In Search of My Body vol. 10 - taking it one paper towel at at time

[cantwaitvaca09]

We all started feeling like the fat girl picked last...we were all strangers. And we all had to do a first race. Heck, I still feel like a newbie. The guy at the running store today (horrible blisters!) gave me a little pep talk - like, wow, great pace! And, awesome that you are doing this, you know how many people never even start? It made me feel less of a loser.

I could go on about how I weigh more and am less in shape (but not by much!) from last year, but what's the point? I'm here. I'm going to do it. It's going to be fun! I have to focus on what I DID do. I survived an awful few months (from Sept to Jan). I am still 25 lbs down. I took a very bad place in my life and got myself to this starting line. I have to be proud of that.

Liz, you have been an angel with your words tonight, thank you so very much. The butterfly's are starting to go away, and if they are still there on Friday, I know some drinks will take care of that. I can't thank you enough for everything you have said.

 

[3DisneyKids]

LOVING the thread postings today.

 

[3DisneyKids]

KAREN and JO....this is for you! A little blast from the past! From my very first-ever race. It was a 5k/5 miler. I ran the 5k and my husband did the 5 mile. Here is my pre-race freak-out post, my race report, and my post-race celebration post. WOW...I wrote a lot back then!



****

Yes, tomorrow is the big day. My first race. It is chip timed and everything, so I got my number, my chip, all that stuff. You all have to promise me that you will be sending positive thoughts my direction between 8:45 - 9:30 tomorrow morning. Don't forget! I need all of the help I can get!

Ok, so the time thing is wigging me out a bit. If you are not done by 9:30, then they come pick you up in what is called the "Stragglers' Van..." UGH! That is my absolute worst fear.

I am trying to keep the WISH motto in my head:

Dead Last Finish
beats
Did Not Finish
which greatly trumps
Did not have the courage to start.

So tomorrow I will go to the Starting line. I am pretty terrified, but I am obligated now. Jeff is running, too, and my mom and kids are going to be waiting at the finish line and cheering.

Here's the thing...if you haven't figured it out, I am pretty competitive by nature. Lots of years in sports and coming from a big family I guess. Anyway, I know that I will be near the back of the pack. I am brand new to running and still pretty slow. (ok, really slow) And I am not feeling good about being a back-of-the-packer. Logically, I know the real victory for me is that I am going to be at the STARTING line (not the finish). I am able to see all of the amazing progress I have made with my running. But there is a part of me that is just sick about the fact that I am going to be in the back.

And then I wonder about my kids. I mean, they all know what a race is. And they are going to see their mom come in after most others. Again, logically, I know I am setting a great example for them. But that other part of me wants them to be able to see their mom beat the pants off lots of other runners.

The other thing about this race is that lots of the "skinny moms" are in it. On Friday morning, we had "summer sign up day" which is where every parent in town stands in this line that starts at 6am in order to get their kids enrolled in summer activities. And if you don't get there early, all of the programs fill up. It takes about an hour and half to move through the line. And even though it sounds awful, it is really one of the main social events of the season. They put out coffee and doughnuts and you see everyone you know, so it is fun to catch up with people, etc. Well, since I run in the morning, I went to sign-ups in my running gear. And lots of the other moms were in theirs as well, so several of us were chatting about what work-outs we were doing these days, etc. Then one of them said, "Didn't I see you running out by my house the other day?" Which of course lead to "Hey, are you doing the race on Sunday?"

Well, it turns out that most of them are doing it as well. And they are all gonna kick my a$$ in terms of time. And none of them are stressed about it. It is like, "yeah, I just decided the other day to run it since I was going to something running anyway." Totally blase about the whole thing, while I am dying inside.

Then another one said, "I am just going to keep it slow and run 9-minute miles since my husband will have to have the kids...I am going to milk it for as long as I can..." Now, in my wildest dreams I can't run 9-minute miles. ONCE I was able to run about a 9:30 and it all but killed me. I am pretty solidly doing 11 minute miles when I do my long runs, and I can go a bit faster on my short run days....but I will be thrilled to clock 10-10:30 minute miles.

"Keeping it slow at 9 minutes...." F you!

Thank you all so so so much for your support! I can't tell you how helpful it has been!

***

Ok, so I AM BACK! And I finished! AND I WAS NOT LAST!!!

It was raining and cold...and what a trip! Having never done a race before, I wasn't completely sure what to expect, but I thought I had read enough and asked enough questions from my WISH teammates that I knew what to expect.

WRONG!

I specifically chose this race because it was just a little local 5k/5 miler. I figured it would just be area locals who run for fitness, etc. OMG there were like REAL REAL REAL runners there. I mean like semi-pro people. And they were all greased up and stuff and wearing running tights (which look like granny panties, I swear, just skin tight and made of spandex), and they were doing that high-step jogging thing before the race to get all warmed up. They were SERIOUS as SH*T, I tell ya.

It was at this point that even Jeff began to freak out. He was all calm before...just another run to him (though it was his first race, too...but he has been running for years and years). And then he saw the running freaks and he turned to me and said, "I am so not happy with you right now...and I have 5 miles to think about what you can do to make this up to me..."

There were LOTS of people there that I knew. I literally bumped into my SIL (she was doing the 5, of course, cause she is a skinny mom). I thought that the rain might keep the prima donas away, but nope...they just had their color-coordinated running hats and tights on.

Scoping out the crowd, I looked for some people that were more normal sized...not just the twigs that could run. I figured I would keep near them. I was somewhat confident when I saw a group of 60-something women all wearing matching t's that said they were some sort of walking group. Phew. Walkers are good. Even a slow runner will come in ahead of walkers.

So, the national anthem is sung, the horn goes off, and the race has started. The first half mile or so is just everybody weaving in and out of the crowd and trying to get their own pace and space. Once I was in a bit of a groove, I turned my iPod on and try to just have "my run."

Well, they had a clock at the one-mile mark. And man, Nancy, I wish I had read your post BEFORE the race. Yup, my first miles was 9:25! Now, for anyone who considers him/herself a runner, this is NOT fast. But this was a full minute faster than my FASTEST mile on record. CRAP! If I didn't slow down, I wasn't going to finish.

Ok, at this point, I am running out by the ocean and just trying to feel good. I was thinking of all of you guys and a couple of the volunteers who were helping the runners commented that I was the only person they saw smiling! That made me laugh!

So I am feeling pretty good about myself because I know that there are lots of people behind me...and then I got to the HILL! I did really well up the hill! Yup, body boarders pushed me all the up it! But then there was about half a mile left of the race...straight and flat to the finish line. And I had very little left.

I knew I would finish, but there would be no "extra boost" and kicking it in to get to the finish line. It would just be a slow jog. And at that exact moment, Jeff came running up from the other direction. He had finished his race and then doubled back to come and escort me to the finish. I fell in love with him all over again at that moment.

He really tried to push me to turn up the fire to get to the finish, but let me go at my pace.

The end result: I finished in 31:15. That means that I ran 10:05 minute miles. I am OVER-THE-TOP excited with that number! That is MUCH fast than I have ever run!

My mom and kids were there at the finish...soaking wet. They got photos which I will post soon.

Ok, time for brunch...Jeff is making a victory brunch for us all.

LOVE YOU GUYS and thanks for everything!
******
OMG! I am in SHOCK!

They just posted the race results for my race yesterday....I PLACED!!!

I didn't place overall, of course. But for my age group (30 - 39), they post the TOP 10...and I came in 8th! Overall, I came in 44 out of 94...that is the TOP HALF of the pack, baby!

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Liz, you have been an angel with your words tonight, thank you so very much. The butterfly's are starting to go away, and if they are still there on Friday, I know some drinks will take care of that. I can't thank you enough for everything you have said.

You are so welcome!!!


Erika. I remember that race and all the posts!!! It seems like so long ago. What is your fast mile now? I know, totally different with distance. But waht is your 5k? I still dream of a 5k with your first pace!!!

I think after that we put the board songs together. I think you had them for your first half.

And do you remember when I did my first 5k, which was part of a tri and you were so worried about me? You were calling me and texting the whole morning and then I actually did well! It was so funny, because you had that first race with elite people and my first race had like lots of big women doing the whole thing! Total opposites! And my second one, that was so awful, omg there were women in sneakers you would go to the beach in! I have lucked out in that respect. I'm impressed you ever did a race again!

This 5k in the beach town, the one in two weeks, that will have the real runners. Oh, well, I can worry about that next week!

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

E, thanks for sharing your first race story,
HA, in my dreams I will be an 11 min pace.

It is so heart warming to know that no matter the fitness level we all kinda freakout the same from time to time. So thanks again for the story.

 

[goofyfan-12]

Jo and Karen - trust me on this:
- you will not be the fattest one at the race
- you will finish and you will be so proud when you do
- you will be nervous but trust in those around you to guide you in the right direction
- if you finish last remember this: someone has to, don't let it define you - you finished remember and that is a hell of a lot better than not finishing
- when was the first time you did anything the best time you did anything? Enjoy and learn from the experience. Just think of how much stronger you will be for the next one

Don't let your thoughts get you off course. You can do this. I walked up to my first organized bike ride thinking all the thoughts that you are thinking. I weighed around 270 pounds at the time and was freaking out about riding ten miles and coming in last. I not only finished but was the first of the ten milers to finish. The following year I attempted 100 miles and did not finish but I am more proud of that then finishing the ten miler first. I guess what I am trying to say is the only one you are competing against us yourself. Go easy on yourselves ok? You are worth it to go easy on yourself.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Thank you so much for your wonderful words girls! It means a lot and especially to hear that you were once where I'm at. I can't wait to have the story of my first race!

E, thanks so much for sharing your story. I will have to be very careful to pace myself, I already have to slow myself down considerably b/c if I don't watch it, I just run way faster than I should and lose steam quick!

 

[AKASnowWhite]

Jo--I NEVER leave my kids. This will be only the 4th time ever, and my oldest is nearly 12. So I get it. And 3 of the trips have been with this crew. It's really hard for me, but SO worth it.

My kids started leaving ME long before I ever left them As soon as they were each potty trained (18 months for Becca) my MIL would take all the grandchildren together for a week to their house on a lake. No tv, no telephone. She is an amazing woman that lady.

...uh...anyone ever get scared before signing up for their first race???

Every race. I still think what the he!! did I get myself into

No, not downtown Nancy. Yet! But way closer. Buying - or if we decide to rent - downtown for sure. Want back into our mortgage - so penalty will come back within three months. So this is really temporary.

This morning whilst I was torturing myself on the TM at the gym, "International Househunters" (or whatever it's called...) was on. The couple was looking at homes in Toronto. Of course, I thought of you. Then I looked for you as if you and Jean were going to walk thru one of the condo's front doors.

Feel better my friend.

I was dead last, dead last. The ambulance was behind me the whole time. I have to say I cried.Then I came home and ordered me a WISH shirt. But, I think about that race often.
And if I never ever tried to run in the first place then I would never be almost on my way to WDW to meet some most fabulous woman.

And look how far you've come Jo! Just a few more days and we'll be celebrating our victory together

So it's official, I registered!

Awesome Karen! You can do this. And you will be so proud of yourself.

KAREN and JO....this is for you! A little blast from the past! From my very first-ever race. It was a 5k/5 miler. I ran the 5k and my husband did the 5 mile. Here is my pre-race freak-out post, my race report, and my post-race celebration post. WOW...I wrote a lot back then!

Erika! I almost cried just now. Amazing. Gosh. That seems forever ago now. You want to talk "look how far we've come". wowza.

 

[AKASnowWhite]

Jo and Karen - trust me on this:
- you will not be the fattest one at the race
- you will finish and you will be so proud when you do
- you will be nervous but trust in those around you to guide you in the right direction
- if you finish last remember this: someone has to, don't let it define you - you finished remember and that is a hell of a lot better than not finishing
- when was the first time you did anything the best time you did anything? Enjoy and learn from the experience. Just think of how much stronger you will be for the next one

Don't let your thoughts get you off course. You can do this. I walked up to my first organized bike ride thinking all the thoughts that you are thinking. I weighed around 270 pounds at the time and was freaking out about riding ten miles and coming in last. I not only finished but was the first of the ten milers to finish. The following year I attempted 100 miles and did not finish but I am more proud of that then finishing the ten miler first. I guess what I am trying to say is the only one you are competing against us yourself. Go easy on yourselves ok? You are worth it to go easy on yourself.

Beautiful words Paula! And I remember that bike race too! Such fabulous memories being shared tonight.

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Jo and Karen - trust me on this:
- you will not be the fattest one at the race
- you will finish and you will be so proud when you do
- you will be nervous but trust in those around you to guide you in the right direction
- if you finish last remember this: someone has to, don't let it define you - you finished remember and that is a hell of a lot better than not finishing
- when was the first time you did anything the best time you did anything? Enjoy and learn from the experience. Just think of how much stronger you will be for the next one

Don't let your thoughts get you off course. You can do this. I walked up to my first organized bike ride thinking all the thoughts that you are thinking. I weighed around 270 pounds at the time and was freaking out about riding ten miles and coming in last. I not only finished but was the first of the ten milers to finish. The following year I attempted 100 miles and did not finish but I am more proud of that then finishing the ten miler first. I guess what I am trying to say is the only one you are competing against us yourself. Go easy on yourselves ok? You are worth it to go easy on yourself.

Paula, I remember reading about your training for that 100 mile ride, you would talk about hill work, I would think boy , OMG, I don't think I could ever train like that. You rode over 80 miles. I am still in awe by you.

 

[lisaviolet]

OMG. What lovely posts. '

Liz - love to you for always seeing people for where they are.

I ADORED reading your race report Erika. ADORED it.

Paula, bang on. So bang on - your post just reads "stop it!". with love and compassion of course.

Nancy - House Hunters International. No Morocco? No Spain? No West Indies? Toronto? So funny. I'm kidding. I watch it once in awhile. In the beginning of Property Virgins - everything was Toronto. So you can all see how nuts the market is here. Kills me. Pre-approved for 450 000 and such.

Listen, please iknow I am with each and every one of you this weekend but I'm starting to wonder about my internet access and I'm worrying. I'm moving this weekend. Closing is not until the Friday (4th) but Jean is bound and determined to get our a$$es out this weekend. Worrying because it seems like my first priority is internet access for THE RACE!!!! To he!! is a couch fits through a door and such. Laughing. So if I"m not on - it's because I don't have access or it's too far to the ground. So in advance know I'm there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

to all.

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Lisa, how are you feeling this morning? I hope it's a smooth move, I'm sure you won't be offline for long, I'm guessing you'll find a way to get online asap!

I'll be thinking of all of you as well! I was planning on running Sunday morning while you girls are running to show my support! Obviously I won't be running as far, but run I shall!

 

[AKASnowWhite]

Listen, please iknow I am with each and every one of you this weekend but I'm starting to wonder about my internet access and I'm worrying.

Thanks! And know that *I* will be thinking of YOU! Around mile 12. At that very last on-ramp. Good luck with your move. Don't over-do it, ok?

I'll be thinking of all of you as well! I was planning on running Sunday morning while you girls are running to show my support! Obviously I won't be running as far, but run I shall!

Send good running mojo to us all please!


Going to try to work a few of the kinks out of my body. I'll do some light cardio on either the bike or elliptical, I'm not sure yet. Then some nice yoga stretching. It's "be nice to the body week" for me

 

[Twoboysnmygirl]

Question, what kind of socks to you girls wear? I'm thinking I need better socks, right now I'm just wearing joe boxer cotton socks and I'm having some rubbing on the underside of my toes the longer my runs get.

 

[3DisneyKids]

Morning! So...last night I had my first pre-race dream. I was running a FULL, and I had to wear men's wing-tip shoes for the race. I have no idea why, but of course dream-me I was freaking out about that!

Paula, I remember reading about your training for that 100 mile ride, you would talk about hill work, I would think boy , OMG, I don't think I could ever train like that. You rode over 80 miles. I am still in awe by you.

WORD. I am still in awe of Paula, too!

Thanks! And know that *I* will be thinking of YOU! Around mile 12. At that very last on-ramp. Good luck with your move. Don't over-do it, ok?


[/B][/COLOR]

Yes, yes, yes! Lisa was the one in my head at mile 11! AT LEAST I HAVE LEGS as I was going up that on-ramp. And I was laughing and people were looking at me...

Question, what kind of socks to you girls wear? I'm thinking I need better socks, right now I'm just wearing joe boxer cotton socks and I'm having some rubbing on the underside of my toes the longer my runs get.

OMG, Karen. STOP. Cease and desist! Never, ever, never ever wear cotton socks! Do I make myself clear? Number one way to get blisters is by wearing cotton. Go get running socks. And these come in a variety of forms, but get ones that have ZERO cotton in them. For long distance, Nancy and I both wear Wright Dual-Layer socks. Liz, too, I think. But these are expensive. I don't wear them for short runs. For short runs I just have a ton of wicking socks. Any running store or department store will have them. I think I even got a bunch of cheap ones at Target once. But read the label.

 

[3DisneyKids]

AND...since I am going back through old threads...here is my race report from the Princess last year!


Race Report!

Ok, you know I hate going out of order for TR’s, but since Lisa is leaving and getting impatient (and since everyone else is posting their perspectives), I’ll go ahead and do this part and then go back and get back in order. And you should know that as I write this, I am wearing my tiara—so I can channel the energy of race day! Ha!

Bad night’s sleep. To be expected. We had wake-up calls scheduled, but woke up before then anyway. Everyone was great about getting up, ready, and out the door pretty quickly. We checked the temps—a balmy 42*. I was psyched, since that is my preferred running temp. Everyone else, not so much.

I have been battling a pulled lateral quad for 2 weeks. I shouldn’t be running, realistically, but there was no way I wasn’t going to. So I just put on an assload of BioFreeze and took ibuprofen and sucked it up.

Finally, we were ready to go. We met Paula in the lobby and we were on our way.

Got to the parking area without much trouble. Traffic was there, but moving well. If there is one thing Disney knows how to do, it’s move people, right? So we parked, bundled up, and walked over to check-in. There were just thousands and thousands of people everywhere. It was a mob scene. So we had to come up with a central meeting place since we had to separate to check our bags by last name, etc. The energy was palpable. There was music blaring, teams grouped together everywhere, lots of people running in tiaras, full princess costumes, everything you can imagine.

This was not a women’s only race. Yes, it was like 98% women, but there were male runners. And all of them had a GREAT attitude about running in a woman’s race. Many of the men were wearing running skirts! It was great to see. And one guy was dressed as The Frog Prince, which I thought was such a great touch. And there were some Prince Charmings as well.

We got in line at port-a-potty city. Everyone. And then when done, we turned around and got on the end of the lines again. This is just part of race day culture.

It was finally time to head to the corrals. I had been anxious up to this point. Just normal pre-race anxiety—not at all worried about anyone not finishing or anything like that. But now that it was here, I was excited. I turned to Liz and said, “There is nothing like race day!” And I was woo-hooing, etc. She looked at me like was insane.

The walk to the corrals was LONG. Maybe half a mile or so. I mean, it was not big deal, we weren’t moving fast or anything, but I was surprised by how far it was. As we approached the corrals, there was one last bank of port-a-potties. But there were long lines. Being the hard core endurance athletes that we are, we said screw the port-a-potties and ran around the back side of them and just peed outside. See? Totally hard core. I took this time to shed my blanket. I was down to only race shorts, race shirt, and a light running jacket. Like I said, perfect running weather for me. And I planned to shed the jacket once I started running. Liz, on the other hand, was wrapped up like Nanook of the North!

At this point, it was time to separate. We had been assigned to different corrals. There were 5 corrals lettered A through E. Usually, A is for the fastest and E is for the walkers and/or those who don’t have proof of time of ever having done a race. We all found out our corral assignments the day before. I had expected that Nancy, Amy and I would be somewhere in the middle like Corral C and everyone else to be in E since they were walkers or newbies. Surprisingly, though, we were all over the place. I was placed in A with the fasties (still don’t know how or why!), Liz and Amy were in C. Kat, Amiee, and Paula were in D. And Nancy was in E. Long story (and this is why I hate writing out of order, but Nancy ended up getting switched to corral A, and don’t worry, you WILL be getting that story!).

So the rule is that you can drop to a lower corral if you want to run with a friend, but no one can move up to a higher corral. So Nancy and I decided that we would drop down to Corral C to be with Liz and Amy decided to drop to Corral D to stick with Paula, Kat, and EE. It worked out perfectly—everyone had someone to be with.

Entering the corral, you had to show two different race officials your bib that said which corral you are in, since it is common for people in later corrals to try and jump to an earlier corral. And for those who are intentionally going to a lower corral, the race officials double check that. So they kept asking me and Nancy—are you dropping down? So yes, that was another one of our quotables of the week—We dropped down for our friends!

So at this point, it was me, Nancy and Liz and two other Goddesses in corral C waiting for the race to begin. Nancy and I had both been worried since we were both injured and neither one of us was going to be able to walk as much as Liz was planning. Running actually felt better than walking. So once we determined that Liz was going to be in great hands with the other two, we all breathed a little easier.

It was fun watching the fireworks go off for each corral start. Finally, it was our turn! All 5 of us stayed together for the first half mile or so, and then Nancy and I had to start running. The pack was THICK. Lots of people and it was really hard to get up to pace. Nancy and I ran over to the far left and actually hopped off the road and ran on the grass since we were passing everyone (we should have been in Corral A remember! With the fasties!) So, it was lots of “on your left,” “excuse me, passing on your left…” for a good 2 miles. No way I could even put my iPod on. Too much race traffic and I needed to be able to hear in order to not injure myself or someone else.

Nancy’s pace is faster than mine, which I knew ahead of time. So she was in front of me and I was just following her purple back for quite a while, though she was far enough ahead that we weren’t actually running together or anything. I just had her in my line of sight. (You’ll have to ask her about her purple throw-aways!) But I was having a great time chatting it up with all of those around me. It was such a great race atmosphere! EVERYONE was happy and polite and chatty! No competitive nastiness at all. Refreshing!
As others have said, there was something to see or listen to about every half mile. Either characters or a float or a band. Lots of stuff! It made things so entertaining. And it was an emotional environment, too, because of the crowds. There were little girls dressed as princesses holding up signs for their moms. Men cheering for the various female members of their families and holding up signs, etc. I found myself getting choked up a lot.

I was cruising along comfortably and it was time to take my jacket off. I decided to tie it around my waist instead of tossing it, though, since I thought it might be needed after the race (I knew that Liz would still be cold and I thought she might want it). This proved to make me more comfortable in terms of temps, but it also start to create havoc for me emotionally.

I ran this race, as I do every race, for the National Kidney Foundation. So I had a bib on my back that had the NKF logo on it and said that I was running for my daughter Kelly. Thus, when people passed me or were right behind me and could read my tag, they would say wonderful words of encouragement, like “Way to go, mom!” or “Kelly is lucky to have you!” and all sorts of beautiful sentiments. But it made me SO emotional and weepy.

It was right around this point that I lost sight of Nancy. So I popped on my iPod and settled into my race. I was feeling good though I knew that I was going SLOW. It was crowded enough that I just never could really get up to my race pace. And this was fine with me. I noticed that I had been running with the same pack of women for quite a while. They all had matching shirts, etc. and I would pass them, then they would pass me, etc. Finally, I asked them what their team was, and it turns out that they were a Costa Rican team. Didn’t speak much English, but they adopted me just the same! I was in a ton of their team pictures and everything!

Coming in to the Magic Kingdom was, well, magical. Nothing like it. I was teary and happy and all of it. And OMG—the support and the characters! Tons and tons and tons of characters throughout the MK! It was awesome. I stopped for Pluto and considered stopping for some others. But since none of the others were true favorites of mine, I passed them by. I never saw Goofy or Chip-n-Dale or Mickey and Minnie. (Though I know that Amy and Paula saw them.) Through the castle—hammed it up with a BIG SMILE and thumbs up for the camera, and continued out.

The back side of the MK path was narrow and in the direct sun. So the pack got tighter together making it hard, yet again, to maintain a decent pace. I was still hanging with the Costa Ricans, though, so it seemed like everyone was having similar issues.

All of a sudden, it seemed like I was going to run over the woman right in front of me. I realized that she was actually falling back into me. Literally. I stopped and caught her. At first I thought she passed out. But she screamed “my knee!” Sure enough, there was her knee cap, on the side of her leg. I carried her to the side of the road and put her on the grass. She looked at me and yelled, “Go!” She was hard core. I left her there knowing how well patrolled the race was. And sure enough, maybe a minute later I saw the ambulance coming toward us on the service road. Said a prayer for her and kept chugging along.

The next characters I came upon were Aurora and Prince Phillip. And since she is my girls’ favorite (and she was the princess on my bib), I pulled over for another photo op. Back on the course and at about mile 8. Feeling ok, but definitely needing BioFreeze. Saw the med tent, and grabbed two huge handfuls of the goop and slathered it on both legs. Just past the med tent, I saw yet another hard core runner chick do a quick boot-and-rally. She pulled over to the side, puked, wiped her mouth with the bottom of her shirt, and got right back on the course. I am sure she was counting steps to the next water stop, though!

It was also at this time (I think…it is somewhat of a blur in this part of the race) that I had my Lisa moment. The wheelchair division started before the runners. And it was at a point in the race where you can see the earlier runners running back the opposite direction from you. And so I saw a wheelchair competitor. And I thought, “At least I have legs!” And thought of Lisa and smiled.

Mile 9-10 was where my race started getting difficult. I was doing fine and had been maintaining a pretty solid 12:00 pace. And all of a sudden, the running coaches for NKF found me and started to run with me. I didn’t even know this would happen, so it was a nice surprise. And the first thing they said was, “What do you need? Just name it…we have food, race fuel, water, meds….what do you need?” I asked from some ibuprofen. One guy zipped off to get it while the other paced with me. After I popped some pills, they asked if I wanted them to stay with me for the mile and I said yes. I think that they are only allowed to jump on for a mile max. Anyway, he spent the next several minutes just pounding out the statistics about kidney disease—the number of people who have it, the number of people who die, the amount of money needed for research, etc. And they both kept saying things like, “Remember why you are doing this—you are doing this for Kelly…” and on and on and on. And I totally understand what they were doing. They were trying to motivate me and keep me focused on the cause, etc. But it just made me SOB. I mean I was all out bawling. Snotty and gross and everything. Then I made them run and get me tissues! Ha! Seriously though, it got in my head and I just lost my pace from there for the rest of the race. Not that I blame them. It was just overwhelming.

Once they peeled off, I looked around and noticed that the Costa Ricans were gone. Sad! But right next to me was the Harvard Crew Alum runners (they were early 30s). Yay! So again, I joined their team for a bit and had fun chatting it up about life in Cambridge, etc. We compared notes and it was nice. But they were doing a better pace, so off they went.

Mile 11—and there I was—on the “ramp” that wasn’t a hill! I thought about Nancy and was laughing! I actually like Mile 11 because at this point, I know that I am going to finish no matter what.

Time to head back into Epcot! Woot! More crowds, lots of cheering. But I was strangely not energized. Actually, mile 12 – 13 was my worst mile. I just couldn’t get it going. Of course, once I saw the 13 sign, I kicked it in gear and ran hard to the finish. Got my medal and began to look for Nancy.

Our plan was to double back on to the course so that we could walk Liz in. I texted Liz and found out that Kat had found her on the course so they were together. She said they were doing fine and didn’t need the escort. At this time I also got a text from Amy and she filled me in on how she, EE, and Paula were doing. She didn’t know where Kat was, though, so I was glad to be able to tell her that everyone was accounted for and no one was alone.

Got in line for the official photo, saw another girl puking, found Nancy and she and I both had our pics taken. Then it was time for a massage since I didn’t need to double back for Liz and Kat.

After the massage, well, let’s just say that things got interesting for me and Nancy! But that is another part of the story!

 

[3DisneyKids]

LAST one for today....

hey! This is Nancy hi jacking E's computer!

We are having a GREAT time in Florida. We're going out for dinner at Rose & Crown in just a few minutes here.

We totally rocked the race this morning. It was amazing (God awful early, but ah-mazing! You'll get real reports later). But LISA! I have to tell you, you were totally in my head today. Mile 11/12 range, approaching the end of the race, very tired. And what do I see? A highway overpass. We had to climb another "Florida Hill" And I laughed right out loud. All the way up the hill. Lisa, I kept hearing you say "at least you've got legs" <sigh>

Wishing you all were here....

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Jo and Karen - trust me on this:
- you will not be the fattest one at the race
- you will finish and you will be so proud when you do
- you will be nervous but trust in those around you to guide you in the right direction
- if you finish last remember this: someone has to, don't let it define you - you finished remember and that is a hell of a lot better than not finishing
- when was the first time you did anything the best time you did anything? Enjoy and learn from the experience. Just think of how much stronger you will be for the next one

Don't let your thoughts get you off course. You can do this. I walked up to my first organized bike ride thinking all the thoughts that you are thinking. I weighed around 270 pounds at the time and was freaking out about riding ten miles and coming in last. I not only finished but was the first of the ten milers to finish. The following year I attempted 100 miles and did not finish but I am more proud of that then finishing the ten miler first. I guess what I am trying to say is the only one you are competing against us yourself. Go easy on yourselves ok? You are worth it to go easy on yourself.

Just worth quoting again.

Thank you so much for your wonderful words girls! It means a lot and especially to hear that you were once where I'm at. I can't wait to have the story of my first race!

Heck, I'm still at where you're at! But that's not a bad thing. To be a beginner means to be learning. Experts never need to learn or listen to anyone. Give me newbie over that any day.

My kids started leaving ME long before I ever left them As soon as they were each potty trained (18 months for Becca) my MIL would take all the grandchildren together for a week to their house on a lake. No tv, no telephone. She is an amazing woman that lady.

She is a saint!!! Oh, my!

Paula, I remember reading about your training for that 100 mile ride, you would talk about hill work, I would think boy , OMG, I don't think I could ever train like that. You rode over 80 miles. I am still in awe by you.

Me, too!

OMG. What lovely posts. '

Liz - love to you for always seeing people for where they are.

I ADORED reading your race report Erika. ADORED it.

Paula, bang on. So bang on - your post just reads "stop it!". with love and compassion of course.

Nancy - House Hunters International. No Morocco? No Spain? No West Indies? Toronto? So funny. I'm kidding. I watch it once in awhile. In the beginning of Property Virgins - everything was Toronto. So you can all see how nuts the market is here. Kills me. Pre-approved for 450 000 and such.

Listen, please iknow I am with each and every one of you this weekend but I'm starting to wonder about my internet access and I'm worrying. I'm moving this weekend. Closing is not until the Friday (4th) but Jean is bound and determined to get our a$$es out this weekend. Worrying because it seems like my first priority is internet access for THE RACE!!!! To he!! is a couch fits through a door and such. Laughing. So if I"m not on - it's because I don't have access or it's too far to the ground. So in advance know I'm there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

to all.

First off, thank you.

Second, you focus on you and what you need to do. We know you are with us!!!

Third, I hate the new House Hunters. I liked the Toronto only shows! It was somehow quirky and cute with their adorable accents and cluelessness about house prices! Move it to Texas and I just want to throw stuff at them.

I'll be thinking of all of you as well! I was planning on running Sunday morning while you girls are running to show my support! Obviously I won't be running as far, but run I shall!

That is a beautiful idea!

Yes, yes, yes! Lisa was the one in my head at mile 11! AT LEAST I HAVE LEGS as I was going up that on-ramp. And I was laughing and people were looking at me...


OMG, Karen. STOP. Cease and desist! Never, ever, never ever wear cotton socks! Do I make myself clear? Number one way to get blisters is by wearing cotton. Go get running socks. And these come in a variety of forms, but get ones that have ZERO cotton in them. For long distance, Nancy and I both wear Wright Dual-Layer socks. Liz, too, I think. But these are expensive. I don't wear them for short runs. For short runs I just have a ton of wicking socks. Any running store or department store will have them. I think I even got a bunch of cheap ones at Target once. But read the label.

The up ramp is mile 11????


I wear wicking socks for every run. Every. Run. I am now upgrading to even nicer socks for over 7 miles. Like, way expensive ones. Pray they work!!!

 

[3DisneyKids]

Ok, ok.... I know I said I was done, but this is NANCY's race report. And it isn't to be missed!



Much of my story is the same as Erikas...

Up in the middle of the freakin' night. 3:30. Do you realize just how hard it is to mobilize a group of 6 groggy "why the he!! are we doing this" women at 3:30? Everyone had packed their bags the night before, but that didn't stop me from having my own personal freak out. Several times over. I was going over and over my list of stuff making sure every last thing I needed was packed.

I'm dressed in my oh-so-lovely heather purple sweat pants and matching sweatshirt. I feel like a moldy grape. (I think Amy may have photos?)

I pee one last time before we leave.

We make our way to Epcot parking lot and as we head to where the "action" is, the excitement in the air is palatable. Thousands upon thousands of crazy people in the dead of night ready to run. It was then that I realized we had totally missed the boat. Team Goddess so needed a flag and a standard bearer. Like one of those foreign tourist groups. We pick a place to meet after checking our bags. Kat has left hers in the car, so no need for her to check a bag. The tents are alphabetical by last name. We get in lines, and it's not long before we realize that once you go thru the tent to check your bag, they don't let you back out. You are now on the athletes only side. Except Kat, who is waiting for us at our meeting spot.

I tell the rest of the gals to stay put, I'm going after Kat. And for the first of what would turn into MANY times that day, I jumped fences and broke thru barriers to get somewhere I clearly wasn't supposed to be. Only to discover that Kat is GONE. I yelled her name. loud. and a LOT. People were looking at me. I duck back thru the barriers and fences to get back to my team. My cell phone is in my checked bag. Maybe someone with a phone can call her. But alas, there is Kat coming thru the tent to meet us. Crisis #1 averted.

We do indeed get in the port-a-potty lines. I pee. Twice. We make the walk down the paved pathway to the highway where the start corrals were.

Right there, in the middle of everything, was the Banana Of Death. (for those of you not aware, Erika is highly allergic to bananas). It's on the ground just waiting to trip her. I tell her if she wants a fast race, she can have one. I'll just chase her the whole way with the banana ahhh...what are friends for!

We see the porta-potty line up just before the start corrals. Skipping that I duck behind. I decide to take off the fabulously hideous sweat pants at this point.

I pee again. (this is the 5th time. And it's only about 5:30 am).

As Erika has said, we have to go thru several check points to get into the corrals. We split as a group - Erika, Liz & I headed for "C" (Yes, I drop back for my friends!), the others to "D". Now, the corral assignment is on the upper left hand corner of the race bib. Because we all had sweatshirts, etc on, we had to lift our shirts to show the security folks the bib & corral placement. We show guy #1, we're cleared thru. Guy #2 has a trickier job, because here 2 lines are merging. Erika and Liz flash their bibs and are waved thru. I try to flash mine, but Security guy is attempting to check the women coming from the other direction. The following converstation ensued.

Security: I need to see your bib
random lady: <looks blankly away, not looking man in the eye> lifts shirt ever so slightly so that the bottom corner of the bib is exposed.
Security: Ma'am, I need to see your WHOLE bib
lady: <doesn't flinch>
me: 'scuse me. He needs to see your bib
lady: <no reaction>
security: <looking at me> No, you can't go anywhere until I'm done with HER.
me: LADY. Would you just lift your shirt so he can see your freakin' BIB.
lady: <lifts shirt a tad higher so that 1/2 of her number is exposed>
security: <aggrevated now> Listen lady. You HAVE to lift your shirt. I can't lift it for you.
me:< COMPLETELY annoyed, and afraid I'll lose sight of my friends in the corral> I CAN LIFT YOUR SHIRT FOR YOU. And I do. I grab right hold of her shirt and hoist it up to reveal "CORRAL E". See yah. You are outta here
security: thank you. You're clear to go.


We wait, chat it up with fun people and finally it's our turn to start. We are maybe 5 minutes into it. maybe? And I turn to Erika. "I have to pee" I so wish I was kidding. But I made myself wait until the first set of port-a-potties at about mile 2 or just before that.

We were only about 1/2 mile in and I was already regretting that I had chosen to not carry either my camera or my phone. The entertainment along the way was amazing. I would have totally taken pictures.

So many people. So much great energy. The sheer joy that I felt in people as we trotted along the highway was fabulous. And the thunderous roar of the spectators along the way, most especially in Magic Kingdom was completely energizing.

<btw I stopped in Tomorrow Land, right outside Cosmic Rays to pee>

Coming out of MK and down the narrow roadway towards Grand Floridian is somewhat of a let down. It's right around mile 7 there and I finally pull out my music and plug myself in. I crank along until mile 8 when all of a sudden everything falls apart. My right hamstring that I've been nursing is done. Done. And my left hip flexor that had finally healed was *talking loudly* to me. But, just as I wondered how I was going to finish I saw before me an angel. A volunteer with a gallon jug of Bio-Freeze. "HIT ME", I laugh and she gave me this huge gob of bio-freeze that I slathered on my problem spots. Instant relief. Good to go for a while.

Until mile 10, when I pulled off at the next opportunity to pee. again. Clearly I had done my job and hydrated.

Approaching another "Florida Hill" (on ramp!) at mile 11 I hear from behind me "WAY TO GO TEAM GODDESS". It's a fellow WISHer. She told me her name, but unfortunately I've forgotten. We exchange pleasantries, and "way to go's" and I'm on my way. To the "LISA HILL". That last over pass just before mile 12. Where I laughed all the way up saying "at least I've got legs" under my breath. Heck. My music was blasting in my ears at that point. I probably said it right out loud

Coming into Epcot, Shania Twain came on. "Man, I Feel Like A Woman". Such an appropriate song for the moment. I cruise thru Epcot and rounding the corner right at the 13 mile mark I had to pull the ear buds out. There was the most amazing Gospel Choir singing. It literally brought tears to my eyes and took my breath for a moment. Choking back a bit, I re-compose myself, laugh again at the thought that "this IS my finishing sprint pace" and make it across the line.

I was done.

But that's where the REAL story begins.....

 

[SeptemberGirl]

Oh! Those make me want to run!