When we last left off, I had barely made it past the mile 9 time check, had a pebble in my shoe, was needing to use a bathroom desperately, and was feeling kind of sick to my stomach over Mountain Berry Clif Shot Bloks. (It still makes me quesy just thinking about it!)
But I was still out there, still pushing on. I remember trying to force my brain to ignore those things, and just focus on moving with as much speed as possible. I was beginning to question my ipod-less choice. The stretches of highway weren't terribly exciting, and there wasn't any entertainment going on in the middle of the roads any longer. I don't know if they had already started clearing out, or if there had never been any. Nevertheless, it was getting a bit tedious. I was getting tempted to dig out the ipod for a bit of extra push.
Luckily shortly after the mile 9 pick up spot the course turned into the Hollywood Studios.
The site of it made me so happy. Stuff to look at! I hadn't really studied the course map very well before the race, but I knew that I'd be spending a good deal of time inside of DHS. Just about 3 miles as it turned out.
Sorry again about the picture quality!
We entered in through a backstage entrance right behind the Tower of Terror. I don't know if I've ever been so happy to see my favorite ride! For me it was a welcoming beacon that maybe I could do this. There were a few cast members around trying to cheer as much as they could for the little group of rag-tag racers. I appreciated every one of them that were still there at that ungodly hour of the morning. I know that most of them would have preferred to have been anywhere else.
After passing by the Tower we headed up Sunset Boulevard towards the hat. I'd wave to the cast members out on the road and tried to say thanks. I don't know if I can ever express how good it felt to have even a few people out there rooting for me. I don't know why, but it really helped. I was curious about the time, but kept going keeping one eye for the someone coming to pull me off of the course. When we had entered the park I had seen the cops on bikes, but they had disappeared, and for the most part it was just the last of the racers and the CM's.
Just after passing the hat was mile marker 10. My mind was just focusing on the 3.1 miles left. 3.1, 3.1 kept going over and over again in my brain. I kept telling myself I could do 3.1 miles no sweat. I'd done 3.1 miles on joy walks. I reminded myself I had completed 10 miles. After that 3 was nothing, right?
The photographers were still out at DHS, and one of them managed to snap this pretty horrid picture of me. Obviously I have no skill at all at drinking water and gatoraid while moving. I think most of it ended up all over me as the race went on.
Passing the mile 10 marker I made my way past Echo Lake and Sounds Dangerous where Darth Vader was out for pictures. I did see one woman stop, but for the most part everyone around me kept moving along and just waved. We made our way around and were now heading down
Pixar Place and Mickey Avenue towards the animation courtyard. We hooked to the left and were now running along the road where the backlot tram usually runs. It was kind of cool getting to really take a peak in the windows of the costume and building departments as we went along. There was a water station and perhaps most oddly a man out there cooking. I guess it was to tie in the Wine and Dine part, but it wasn't as if he was cooking for people to eat at they ran by. It just struck me as really odd.
The other runners around me were all starting to look familiar at this point. I'd pass one of them, and then in a few minutes they'd pass me. There was beginning to form a bit of kinship back there at the back of the pack. No real talking was going on, but we'd all smile and nod at each other as we passed close to each other. That would grow as we got closer to the finish line.
We then actually ran through the Lights! Motors! Action! set which was a bit surreal before coming up on mile 11.
11 Miles! I had run/walked 11 miles!
My mindset was beginning to change drastically at this point. 2.1 miles to go. I could do that. The tiredness started to slip away a bit, and I my pace was beginning to pick up. Where just moments before I was dragging along, I was beginning to get infused with a second wind. It was just about at this moment that I turned the corner and found myself running down the streets of America. I was surprised to find all the Osborne lights turned on, a bit of snow falling and Christmas music playing. The lights felt just as magical as when I saw them the first time the previous December when I was feeling cranky and miserable. This time I was running down the street with the lights and on having it nearly all to myself. In those moments the other runners slipped away, and my eyes started to get misty. I remembered why it was I was doing this crazy thing in the first place. All those emotions came flooding back to me as I passed under all those twinkling lights. All the memories of myself telling myself I couldn't do something, and giving up without really trying. They were all waiting for me on that street.
I know this sounds crazy, but at that moment I knew I'd do this. It'd get the the finish line no matter what. For me that moment was a pure pixie dusted moment. Just me, the lights, and my thoughts keeping me going. My only disappointment at this moment was with the race photographer. Just about as soon as I came down the street, he started messing with his camera changing the film or something. I tried to slow down, because I really wanted that moment captured on film, but to no avail. As I passed him and left the streets of America he was still messing around with him camera. Maybe it's just as well. I might not have a photograph of that moment, but it's wonderfully vivid in my mind. That's really were it should be anyways. Those lights will always be magical for me.
After that we passed by Star Wars, and around the back of the Indiana Jones stunt show. Darth Vader was long gone, and it was the last few runners plugging along. We looped around and before I knew it we were passing out under the Xanadu entrance. (Does anyone else thing that every time they are at DHS? Maybe I've just seen that movie too many times.
) We were at mile 12 before I knew it, passing by it as we made our way by the Boardwalk Inn. There were a few more people out and about cheering for us now. I don't know why they were out there, but there were people out and about.
The last of us back of the packers were beginning to joke around now as we made our way along side the canal heading towards the Yact and Beach Club. We joked about gators coming up out of the canal and what damage we would do to anyone who tried to pull us off the course now. There were a wonderful bunch of people back there with me, and I'm greatful for everyone of them, because in their own way they were really helping give me the strength to keep going. There were two groups I found really inspirational as I was walking that last mile. Right near me was a mother and daughter. The daughter had to be about my age, and her mother had to be between 60 and 70 years old. The mother was hanging onto the daughters arm, letting her lead her to the finish line. They were right behind me at the end. Right at the very end I passed by three women, one of who as crying she couldn't take another step. The other two had her arms and were telling her she was mere yards from the finish line. The woman was besides herself saying she just couldn't do it. It was a bit heartbreaking. I checked the pictures later when they were posted, against the final results and was happy to see that she had mustered up the strength to finish. If you couldn't find inspiration in that last mile, you weren't going to be able to find it. Like me, this race was huge for these people. They were all gutting it out winding around the lake towards the back entrance of Epcot, watching other runners already leaving the party heading back to their rooms. In those moments I was happy to be there with all of them.
Myself, I was feeling energized that last mile. Maybe it's because I knew the finish line was getting really close, but I felt wonderful. Better than I had for miles. I actually started to run again. I was going to do it! Suddenly I didn't care about that stupid pebble. The bathroom could wait, and the aches in my back weren't quite as bad as I had been thinking.
I turned the corner into the back entrance at the Millenium building at Epcot and saw Mickey and Minnie up ahead. Surely there couldn't be a better sight!
After the horrid picture they took of me crossing the line at my 10k race earlier in the year, I was determined to look as happy and perky as I could muster for my crossing the finish line picture. I actually really love the picture they took of me. Oddly enough I thought finishing would have made me cry, but I didn't. I just felt happy. Pure joy.
Once I crossed the finish line all I was looking for was my medal. I had complete tunnel vision. First I passed the medical tent, which was swarming with people. I turned around a corner, and still no medal. They were giving up bags of snack items and bottles of water. I was beginning to panic thinking that because I had taken longer than the alloted time (true to my training I averaged about a 17 min. mile pace) that they weren't going to give me a medal. Seriously I would have started having a bit of a breakdown. Luckily I turned the corner and there was a CM putting a beautiful medal around my neck.
Quite seriously it was one of the happiest moments of my life. All of the horrible moments of the race started to slip away. They they sent me off to have my pictures taken with my beautiful medal!
Race done, now I just wanted to sit, but first I had to hunt down my friend and somehow find my bag.
I was feeling a bit achy, and the blister on my foot was bothering me, but other than that I was improving. My friend though was a bit of a mess. Her feet were bothering her badly, and were an issue for the rest of the week. She said every step was painful, and what she was describing was sounding like Planters Facitis. 
I've read on the boards later that Disney was selling tickets to general park guests to stay at the party, when it was only supposed to be for racers and their guests. It was a huge mess. With them closing up shop we had to get up and make it back to the Beach Club. I felt badly for anyone staying at one of the other official resorts who had to hike all the way back to the entrance to catch their buses. Walking back to the beach club was bad enough. I was actually getting what must have been my third wind, and was motoring along back to the hotel when I realized that I had left my friend way behind. 
Suddenly I was feeling great again. I know, I'm weird, I accept that. I'm a night person, what can I say. 
I was feeling good, but I had no desire to hike all the way back over there. I made do with a big glass of water, showered (greatest shower ever) and tended to my feet. They weren't too bad. I had the one blister right under the ball of my right foot, a smaller one on the side of my left, and a blood blister that turned my toenail black on my left foot. I have a nerve problem with my left foot, ever since the race I've had times of temporary, partial numbness in that toe. 
