2007 Marathon Weekend Race Reports
- Thread starter chimera
- Start date
Cruella de mom
Goofys have more fun
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2005
- Messages
- 1,800
Hi everyone-
Thanks so much for sharing your stories! I have directed a whole bunch of people here to read them so they can feel better about their own race. So many people just didn't expect it to be THAT hard.
I wanted to share something with you all. Many of you know that I ran this race with Team in Training. I ran in honor of my father. My dad has been battling Lymphoma for 11 years. his strength and his courage were my inspiration. Because I was doing this in honor of him, I had no choice but to give my absolute 100%.
My dad phoned me shortly after the race results popped up on his computer. He had been following me closely the entire race. His excitement and pride came bubbling through the phone line loud and clear. I saved the message because he sounds so strong and so happy.
So if I risked my health a little more than I should have, perhaps you will now understand. To honor my father, I could do nothing less.
Every single one of us should be proud to have accomplished a goal that most people only dream about on days when they feel strong and healthy. To follow through with all the training, all the inconvenience, and all the aches and pains is a feat in itself.
Keep the stories coming! I am feeding on them as I set up my training program for my NEXT race!
Thanks so much for sharing your stories! I have directed a whole bunch of people here to read them so they can feel better about their own race. So many people just didn't expect it to be THAT hard.
I wanted to share something with you all. Many of you know that I ran this race with Team in Training. I ran in honor of my father. My dad has been battling Lymphoma for 11 years. his strength and his courage were my inspiration. Because I was doing this in honor of him, I had no choice but to give my absolute 100%.
My dad phoned me shortly after the race results popped up on his computer. He had been following me closely the entire race. His excitement and pride came bubbling through the phone line loud and clear. I saved the message because he sounds so strong and so happy.
So if I risked my health a little more than I should have, perhaps you will now understand. To honor my father, I could do nothing less.
Every single one of us should be proud to have accomplished a goal that most people only dream about on days when they feel strong and healthy. To follow through with all the training, all the inconvenience, and all the aches and pains is a feat in itself.
Keep the stories coming! I am feeding on them as I set up my training program for my NEXT race!
Mouse Skywalker
<font color=green>The Force is strong with this Po
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2005
- Messages
- 7,021
Wow, good for you Cecilia. I understand now why you were pushing so hard. Good for you. Your father must be very, very proud. As are we!
ThePumpkinKing13
Disneyland Half Marathon Bound
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2006
- Messages
- 17
Hi all........ this week was about firsts for me. My first marathon. My first trip to Disneyworld. I came on this trip with my brother Paul (goingthedistance). We got to WDW on wednesday and stayed at allstar sports. On wednesday night we went to Animal Kingdom and did Dinosaurs! and Expedition Everest. After eating, we checked out the shops at Downtown Disney. Paul was able to get some really neat Goofy gear before it went on sale, including a Goofy challenge beanie baby. Thursday morning we went back to Animal Kingdom and went on the Safari, which I think is my favorite ride in all the parks. What a wonderful experience it was to see animals such as lions and gazelles away from the confines of zoo cages! We spent the first part of thursday afternoon at Magic Kingdom and got to do Haunted Mansion. From this point, we went to Wide World of Sports for the Expo. I bought the Goofy challenge pin, orange running shirt and blue running shorts. We stayed at the expo late and watched some of the speakers. Friday morning we headed to MGM. I liked the backlot tour and Tower of Terror, which is superior to the already fantastic Disneyland version. We had lunch at the SCIFI drive in and met a couple Wishers, DJ Bounce. Later, we went to the Wishers meeting. I didn't really talk to many people, since I don't really post much on here. The photo on the first post of this thread was taken at this meeting. I am on the second row from the top, second person from the right wearing the Wish shirt. We left and went back to the hotel since the half was the next morning. We got up at 230 on saturday morning, ate breakfast and headed to the start. We and other wishers hung out in a corner but had to move because some of the portalet lines started to grow to where we were. We worked our ways to our respected corals and started the half marathon. It was humid, although thankfully there was little sunshine due to cloud cover. Crossing the bridge returning to Epcot center I was amazed to see the line of people behind me, I thought I was towards the back of the pack. I finally finished the half and got my first WDW bling. After Paul and I got cleaned up, we returned to Epcot center. We decided to head back to the hotel early to rest up for the full the next day. Sunday morning was deja vu. Got up at the same time. After some time waiting, the full started. I was really nervous because I've never ran a full in my life, I was coming off of a half, and not really acclimated to humidity. So I got sick and had to hit a bathroom in Epcot for a few minutes. This put me behind so I had to hustle for several miles to make up time to avoid the sweeper bus. After leaving the magic kingdom, the heat/humidity became overwhelming. I had huge blisters forming on my feet being aggrivated by said heat and humidity. Before animal kingdom and after animal kingdom were the low points of the course for me. Stations had run out of water and poweraide. People were passing out. The last sweep point was chaos. I wound up avoiding the sweepers by about five minutes at this point, but saw people panicking about getting swept. One woman who ran to get past this last checkpoint in time collapsed only minutes after. I gave one of my water bottles to pour over her forehead until help arrived. From this point on, EMTs were on bikes riding along side the rest of the runners/walkers. As we reentered MGM, I was joined with a couple of other wishers (drawing blanks on the names, but one of which organized Illuminations). My feet were hurting so bad I had to slow down my pace. Through MGM/Epcot, I took my time and even got a few pictures. After finally crossing the finish line, I broke down. I was in pain. I was happy. I was amazed with myself. I didn't think I could do it. I got my Mickey and Goofy medals, and found my brother and the other Wishers. We went back to the hotel for a couple hours, and went back to Epcot. I was moving so incredibly slow, we didn't do much of anything here. We did do the Illuminations party, and the Illuminations show was one of the most incredible things I've ever seen in my life. Thanks to (drawing a blank on the name, the one I walked with) for making this possible. Monday we went to Magic Kingdom and did photos with characters. The electrical parade Monday night was neat. Tuesday we spent the AM at Epcot Center, got to do Mission Space and Testtrack and spent the evening at Magic Kingdom again. Then wednesday we returned home.
Thanks to everyone on this board that I met for your support!
Daniel
Thanks to everyone on this board that I met for your support!
Daniel
Here is the last part for those that are still reading.
Marathon
The start on Sunday was just as early. Although I did figure out why the alarm didnt go off the day before - there was a volume control on the side of the clock that I didnt see so I turned that up a little and everything worked better this time around.
It started out seeming a little cooler in the morning when compared to Saturday but it was still hot. The TNT people were still in the lobby and the food court area looking like they had way too much energy for that early in the morning. The bus ride was cold this time and there was another Goofy person behind me who was talking to everyone on the bus. After getting to the start area and looking around, I headed over to the bag drop. Since it was announced that the bag drop was by first name yesterday, I went to the appropriate tent and was told again that today it was supposed to be by last name. One of the guys working didnt care and took the bag so I can say that I probably messed that up both days. One wouldnt think figuring out where to drop off a bag would be so difficult.
The holding area looked the same except the gates were down. Otherwise everything else was in the same location. I found Lily and Pat and talked to them before they started herding us out. On the way to the corrals, I heard an announcement that the elite runners were to go to the left, so anyone who was in Corrals D-H could be considered an elite runner according to the announcement.
It was odd being in the last corral of the blue start and trying to figure out why they didnt spread them out a little better. After about an hour wait, we heard the national anthem and saw the fireworks for the start. Then they said go but everyone stood there. I think it took 4.5 minutes for me to get across the start line and then I started to pass the other starting side. I can say that I passed mile 4 with a time of about 5 minutes though but was on the wrong side to get picture evidence of it.
The blue start went around the back of Epcot and World Showcase. I noticed on a couple of my pictures I was getting little white spots and finally figured out it was fog. I didnt realize how foggy it was until I notice I couldnt see the Epcot Ball and had a hard time seeing the lights on the Christmas tree. I continued around until the merge area at about mile 3.3. It was handled better this year compared to last year. They had cones out trying to keep everyone organized until the road got a little wider. It was getting a little warmer at this point as well.
It was fairly uneventful and quiet for the next part. I thought I remembered more bands out between mile 6 and 8 last year. My camera started acting up at mile 8 and it took a couple of miles to get it operating again. I am guessing it doesnt like cool, foggy, and sweaty environments too much. I missed the cruise line area at the TTC that they had last year. The Go the Distance sign was on Contemporary hill this time although it would have been better a little later in the course.
The fog was starting to go away by this time and it was getting warmer even quicker now. Running down Main Street was still fun but I didnt see as many characters as I did last year. They did have a bunch towards the exit of MK but not as many in the park area. I did happen to see Anne around the Poly and was able to say hi as I passed. She definitely had more energy than a lot of the runners at that point.
At the half way point, they had bananas and oranges and then water. From what I could see, it looked like Disney was starting to underestimate the heat and the water supplies were lower than I would have expected at this point. They had the little sharpie signs with odd sayings on them again. I think the sayings were the same as last year but I wasnt paying too much attention to them.
Now the sun was fully out and there wasnt much wind. That is until the sewage plant and then the wind was coming right towards us. The smell didnt help many people at that point but it was an encouragement to get through that area quickly. One disconcerting sight at this point was the number of vultures in the trees watching the runners. It seemed they were ready for lunch and just waiting for the opportunity.
Coming into AK, they had the Hip Hop group that was at the kids race out cheering. In addition, they were still trying to kill the runners with the Clif Shots. I noticed more people skipping them this time around so I guess more people learned not to have them. They also had donkeys and owls out for pictures and the AK workers were trying to keep the animals from attacking the runners.
AK had people in it trying to get to rides and the workers were doing a pretty good job of keeping them off the race course. They were giving out sponges at the exit of AK and that felt good this year. It was around mile 18 that one leg started to cramp up so I decided to change my goals a little at this point. They were still offering beer at mile 20 although it didnt seem that many were taking it here. During the stretch from mile 18 to 21, I started noticing more runners stopping on the side of the road. The medics were on bikes going back and forth making sure everyone was alright.
Going into MGM, I ran on the red carpet and managed not to trip over it. Inside, the Green Army Men were giving their encouragement in green army man style. Some of the comments were, Pick up those feet and move it and This is just a warm up for the bigger run later. I was surprised they lived through this. There were also the Streetmosphere characters that were offering a ride somewhere for $40. However they wouldnt take credit cards. Luke and Leia were also out getting pictures in the back area.
The spectators tried to be helpful but only 3 more miles is not almost there. Around this time, I started noticing people with their Mickey and Goofy medals coming around so it was giving a little encouragement that it could be done. I passed Mel and Judy, but couldnt stop since I didnt want to have to start my legs going again. I did see people that had trays of ice and giving it to the runners at the Yacht Club. There were a couple of people taking empty trays back and bringing more ice to the runners.
More encouragement from people in Epcot and we were back to where I started the morning. The workers on the Segways were about to get hijacked by a group in front of me but they managed to get away. The gospel choir was back out at Mile 26 and they seemed too lively in those robes with the heat. I rounded the corner and saw Lynnda and Billy and then saw the finish line. I missed getting under the 5:30 clock time and wound up with 5:31 but my chip time was 5:28 and that still beat last years time. As soon as I crossed the finish line, both legs started to have severe muscle cramps so I dont think I could have gone much further at that point. I was able to go slowly to the chip removal area and they were nice enough to bend down for me. After walking to the food area, the legs felt much better.
The refreshment area had enough food for us so I got a little something and headed back to the Goofy area. I walked through and got my medal and had my picture taken. This line was moving much quicker than the other line. I went down and recovered my bag and headed out to find Lynnda and Billy. We didnt see any Wishers around so we wandered over and had pictures taken with some of the characters. At this point, I had enough of the heat so we got a bus back to the resort.
Overall, I think the heat had more effect on me than doing the half the day before. Even though I generally train in this weather, it still was difficult. I may have to make sure some training runs are later in the morning instead of trying to beat the hotter parts of the day.
That should cover most of the weekend experiences for us.
Bill
Marathon
The start on Sunday was just as early. Although I did figure out why the alarm didnt go off the day before - there was a volume control on the side of the clock that I didnt see so I turned that up a little and everything worked better this time around.
It started out seeming a little cooler in the morning when compared to Saturday but it was still hot. The TNT people were still in the lobby and the food court area looking like they had way too much energy for that early in the morning. The bus ride was cold this time and there was another Goofy person behind me who was talking to everyone on the bus. After getting to the start area and looking around, I headed over to the bag drop. Since it was announced that the bag drop was by first name yesterday, I went to the appropriate tent and was told again that today it was supposed to be by last name. One of the guys working didnt care and took the bag so I can say that I probably messed that up both days. One wouldnt think figuring out where to drop off a bag would be so difficult.
The holding area looked the same except the gates were down. Otherwise everything else was in the same location. I found Lily and Pat and talked to them before they started herding us out. On the way to the corrals, I heard an announcement that the elite runners were to go to the left, so anyone who was in Corrals D-H could be considered an elite runner according to the announcement.
It was odd being in the last corral of the blue start and trying to figure out why they didnt spread them out a little better. After about an hour wait, we heard the national anthem and saw the fireworks for the start. Then they said go but everyone stood there. I think it took 4.5 minutes for me to get across the start line and then I started to pass the other starting side. I can say that I passed mile 4 with a time of about 5 minutes though but was on the wrong side to get picture evidence of it.
The blue start went around the back of Epcot and World Showcase. I noticed on a couple of my pictures I was getting little white spots and finally figured out it was fog. I didnt realize how foggy it was until I notice I couldnt see the Epcot Ball and had a hard time seeing the lights on the Christmas tree. I continued around until the merge area at about mile 3.3. It was handled better this year compared to last year. They had cones out trying to keep everyone organized until the road got a little wider. It was getting a little warmer at this point as well.
It was fairly uneventful and quiet for the next part. I thought I remembered more bands out between mile 6 and 8 last year. My camera started acting up at mile 8 and it took a couple of miles to get it operating again. I am guessing it doesnt like cool, foggy, and sweaty environments too much. I missed the cruise line area at the TTC that they had last year. The Go the Distance sign was on Contemporary hill this time although it would have been better a little later in the course.
The fog was starting to go away by this time and it was getting warmer even quicker now. Running down Main Street was still fun but I didnt see as many characters as I did last year. They did have a bunch towards the exit of MK but not as many in the park area. I did happen to see Anne around the Poly and was able to say hi as I passed. She definitely had more energy than a lot of the runners at that point.
At the half way point, they had bananas and oranges and then water. From what I could see, it looked like Disney was starting to underestimate the heat and the water supplies were lower than I would have expected at this point. They had the little sharpie signs with odd sayings on them again. I think the sayings were the same as last year but I wasnt paying too much attention to them.
Now the sun was fully out and there wasnt much wind. That is until the sewage plant and then the wind was coming right towards us. The smell didnt help many people at that point but it was an encouragement to get through that area quickly. One disconcerting sight at this point was the number of vultures in the trees watching the runners. It seemed they were ready for lunch and just waiting for the opportunity.
Coming into AK, they had the Hip Hop group that was at the kids race out cheering. In addition, they were still trying to kill the runners with the Clif Shots. I noticed more people skipping them this time around so I guess more people learned not to have them. They also had donkeys and owls out for pictures and the AK workers were trying to keep the animals from attacking the runners.
AK had people in it trying to get to rides and the workers were doing a pretty good job of keeping them off the race course. They were giving out sponges at the exit of AK and that felt good this year. It was around mile 18 that one leg started to cramp up so I decided to change my goals a little at this point. They were still offering beer at mile 20 although it didnt seem that many were taking it here. During the stretch from mile 18 to 21, I started noticing more runners stopping on the side of the road. The medics were on bikes going back and forth making sure everyone was alright.
Going into MGM, I ran on the red carpet and managed not to trip over it. Inside, the Green Army Men were giving their encouragement in green army man style. Some of the comments were, Pick up those feet and move it and This is just a warm up for the bigger run later. I was surprised they lived through this. There were also the Streetmosphere characters that were offering a ride somewhere for $40. However they wouldnt take credit cards. Luke and Leia were also out getting pictures in the back area.
The spectators tried to be helpful but only 3 more miles is not almost there. Around this time, I started noticing people with their Mickey and Goofy medals coming around so it was giving a little encouragement that it could be done. I passed Mel and Judy, but couldnt stop since I didnt want to have to start my legs going again. I did see people that had trays of ice and giving it to the runners at the Yacht Club. There were a couple of people taking empty trays back and bringing more ice to the runners.
More encouragement from people in Epcot and we were back to where I started the morning. The workers on the Segways were about to get hijacked by a group in front of me but they managed to get away. The gospel choir was back out at Mile 26 and they seemed too lively in those robes with the heat. I rounded the corner and saw Lynnda and Billy and then saw the finish line. I missed getting under the 5:30 clock time and wound up with 5:31 but my chip time was 5:28 and that still beat last years time. As soon as I crossed the finish line, both legs started to have severe muscle cramps so I dont think I could have gone much further at that point. I was able to go slowly to the chip removal area and they were nice enough to bend down for me. After walking to the food area, the legs felt much better.
The refreshment area had enough food for us so I got a little something and headed back to the Goofy area. I walked through and got my medal and had my picture taken. This line was moving much quicker than the other line. I went down and recovered my bag and headed out to find Lynnda and Billy. We didnt see any Wishers around so we wandered over and had pictures taken with some of the characters. At this point, I had enough of the heat so we got a bus back to the resort.
Overall, I think the heat had more effect on me than doing the half the day before. Even though I generally train in this weather, it still was difficult. I may have to make sure some training runs are later in the morning instead of trying to beat the hotter parts of the day.
That should cover most of the weekend experiences for us.
Bill
Maherae
<font color=red>9/11 We will NEVER forget!<br><fon
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2005
- Messages
- 1,341
Bill, you were looking GREAT at mile 12!! 
FANTASTIC job on getting that Goofy!!! See, taking good care of Lynnda this year paid off with extra 
to get you across that finish line
(and LOTS of training!!!)
Anne
FANTASTIC job on getting that Goofy!!! See, taking good care of Lynnda this year paid off with extra to get you across that finish line (and LOTS of training!!!) AnneBill, you were looking GREAT at mile 12!!
Hmmmmm, you are being way too generous. There could be some serious debates about how great I looked not only then but possibly at any other time.
Thanks for the encouragement cheer there. Bill
Goofyin08forErica
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
- Messages
- 316
Anne thank you for the WISH shirt and the very warm welcome at the Friday meet. I don't remember everybody's name... sorry! It was fun meeting so many of you!Windwalker (Dave) and I went to the expo on Thursday to pick up our packets for the marathon. Last year there was hardly a soul when we got there around 2:30pm, but this year there already was quite a line formed. Thankfully this line moved rather quickly at the 3:00 pm opening time. Got our chips and verified that they were activated and then down to the expo. Dave and I went our separate ways for a little bit and met at the front of the expo to purchase marathon goodies. We were able to see John "the Penquin" Bingham and his lovely Coach Jenny speak. I even had them sign my bib!
On Saturday we went to a spot near the clock before the last turn into the finish line to cheer on our WISH teammates. After standing for almost 3 hrs (3:30-40ish) on the clock we decided to start walking around as we didn't want our legs to cramp up.
After a day at Epcot and an early dinner it was back to the hotel for bed. We went to bed about 8:00 pm. Dave set the clock, his watch and had the hotel call us for a 2:30 am wake-up. I woke up about 10 something and looked over Dave at the clock and managed to read it wrong. I woke him up and asked him to fix the time. OOPS. He managed to go back to sleep pretty easily, but I tossed and turned for quite awhile. The last time I looked at the clock was about 12:30 am. I started to doze off and on until somewhere close to 2:30 when I finally fell into a deep sleep only to be wakened by Dave. I ate a half a slice of banana nut bread and had a cup of coffee with an electrolyte tablet, then it was time to get dressed. Luckily I had my clothes ready to put on with bib pinned to my shirt and chip attached to my shoe. We boarded the bus from our hotel at 3:30 for the trip to Epcot.
Met several WISH members prior to going through the bag check area to congregate in the holding area with mega portapotties. Met Christina who was in the same corral as us. Christina, Dave, Dave and I all walked to our assigned corrals together. We got to watch the elite runners warm up. I even saw the guy who would end up winning his 3rd WDW marathon and tried to point him out to Dave. My nerves were really cranking hard. Found out that both Christina and I were doing our very first marathon! We tried to stay together, but that didn't happen, but Dave and I started and finished together.
I knew that the heat and humidity were going to be a problem as I am not used to them. My game plan for this race was to have as much fun as I could, try to keep hydrated, and finish under 7 hours. Dave's plan was for us to finish under 6 hrs. Hmmmmmmmm
It was really surreal seeing the Epcot ball and the Contemporary Hotel bathed in the fog as we came up to them. Saw lots of characters in MK. Dave even took my picture with Minnie! I was sure to smile and wave at the photographer coming out of Cinderella's castle! In fact, everytime I saw a photographer I would smile and wave. Dave and I would cheer all the WISH people we saw both spectators and racers. In fact, for quite awhile we played leap frog with a lady (sorry I can't remember your name) in a WISH shirt. I didn't wear mine as I had had it on all the previous day. We met and passed Cam and crew at around the merge at mile 3+.
The first half passed pretty quickly for me. We passed and got passed as the long miles between MK and AK passed by. Got to pet a sheep and bunny that the AK handlers had out. Dave could not believe that I would stop in the middle of a race to pet animals. During mile 16 in the AK I started having some really ugly thoughts go through my mind at the various people saying that mile 17 was just around the corner, just over the bridge, and you are almost at the 17 mile marker. Thankfully those thoughts didn't last too long.
It was then on the road again to WWoS. A little past the mile 18 marker I started to feel a little dizzy. Luckily there was a shaded area on the side of the road. I sat on the guardrail while eating a Cliff Shot block and drank some water. In a couple of minutes my head cleared and I was off again with Dave. I had been drinking water and Powerade at every water station, though we had passed a couple that were completely out and had been closed down! I did bring a bottle of water with me and it sure came in handy.
From exiting AK to entering MGM was a very long time on the road. I was so glad to enter MGM as I knew that my feet knew the way to the finish line. It was prior to entering MGM that I noticed Dave limping. I kept a slow pace as I didn't know what was wrong and he wouldn't tel me. I was just afraid that he had reinjured his achilles tendon! I was really greatful for all the cheering as we passed our new found friends in front of the Yacht Club. You guys are great!!
We entered Epcot again and I told Dave one more hill then around the back of the lake to the Christmas tree and then less than a 1/2 mile to the finish. He was limping pretty bad and I knew he wouldn't quit so I kept the pace really slow. I wasn't afraid of getting swept as we still had plenty of time to finish. We crossed the finish line holding hands with our arms in the air, and me with the biggest smile on my face. We had our chip removed, got our mylar blankets and medals, had our pics taken and wandered over to the W tent. We didn't stay long as Dave was in pain and I was starting to feel dizzy again.
Got on the bus to the hotel changed and went to the pool to cool down. After shivering for awhile we hit the hot tub. Outside of my feet throbbing I felt pretty good. We had an early supper and were asleep before 8:00pm.
Would I do this again....you bet as we are already signed up to do Goofy in 08!
Sorry for being long winded and thanks for your support!!
Erica
PS thank you Monte for letting us know about this awesome site!
Erica, what a great report. I hope that Dave is doing okay now. Did he reinjure his achilles tendon?
You said this was your first marathon. How long did you train for this? I'm thinking about doing the full next year after doing the half this year.
You said this was your first marathon. How long did you train for this? I'm thinking about doing the full next year after doing the half this year.
Goofyin08forErica
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
- Messages
- 316
Dave fortunately did not reinjure his achilles tendon. What it turned out to be was his calf tightening up. He is all better now.
I trained for this marathon since the summer. I will be starting training for the Goofy in a few months.
Erica
I trained for this marathon since the summer. I will be starting training for the Goofy in a few months.
Erica
Erica and Dave,! It was great to meet you at the meet Friday! Congratulations on your well deserved medals! I am so glad Dave has recuperated!! Don't be strangers on the weekly training board!! 
crzy4pooh
Member of WISH Racing Team
- Joined
- Jan 13, 2005
- Messages
- 676
Oh, Lynnda, that is SOOO cute! OK, can I adopt him??? I have been contemplating a 3rd child!
Give Billy a big hug for me!
Colleen
Thanks, but I think I'll keep him! 
By the way, Billy says Hi! I read him your message this afternoon, and he wanted me to include a bouncing Tigger smiley, since there isn't a bouncing Pooh... 
LynndaBuckalew11
2013 1/2 Marathon Finisher!!! Woohoo!!
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2004
- Messages
- 15,725
I am happy to report that I finished the 1/2 marathon in 3:20:50.
I hardly trained and did so inisde on a treadmill. Very different from running in such heat and on asphalt and concrete!
My dad passed away in ealry Nov. from prostate cancer so my training pretty much started then and was sporadic at best. I did, however, run for Dad and his memory.
The farthest I walked in practicing for this race was 8 miles and that was walking.
I had great support in my DH though. He did the Goofy. He was wearing a sign on his back that said, "This is my wife's 1st 1/2. Say: Go Brenda!" and I would best I heard my name at least 250 times all day long. We had a lot of fun with that sign!
I am so grateful to Keith in helping get through this race. I stayed with me each step of the way and guided me through. I finished with no foot pain or burning (I had the GREATEST BROOKS shoes on) and no knee pain which was something I had been struggling with for quite some time. Thank God for Dr. Joe, my chiropractor, who worked on me before my trip!
It was a FUN race. I carb loaded with a special chocolate chip cookie sent to me from Dan Murphy Friday night at the Swan. I saw characters from Buzz Lightyear and thought of the song "You've Got a Friend in Me" which is a special song for my DIS buddy Dan and I.
I recalled Bible verses to draw strength from--along with hearing a man from the sidelines quote one which touched my heart in a big way.
I saw some WISHERS and just thought the running community was very nice in general.
It was a blessing to be able to do the 1/2 marathon. I was scared, nervous and at times did NOT want to do the race but now, of course, I am glad I did and an happy to know I can accomplish a goal like that ine set before me.
Congrats to everyone who finished any type of race. Congrats to those who tried to finish. There is much to be said about people who try compared to people who do not!!
I hardly trained and did so inisde on a treadmill. Very different from running in such heat and on asphalt and concrete!
My dad passed away in ealry Nov. from prostate cancer so my training pretty much started then and was sporadic at best. I did, however, run for Dad and his memory.
The farthest I walked in practicing for this race was 8 miles and that was walking.
I had great support in my DH though. He did the Goofy. He was wearing a sign on his back that said, "This is my wife's 1st 1/2. Say: Go Brenda!" and I would best I heard my name at least 250 times all day long. We had a lot of fun with that sign!
I am so grateful to Keith in helping get through this race. I stayed with me each step of the way and guided me through. I finished with no foot pain or burning (I had the GREATEST BROOKS shoes on) and no knee pain which was something I had been struggling with for quite some time. Thank God for Dr. Joe, my chiropractor, who worked on me before my trip!
It was a FUN race. I carb loaded with a special chocolate chip cookie sent to me from Dan Murphy Friday night at the Swan. I saw characters from Buzz Lightyear and thought of the song "You've Got a Friend in Me" which is a special song for my DIS buddy Dan and I.
I recalled Bible verses to draw strength from--along with hearing a man from the sidelines quote one which touched my heart in a big way.
I saw some WISHERS and just thought the running community was very nice in general.
It was a blessing to be able to do the 1/2 marathon. I was scared, nervous and at times did NOT want to do the race but now, of course, I am glad I did and an happy to know I can accomplish a goal like that ine set before me.
Congrats to everyone who finished any type of race. Congrats to those who tried to finish. There is much to be said about people who try compared to people who do not!!
Mouse Skywalker
<font color=green>The Force is strong with this Po
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2005
- Messages
- 7,021
Greetings All:
Here are a couple of pictures that my DW took around mile 9.5 before heading under the lagoon and up Contemporary Hill.
In this one you can see Steve and I, and if you look closely in the back is Colleen and Melissa.
This one is just me, but to the left is Scott's arm waving as he passes us.
This picture Steve took of DW and me.
Here are a couple of pictures that my DW took around mile 9.5 before heading under the lagoon and up Contemporary Hill.
In this one you can see Steve and I, and if you look closely in the back is Colleen and Melissa.
This one is just me, but to the left is Scott's arm waving as he passes us.
This picture Steve took of DW and me.
Mouse Skywalker
<font color=green>The Force is strong with this Po
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2005
- Messages
- 7,021
I found some WISHers in the Lost and Found Photos
Scott: 13985-069-026
Wendy: 13985-1606-035
Dana: 13985-219-034
Scott: 13985-069-026
Wendy: 13985-1606-035
Dana: 13985-219-034
princessmomma
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2001
- Messages
- 1,950
Great pictures Dave!
I am so glad we found her, she must be very proud of you!
Lynnda,
So glad to hear you will be back next year. All the best in your third tri.
Colleen
I am so glad we found her, she must be very proud of you!
Lynnda,
So glad to hear you will be back next year. All the best in your third tri.
Colleen
momoftwogirls
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2001
- Messages
- 278
I just wanted to say thanks to all the WISHers who gave me support and courage to conquer my first half marathon. I decided to register for the half after reading the threads on this board. I had a great weekend with my DH at WDW! We completed our first half-marathon together!!!
We had fun meeting everyone at POP on Friday. Everyone was so friendly!
On Saturday my wonderful DH completed the half with me at my slower pace. He was soooo supportive.
I couldnt have done it without him! We did not have WISH shirts on (maybe next year) but we did scream, Go Wish! to all the scream team people we saw along the way. We saw WISH shirts at the TTC, WL area, Main Street, and at the entrance to Epcot.
Before we started I was worried about being swept but as we entered MK our pace was about 13:40.
It was faster than any of our training walks. So we took our time through MK and got a lot of pictures with the characters.
Did anyone see a wedding in the rose garden at MK?
When we passed it looked like they were waiting for the bride and groom to arrive. We assumed they must be runners from the half-marathon. I cant imagine getting married and then running another 8 miles. I cant remember the names on the sign. Just curious if anyone has any info on this wedding.
We saw several WISHers on our way back to Epcot. I talked with Sunny somewhere around the GF and also with another WISHer. I forgot your name! We also saw the mom carrying the baby in the front pack.
I cant believe that she was able to carry that baby so far. She said that she had to walk some. WOW! The baby must have weighed at least 20 pounds. Thats just amazing to me!
We saw Brenda on the overpass bridge back into the Epcot parking lot. I didnt realize that you were a WISH member until I read your trip report. I definitely saw you and the sign on your husbands back. We just had to scream Go Brenda!
We finished the race with a chip time of 3:06.
I had hoped for a time less than 3 hours but was very happy with our finish. We had fun most of the way (after mile 11, it wasnt so fun for me!) We got lots of pictures with characters and we completed our first ever race together!!!!
On Sunday, we went to AK. We watched the marathon and cheered on runners around expedition everest.
I took pictures of the WISHers we saw. I think I have pictures of Howard, Lynnette, Claire, Wendy, Christina, Terri, Lily, Rhonda and Cam. If youd like me to post your picture (or email it to you) let me know.
My DH was reading bibs, calling out names and cheering for all who passed us. We noticed that Larry had run passed us at least twice. We finally figured out that there was a group of five runners who were running by us, up the small hill and then walking off the course, down the hill and running it all over again. They would wait for a gap in the runners and then jump back onto the course. They did this at least 10 times. They were the official model runners for next years promotional pictures for the race. I entered their race bib numbers into the photo site and saw that they also took pictures at several other locations throughout the race. Their race bibs were a little different from the real ones. They also had their bag tags still attached to the top of their bibs. Once we figured out who they were and what they were doing it was fun to watch.
Erica After reading your race report I think we also saw you at AK.
I remember my DH cheering, Go Erica and commenting to my husband that she shot him a look that said, Leave me alone! She did not look happy that people were talking to her. Im sorry if that was you and if he was one of the people that you had ugly thoughts about at mile 16-17.
After watching the last runner pass by in AK we were going to ride Expedition Everest but it was not working so we decided to go over to the Beach Club and cheer on more runners. We got there just in time to see the same group of people that we saw at AK. I was amazed at how well all the runners did Sunday it was so hot just standing still and watching I cant imagine running/walking a marathon in that heat.
Everyone we met was so friendly and inspiring. We had a great weekend at WDW and hope to return again next year. My DH has decided that he wants to do the Goofy in 08. Im undecided if I should just do the half again or try for the full marathon.
Im looking forward to hearing more marathon weekend stories and being further inspired by all of you!
We had fun meeting everyone at POP on Friday. Everyone was so friendly!
On Saturday my wonderful DH completed the half with me at my slower pace. He was soooo supportive.
I couldnt have done it without him! We did not have WISH shirts on (maybe next year) but we did scream, Go Wish! to all the scream team people we saw along the way. We saw WISH shirts at the TTC, WL area, Main Street, and at the entrance to Epcot. Before we started I was worried about being swept but as we entered MK our pace was about 13:40.
It was faster than any of our training walks. So we took our time through MK and got a lot of pictures with the characters.Did anyone see a wedding in the rose garden at MK?
When we passed it looked like they were waiting for the bride and groom to arrive. We assumed they must be runners from the half-marathon. I cant imagine getting married and then running another 8 miles. I cant remember the names on the sign. Just curious if anyone has any info on this wedding.We saw several WISHers on our way back to Epcot. I talked with Sunny somewhere around the GF and also with another WISHer. I forgot your name! We also saw the mom carrying the baby in the front pack.
I cant believe that she was able to carry that baby so far. She said that she had to walk some. WOW! The baby must have weighed at least 20 pounds. Thats just amazing to me! We saw Brenda on the overpass bridge back into the Epcot parking lot. I didnt realize that you were a WISH member until I read your trip report. I definitely saw you and the sign on your husbands back. We just had to scream Go Brenda!
We finished the race with a chip time of 3:06.
I had hoped for a time less than 3 hours but was very happy with our finish. We had fun most of the way (after mile 11, it wasnt so fun for me!) We got lots of pictures with characters and we completed our first ever race together!!!!On Sunday, we went to AK. We watched the marathon and cheered on runners around expedition everest.
I took pictures of the WISHers we saw. I think I have pictures of Howard, Lynnette, Claire, Wendy, Christina, Terri, Lily, Rhonda and Cam. If youd like me to post your picture (or email it to you) let me know. My DH was reading bibs, calling out names and cheering for all who passed us. We noticed that Larry had run passed us at least twice. We finally figured out that there was a group of five runners who were running by us, up the small hill and then walking off the course, down the hill and running it all over again. They would wait for a gap in the runners and then jump back onto the course. They did this at least 10 times. They were the official model runners for next years promotional pictures for the race. I entered their race bib numbers into the photo site and saw that they also took pictures at several other locations throughout the race. Their race bibs were a little different from the real ones. They also had their bag tags still attached to the top of their bibs. Once we figured out who they were and what they were doing it was fun to watch.
Erica After reading your race report I think we also saw you at AK.
I remember my DH cheering, Go Erica and commenting to my husband that she shot him a look that said, Leave me alone! She did not look happy that people were talking to her. Im sorry if that was you and if he was one of the people that you had ugly thoughts about at mile 16-17. After watching the last runner pass by in AK we were going to ride Expedition Everest but it was not working so we decided to go over to the Beach Club and cheer on more runners.
We got there just in time to see the same group of people that we saw at AK. I was amazed at how well all the runners did Sunday it was so hot just standing still and watching I cant imagine running/walking a marathon in that heat.Everyone we met was so friendly and inspiring. We had a great weekend at WDW and hope to return again next year. My DH has decided that he wants to do the Goofy in 08. Im undecided if I should just do the half again or try for the full marathon.
Im looking forward to hearing more marathon weekend stories and being further inspired by all of you!
Goofyin08forErica
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
- Messages
- 316
Momoftwogirls, I'm sorry if it appeared that I was upset at your husband for calling out go Erica, I wasn't. I honestly don't remember hearing my name at AK. No ugly thoughts were ever generated towards anybody calling my name, just the comments listed in my race report! I would have smiled and said thanks if I had heard my name.
Erica
Erica
Goofyin08forErica
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
- Messages
- 316
Momoftwogirls, I am very sorry, I don't remember hearing my name in AK. I was never upset at people calling my name as I would smile and say thanks.
The ugly thoughts were geared at the insensitive comments though well-meaning that mile marker 17 was really close though it really wasn't.
Please thank your husband for calling out my name!
Erica
The ugly thoughts were geared at the insensitive comments though well-meaning that mile marker 17 was really close though it really wasn't.
Please thank your husband for calling out my name!
Erica
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