you had an awesome weekend!

Cecilia--WTG on your half, and an awesome time! Glad to hear you had fun in the full despite not getting the time you had wished for. Sounds like you had an awesome weekend, and especially great times partying on sunday night!!

Mel--Great report! Sorry to hear about your ankle hurting but great job for pushing through and finishing!!

Vic--Great report! WTG on finishing the marathon, and I love the pictures!!

Debra--WTG!! Your first 1/2, marathon, and Goofy in one weekend! That is awesome!! I love your highlights and things to do differently next time!

Kristin--Congrats on a great race! Awesome time..you were flying!

Wendy--GREAT job on your half!! Looks like you had a blast during the full! WTG for finishing the Goofy--you are amazing!

Chester--Great job on the 5k and the half! Sounds like you had a great race.

Stephanie--Great job on your full!! Great time too!

[hoosmi]

I officially just added pictures to my half and full race reports on my blog. I would have put them here but they are way too long (and I didn't know how to paste them:rolleyes1 )

I officially have to go back to real life now. I think doing my race reports took almost as long as the actual races! ;)

I had a wonderful time and can't wait until next year!!!

Jen in GA

http://goinggoofy.blogspot.com/

[ironz]

Awesome reports and pics, everyone!!

A question: It seemed to me during the 1/2 marathon that the characters were not as abundant as in years past...or did I just miss them? Not any on Main Street...a few in Fantasyland and Frontierland, then the pirates backstage and Mary Poppins/Bert by GF.

Maybe I missed them....I wasn't having a great day out there. :rolleyes:

[gsu1988]

Laurie,
I am glad to see that you made it and things went so well for you. It was nice meeting and getting to pass those nervous minutes in the corral with you. I know that this experience is one that you will never forget.

[Cruella de mom]

I loved your marathon report Jen!

I would never have known you were hurting during the full if you hadn't told me. Every time I saw you, you had a big smile on your face.

My legs are still reminding me that I abused them this weekend but I wouldn't say they are sore. This feels NOTHING like my first marathon, which was just plain painful. So just think about how great you will feel next year!

Cecilia

[mkymsehi]

Congratulations to everyone who ran the 5K, half marathon, and full marathon.

Marcia and I completed the Donald Duck half in 2:31, then the Mickey Mouse Full in 5:33, and earned our Goofy.

We saw a lot of WISHers out there, but had no idea who was who. Sorry, but we had no clue there was going to be WISHer group activities. Bummer, because we were staying at the Pop Century. Oh well, next time.

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg92/mkymsehi/100_7243.jpg

See you all at the Disneyland Half in August, 2008.

mkymsehi
mushu pork

[mkymsehi]

here's my blogspot

(mkymsehi.blogspot.com)

Aloha,
Jeff

[Big Vic]

Jeff - :welcome:

Please join us here WISH Walking/Running Club (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1693264)

A shirt order will occur in about a month or so.

[angietuck2]

Jeff :welcome: Just like Vic said, join us on our weekly training thread it's lots of fun.

angie

[mkymsehi]

Aloha all,

Just wanted to fill you in that I train regulary with the Honolulu Marathon Clinic, founded by Dr. Jack Scaff. Dr. Scaff is one of the founders of the Honolulu Marathon.

If anyone is coming over to run the Honolulu Marathon and need trip advice, just drop me a line.

Here is our clinic website:
http://honolulumarathonclinic.org/2008/01/01/2007-honolulu-marathon/

Aloha and happy running/walking everyone. See you all at the Disneyland Half in August, 2008!

Jeff

[getnthinr]

I officially just added pictures to my half and full race reports on my blog. I would have put them here but they are way too long (and I didn't know how to paste them:rolleyes1 )

I officially have to go back to real life now. I think doing my race reports took almost as long as the actual races! ;)

I had a wonderful time and can't wait until next year!!!

Jen in GA

http://goinggoofy.blogspot.com/

Jen, I am still catching up on race reports and finally got to visit your blog -- WOW! Loved the photos!!! :thumbsup2 I had to laugh when I saw your comments about me. I do seem to do a lot of races, don't I? Be careful, those race dates will start to sneak up on you and soon you'll be doing just as many as me! :rotfl:

Congratulations!!!

[mkymsehi]

.