Sunday: Let's start off by saying the hated phrase: I did it! I somehow, some way, managed to make it to the start, cross the timing mat, and finish the dang thing.
I really appreciate how supportive everyone at the meetup was, especially since it was pretty evident that I was not having the best time. Having whatever sort of internal feeling on accountability to go to the meetup (because I told strangers on the internet that I would be there) is one of the things that got me out of bed that morning. Having normal conversations around me about the race was settling, and I can't thank you all enough for reminding to just get out there and try. Walk the whole thing if I needed to. Keep nibbling on the PBJ I brought with me. I had done the training.
Sitting in the corral, there was once again a huge stream of people coming in quite late (after A corral had started, again) and merging into the back of C corral as my corral (D) was walking toward the start line. It was odd to see so many people had timed it so poorly getting out to the corrals (although seeing all of the sm posts about
OMG IT WAS 2 MILES TO THE CORRALS?! was interesting since that had been discussed at length in the weeks leading up.)
Game plan for this race was this: 60/30 intervals and 13s for pacing through MK. I figured I could catch up with
@The Expert again by this point, especially since she had her costume change to do. I felt like garbage. I knew I would be tired and fatigued, but 36-48 hours of my body dumping off whatever chemicals and adrenaline, plus my lack of food and liquids on Saturday was definitely making its presence known. So I decided to see if I could just fuel through it. I drank most of a caffeinated liquid IV when they started releasing racers. I ate my first pack of gummies at mile 1. Ate a Huma at mile 4. Water and powerade at every aid station. Continued fueling every 3 miles for pretty much the whole race, which is more than I do in training (usually one an hour or 4 miles.) I checked in with The Expert at around mile 5 to see if I was gaining on her since her chip didn't come through on tracking at the start, and switched to 45/30 intervals a little before the TTC because 60s were pushing me more than I wanted to so early in the day. Looking at my splits you can definitely see where the caffeine kicked in and the course widened to multiple lanes.
I managed to find a bathroom in a certain park that had ONE other person in it (who followed me) which was amazing and seriously saved like 5min of waiting in line.
And then, at the tunnel bathrooms into Adventureland, I caught up with my marathon running buddy and the day got so, so, so much better. We kept our 45/30 intervals until around Bear Island Rd, and then inverted them to 30/45. We talked about maybe doing 45/120, but decided against it since we both have a tendency to overstride when we walk briskly. The miles flew by, and we were into AK before we knew it! I stopped to take my capris off (I wore my shorts over them, and my skirt over both) and hung them off the back of my SPIbelt since it was definitely getting warm out, and we briefly discussed if we wanted to stop at EE or just keep going. I decided that if I sat down with my ankle in the condition it was that weekend, that I would have a lot of difficulty starting again, so we just kept moving.
I stopped for vaseline at the med tent exiting AK, and they also handed both of us bags of ice, which felt sooooo good. Sponges were handed out again on that right turn after AK on to Western Way. There was no dedicated ice handout spot while we were on course this year, but the med tent where we entered HS had a bunch of coolers with ice bags and they were yelling that they had lots of ice if anyone needed it.
DH was in Epcot, and planning when and where to meet me with something to cross the finish line. The original plan was an avocado marg from La Cava, but after all of the sugar and gu, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't be able to actually drink it, and also that I would be drunk by the time I got to bag check. And my poor condition at the end of a marathon combined with tequila would be a bad combination. He grabbed a donut from Joffrey's and met me by the drummers at Mission Space. I don't think I've ever had a donut taste so good. I waited until we crossed the finish to start eating, and it was more than half gone by the time I got to gear check.
As expected, I was non-functional for the rest of the day. I did an epsom soak, took a nap, hobbled around the room, and by 7pm my appetite had returned enough to eat an entire pizza from the QS at Saratoga. Housekeeping came 2x to check on us, even though it was also the day they serviced our room and everything was restocked. We packed up most of our stuff because we were planning on attempting medal Monday at MK for pics before we hopped on our first plane toward home. DH commented that spending most of our day traveling was a terrible way to spend my birthday and that "next time we should just stay another night." So that's where his head is at.
Monday: we "slept in" until around 730, finished packing, and hopped on a bus to MK. Took a TON of pics (had multiple groups stop and ask to borrow the setup when I had them hanging on various railings) split a cinnamon roll and a breakfast sandwich at gaston's, rode the carousel, and got out when the park started getting really busy at around noon. Stopped for one more dole whip in springs before heading to the airport, and called it a week. My legs and feet felt shockingly good. Not in a "let's go do athletic things" way, but I'm not limping or moving like a 90 year old. BIL picked us up from the airport and dropped us off at home at about 11pm.
Tuesday: didn't set an alarm and overslept for getting DS3 onto the school bus, so DH had to drive him. DD woke up when we got home on Monday night, and has been touching me or within arm's reach since. DH and I both feel "hungover" today. Foggy brain, tired, a little bit headachey. Planning another early bedtime tonight if DD will cooperate.
And DH says "I'm thinking 5/10/half next year." I, otoh, don't want to think about next year yet.
