We made it home safely with a few strange looks. I have to upload the Pig Mobile photos yet LOL
The 10K & 5K were amazing!!!!
We arrived on Friday and did the Expo just after 1pm i think. I won't go into detail of how many times we crossed the bridge to Kentucky Friday LOL We had dinner at the Newport on the Levee and came back to the hotel to find our way to the start. Decided rather than walk it we'd drive there. Thanks to the baseball game traffic we found ourselves in the wrong lane and in KY again LOL
Saturday morning the weather held off and we managed both races with no thunder and only a few drops of rain before the 10K. We caught up with Wendy, Dave & Erica. Which was great!!! Even though we probably were all at the Illuminations gathering in january I didn't have a chance to meet them. So Dave, Erica and Mom (barb) went to get a view of the start and Wendy, Susan, Cathy and moi lined up. For some reason Susan & I were filled with butterflies and I had nightmare the night before that I would get lost and wander Cincinnati & KY forever LOL If it's not the Disney sweeper bus dreams it's always something LOL
Wendy & Cathy are both strong walks/runners and off they went. I think I kept up with Wendy for a maybe 200 feet if I'm lucky!
and lost sight of them completely by 1.5 miles as we had turns on street and inclines. I knew those 2 would finish strong and just hoped I wouldn't die on the bridges. Susan was behind me the entire way and most times in view that I could look back and we'd wave at each other. You see we could EASILY keep sight of each other thanks to our BRIGHT WISH SHIRTS
We heard many positive remarks on our shirts. Listening to people read them to their walking partners and so on. Had one lady say to me near the end on how inspiring it was to her.
The GRUNTS! (volunteers and I swear I want to volunteer just for that shirt! LOL) where amazing! I was scared i'd be bored and feeling alone out there but the GRUNTS! came thru with supportive words and hollering. They too loved the shirts. For no bands I was very entertained thanks to them. I was happily surprised that there were 3 water stops on the 10K. Amazing and welcome breaks.
The finish was amazing! And I wanted to cry then and wanting to again now.....I had the best finish line ever. There was Mom right at the finish trying to take photos (think she got someone else again LOL) she was able to get up close and right behind the medal guy was WENDY!!!!! with a hug and congrats. Seeing a WISH face there is BETTER THAN ANY DISNEY CHARACTER. Sorry Mickey but my TEAM ROCKS!!!!
to Wendy. We found Denny & M'lisse in the finish area too.
The crowd has grown considerably from when we started the 10K
So it's now 9:55 am and Mom's urging me to get my water and something to eat because we have 5 minutes to the start of the 5K. Unfortunately I did not know the time otherwise I would have stretched a bit before racing up the hill to the 5K start to find a huge crowd already. The actual start for the 5K was 10:15 am (Mom must have forgotten) so we had time for me to change my bib #, gulp some more water and get more hugs and congrats from Dave & Erica.
Sadly we didn't get a photo of before the 10K. As I said Susan & I were concentrating on the butterflies. Mom is well Mom LOL and Wendy who was the only 10Ker with a camera remembered later LOL Oh well the best laid plans always go that way. Dave did get a photo of Dave, Erica, Denny, M'Lisse, Susan, Cathy, Barb (mom) and me after the 5K before we all split up.
The 5K was thankfully flatter as the top of my foot had started to bother me and my pace had decreased. I kept with Mom and finished with her so that should be a nice finisher photos. Susan & Cathy were in the same spot as Mom had been and thanks again to our shirts as we entered the chute I was able to start waving to them so they knew just where we were. you have to LOVE our SHIRTS!!!!
They had 2 water stops on the 5K which was amazing!
All in all it's an amazingly organized weekend! We were impressed with the well thought out movement of the Expo. You wound your way thru it and were guaranteed not to miss a thing thanks to how they had it laid out. The starts and lay out of the finish area was again well thought out. I LOVED their idea of cutting the chips off... they had a railing that you put your foot on and able to lean on. I would greatly appreciate this at Disney's finishs but thankfully I've always had a wonderful volunteer at Disney's finish to at a stabling shoulder to hold onto.
I will say that I am even more impressed by those that do the 1/2 and Full Marathon at the Flying Pig. Those inclines and bridges are tough and we are in awe of those that take on the 1/2 & Full you guys ROCK!!!!
To our Flying Pig 1/2 & Full runners!!!!
Your inspiring!!!! Congrats!!!!!
to all we meet this wonderful weekend!!! See you all in October!!!!
Anne
