Our trips now need excuses: this one's excuse was the TOT 10-miler

[nancy drew]

I find race photos to be so funny. At least, that's how I have to look at them, otherwise I would be crying. I am aware that there is a camera *somewhere* at the end of the race. I am aware that I am *at* the end of the race. I am feeling SO HAPPY to be at the end of the race. Once I had one of my kids there, waiting to high five me at the end of the race. And yet in my photos, I always look sad, or mad, or something other than really happy. How does that work???

DD just ran a mile (not sure how much of it she ran, as she was the last to finish, but she *was* running when I saw her at the end of the race) and the photo I took of her (not looking at me, looking at her friends) is awesome. She looks so proud, has a great stride, and looks like a champion. Me? I could never manage that.

So Molly/Annmarieda, are either of you going to post these race photos???

Also are there race photos on the Castaway Cay 5K? I'm guessing no, but have to ask so I can try to be prepared.

 

[bumbershoot]

Kids look great while running.

Oh yeah, I bought the digital image. I don't have to wait for anything to get here. Guess I'd better get to writing soon.

 

[annmarieda]

Nope.. I doubt I will be posting any race pics... although I might. Who knows...

I am not sure on the castaway 5k... I know I saw a picture recently of a group of people who had their picture taken... but not sure if that wasn't just a "here snap our pic" sort of deal.

 

[bumbershoot]

Let's see...after leaving our room, grossly overestimating the amount of time it would take me to get to the front of the resort (I was having images of it taking 45 minutes to walk up there, LOL, even though I had walked it a couple times already), letting my imagination see me breaking my ankle or tweaking my knee along the way, I did in fact make it up there in almost no time.

Saw the bus, saw the CM, got on the bus.

Here is the first time I wished I had a running companion. I felt so alone getting on that bus! It was almost full, and it seemed like everyone had friends. I did notice that there were a lot of family/friends that weren't running (from their clothes). I should have just gotten off the bus and run back and gotten the guys, but I didn't even think about it. Anyway, everyone looked like they had companions, and part of me felt like the shy schoolkid getting on the bus at the beginning of the year, where everyone was a stranger and no one would like me (yeah, I had a fun school life with those thoughts in my head every day). I also kind of felt like I was a fraud; I wasn't a "runner", I was a wannabe, I'd never finish and they all knew it.

Yep, I wish I had had a buddy with me. Because the person inhabiting my head wasn't being very friendly to me!


So I found a seat and all was fine. The bus filled up, we took off, and got over to the dropoff point fairly quickly. Then we walked across approximately 20 football fields to get to the pre-race area. (I might be exaggerating)

It was a party over there! And I was alone. Dang. There were people dancing to YMCA and other songs. (which looked like fun but as Coach Charles on the WISH boards mentions, that really wore out some people who weren't thinking of the 10 miles to go) I finally realized that all the lines I saw were for people waiting to take pictures. Again I wished for a companion. I also realized that some of the photos I'd seen on runDisney from the race were actually not DURING the race, but from this before-party. Aha.

I wandered and looked and saw the portapotty lines and wondered when I should get in those lines and when I should head to the corral and wished I were taller so I could see if they had portapotties in the corrals, etc etc.

Then I thought "surely the guys will be coming soon", so I went over to the area near where people from the buses cross into the pre-race (but open to everyone) zone, hoping to see them get off the bus. Talked to a guy in a kilt then his friends got there and I just waited. And waited. And, sigh, waited.

Finally I actually did sort of need the portapotty, and I headed over there.

Where I waited in "my" line for 45 minutes.

I saw plenty of people abandon "my" line and those around me and head off to the corner where one line of potties made an L with the other line. But I couldn't really see IF the lines were actually shorter, and I was too chicken, and so I stayed.

Eventually the line dwindled and I started chatting with a couple people. One lady was really nice, and assured me that it would be OK if we were late. Whew, OK. Let's make a mention, though, that the corral I was headed for was blocked from my vision by the short L side of the portapotty area. Wish I could have seen it.

Nice lady veered off to another line shortly before the line ended. In some sort of weirdness of time or potty use, she and I met back up heading to the corrals. We headed through the runner-only line to see that corrals A-F were gone gone gone (we were both heading to E), and we were told to go into G. The guy in front of us went through the G gate and then they closed it on us. Had to go to H.

Kind of made our own way into H. Basically they had everyone all squished in their corrals, then they opened one side and let people out to walk on down to the start. If I'd been in my proper place I would have started with E. As it was, I started with H. My family expected me to start with E, I didn't have my phone, and they were somewhat mystified what was taking me so long.

It gave this nice woman and I a good amount of time to walk and talk, and it seemed we had a lot in common. I really appreciated the experience she had with other races and all the little things we chatted about.

They broadcast the DJ-type people talking about the race, so we could hear when everyone went...the race wheelchairs, corral A, B, C, D, E (we yelled "woo!" when they went, and confused the heck out of everyone around us), F, and G...and then finally it was our turn.

This is what you see when you're walking up to the start.

I know...exciting! Really in-focus, too.


And...go!



The run is a blur. I'm still working on my map-to-real-life skills, and I think we all know I'm a little slow on the uptake and low on the memory when I'm doing brand new things.

Editing to add: I THOUGHT I didn't remember much! Wow...might not be solid memories, but I had a lot of impressions...

I remember....

HEAT, such heat.

Cloverleafs with fireballs in the retaining ponds in the middle. (I think there was just one such cloverleaf but we went around/by it more than once) Those fireballs are HOT, even if you're not near it. It's astonishing how much heat those put out, and how fast it travels. I shouldn't have been surprised, because I remember watching the Disneyland fireworks from Disneyland Hotel's concierge lounge. Back then, pre-renovation, they had windows that opened up there, and they were open. When the big tall flames shot up during the fireworks, you could actually feel the heat all the way to the hotel, and INSIDE the room. So I shouldn't have been surprised.

Joy at following my training plan! I wasn't perfect at it because I had either forgotten to set my audio alerts on my Garmin OR I couldn't hear them, for when I was supposed to walk or run, but there were plenty of other Galloway followers around me who were also on a 2run:1walk ratio that I just followed their watches. Which I could hear.

Amazement at other runners who, despite my best efforts at staying/getting to the right for my walks, looking around before moving, and trying to be as polite as possible, would do wild and crazy things to get by me and other people. And actually many of the wild people were also walk/runners. I guess it's just like driving. Some people are more sedate and polite, and others are more impatient.

Amazement at the people who had 5+ in their group and would literally travel shoulder to shoulder with no apparent knowledge that they were creating traffic problems behind them!

Amazement by the "good jobs" etc that runners give other runners.

Amazement at some of the costumes....full-on Syndrome including bodysuit, cape, and WIG...Blade, complete with ankle length vinyl-looking coat with "swords" in the back of it...lit-up tutus...how many people running in groups had one person be Cruella with everyone else dressed as dalmations... So many fun, neat, amazing costumes. Running skirt with octopus tentacles attached to it for Ursula! Mother Gothel and Rapunzel running together! (with wigs!)

How FAST some people run. We were just off the cloverleaf and there were already people who had gone all the way on osceola to the AK lot entrance and turned around and were on the way back past us.

Heat. Humidity. Fireballs.

Water stations... "water, water? take some water, please don't say no, I have rejection issues"

How true the little cartoon is about how runners are NOT basketball players, considering how many cups are strewn on the ground AROUND the garbage bins.

How dangerous it felt to be running over crushed and/or skittering-around water cups on the ground.

How glad I was to have my water bottle, but then how refreshing it was to take cups of water and later to pause and pour some watercups into my bottle.

How petty I felt when making SURE my cups went into the bins because I really felt in peril going through the cups on the ground and didn't want to contribute to the problem.

How amazing the volunteers around WWOS were, with their mickey clappy hands things, and how freakin' kind they are for hanging out like that. And, right after that, the utter sorrow for the spectators in Boston who were being just about as nice as you can be in this world, and for their kindness, had a bomb set off near them. I wasn't feeling like "a runner" at that marathon time, and I think I'll have to be 75 by the time I maybe even reach the sort of times to qualify for that run, but NOW every time I think of it I well up. Being a spectator at a run is seriously about the nicest you can be, and it's just not right.

So, yeah, fun thoughts.

WWOS seemed to go on forever!

I think the dark and scary trail was before WWOS, because I remember coming out of there into bright lights and maybe baseball fields? But I could be wrong. The trail was a place where I simply walked. Now...anyone in my life can tell you, I'm a fast little walker. But walking isn't running, so I hugged the right side of that trail to stay out of the way. And a couple times I guess that wasn't good enough, because a couple people actually managed to run by me on the right. Not sure how, but they did. yikes.

I didn't like the trail. I couldn't see well in there. They did have some bright lighting, but with my eyes the brightness only works for that area, and it actually makes darker areas before and beyond feel DARKER. I would have preferred even lighting throughout, even if it was dim. At least that way my eyes could have gotten used to it.

As soon as I got out of the trail I FORCED myself to start running again, and as soon as I could got back on my 2:1 schedule.

Around that time there was a woman with a speaker clipped to her shirt who went by, blasting what might have been Beiber. Yeah, well, I did not super-appreciate that. But I might have mentioned before that I'm an irritable runner. I was glad when she went past me.

That said, around mile 6 if I remember correctly, I hit a wall. Despair, sadness, loneliness. I'm SURE I was not alone on the path at that moment, but it felt like I was. I was forcing myself to keep running on the schedule, because I'm weird in that way, but I sure didn't WANT to.

And then my memory tells me that I literally turned a corner, and there was a "zombie dance party" blasting Born This Way by Lady Gaga. And it ROCKED my world at that moment. That song can be meaningful in all sorts of ways, and I got all philosophical about being born to run (gag, sorry, it's not like I'm an Olympian, but in a way I sort of am "born to run" because walking long distances absolutely destroys my hips and makes me limp, but if I'm in a jog I feel SO much better), and here I was, at 43, running a 10 mile race, and I was over halfway there, and that moment and that song and the zombies (even though I'm anti-zombie) and everything just turned me on my head and made ALL the difference.

I suppose that's what the speaker-clipped-to-her-shirt lady was doing for herself and her running buddies; trying to make that difference to themselves. And maybe the Lady Gaga moment annoyed her like her possible-Bieber had annoyed me. Tastes are so different.

And so I hit the wall then broke through it with the help of the Mother Monster (that's what Lady Gaga calls herself, right?). Thank you, Stefani Germanotta.

Jogging through Yet Another Part of WWOS, I saw a man holding up a sign, John Cusack with boombox style, and the sign read "Run faster! My arms are getting tired!"

And people just sitting in the stands, cheering for total strangers. Taking time out of their lives to go sit there; sure, waiting for their own loved one, but also clapping and yelling and cheering for others. Getting teary again! Remembering the 10K I had run shortly before ToT, and having my good friend watch my son and surprise me by showing up in THREE different areas of the course to cheer me on, and she came prepared with markers and posterboard to make signs for me! And passing by a family with a couple young boys, and the boys (in keeping with the race name, the "You Go Girl" run) calling out "looking good, girls, keep going, girls!"

Back to TOT...did I mention the fireballs?

I didn't stop at a single character. I looked at them and tried to appreciate them in the moment. I only remember a few, though. Dr Facilier. The Hag. Not a character, but the ship that I think was from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Gravediggers? Lots of random zombies. Not something I associate with Disney but that's OK.

Eventually I took these pictures.

I know, aren't you amazed at my running-while-taking-pictures prowess?

And then this:

As we were running in DHS I missed a LOT. I missed the fact that we ran around the hat. We did? When? I remember running through a tunnely sort of area but still outdoors and I guess it's the costume area that you go by on the whatchamacallit tour, but I was having a hard time realizing where we were. I saw some sort of prop from something that made me say "oh that's that prop" and then continued on.

At some point we ran into another stadium, and that confused me so badly and I was lost, but I realized a few days later that it's the Lights Motors Action stunt show stadium. Fun area! I just didn't know what it was at the time. You know, that might actually be where I saw the "Run faster!" sign guy.

Finally we were in some uninspiring area and a volunteer said "keep going, just half a mile to go!" and a man running near me expressed great disappointment because he thought it was half that. Poor guy.

And then volunteers were saying "the finish is right around the corner!" which was sort of true but they said it before a corner and there were really two corners, or something like that. It wasn't RIGHT there, but it was close enough for me.

And I tried to speed up. Maybe I did? Maybe I didn't. I was getting a hitch in my breath because I was about to be finished. Assuming I didn't fall or die or anything, I was about to finish my first REAL race (guess the 10K didn't count all of a sudden?), my first BIG goal since grad school, and I was about to FINISH IT. And I was amazed, and wanting to cry, and wanting a hug, and loving everyone around me who was exactly the same because we had all signed up for this race, trained for it, and run it and here we all were, finishing it, and just wow wow wow and WOW.

Hint: I'm not the guy.
Extra hint: that was supposed to be a smile.
Sidenote: the purple Bondiband was nowhere as cute on me as the ladies at the Bondiband booth said it was, LOL.


People said Goofy was at the finish. I didn't see him.
Robert and Eamon were in the stands at the finish. We didn't see each other. I was over to the side furthest away from the stands, and that guy next to me was pretty tall. When I showed Robert the uncropped picture, he recognized the lady on the other side of the guy, so they saw the moment I finished, just not me.
I was looking in the stands, wondering if they were there, but I just didn't see them. I almost walked right past the medal-giver-outers (official name, didn't you know? OK that's a lie, it's just my name for them) but realized my error.
Once I got that, I just lost it. The tears would not stop. Nearly every emotion imaginable was coming out in those tears, and despite all evidence to the contrary, I was having serious doubts that I had actually done it.

But there was that medal on my neck, getting all sweaty.

I had a picture taken but the photog was on the ground and it was post-run, post-cry, dehydrated and "seriously, did that woman pee her pants?" sweaty, and I did NOT buy that one. (just the finish photo)

After that I remember bananas being given, a bottle of water, a snack box... (pictured with my arnica cream, below)

I remember walking and walking, and THEN remembering to turn off the GPS watch. I measured my distance at 10.30 thanks to the weaving especially at the start and then the partial walk I recorded after.

There was a hill to go up. Eek. Probably not as tall in real life as my legs thought it was at the time. But I was not alone in my feelings; there were many groans around me as we all hit the hill.

I saw a man being pushed the opposite way in a wheelchair...his face did not look good and neither did his knee. Ouch. Such empathy for the guy.

I wished I had my phone so I could SIT DOWN with everyone else sitting but I just forged on ahead. Our meeting place was the alphabetical reunion area for my last name, and I was going to get there. I thought about a biofreeze break but the idea of going near someone else to do that, or to get goop on my hands while I was still so hot just stopped me. I continued on.

Finally, an eternity later (and I have almost no idea where we walked through...if there's one reason to do it again it's to try to have my eyes open and brain on for that part) I saw the sign for the reunion area, and then I saw Robert and then I was there and he hugged me and Eamon was so happy to see me and it was good.

They had brought my supplies so we went to find a restroom. Do you know I didn't even know there was a changing area? But I'm glad I didn't because it was before the reunion area and I hear it was hotter than outside in there!

So I hogged a stall and used one of the towels they had brought to dry off and to sponge at my icky hair and get relatively decent. Changed from my running clothes and running shoes into my Prana dress and my Crocs (oh glorious flipflops).

They had tucked some surprises for me in there. They had bought the expensive race jacket I had denied myself. And the necklace. And a Cinderella themed set of mouse ears (the light blue with the sparkly shoe on it) because I was a princess for having done the race. Aw... I was done in the bathroom.


They had my chocolate almond milk and my water and I tried a little of the PowerAde given at the end of the race but that stuff is just nasty and has HFCS which just isn't good for me. I think I had a Mojo bar. Tried to talk but kept losing my train of thought. Legs hurt. Toes hurt. So tired. And I felt like I had lost about 15 lbs, which actually is sort of possible considering how puny I felt and how much I sweat.

Left the bathroom area and headed to sit down. Whoops, sat in the smoking section but I was too focused to notice or really care. DH was making noises about "ew, gross" but I pointed out the ashtray in the area, and reminded him that it's not nice to sit in a designated area for that and then complain. So we just focused on whatever I was doing (arnica on the calves maybe, and on the toes?) and then moved away so I could snack.

Hummus good, pita chips WAY too hard. Weird blueberry crispy thing, yuck. That's all I remember from the snack.


Had to exchange the jacket because even though the sizes of the shirts included in the race fee were massively large, the sizing on these jackets was tiny. I'm in one size in most tops now, and that size in that jacket barely went over my head. Luckily we got the same guy he had bought it from and it was just a bit of paperwork, so to speak, to get the size exchanged. I am now in the head space where I just want clothes to fit, and I don't particularly care about the number or letter on the tag, so it was totally OK that he'd gotten one that was too small.


Blurry picture of me after I had started recovering. Wearing my new jacket because even though I was hot, I know that I get COLD, and get cold FAST, after a long run. This jacket is actually my RoadRunnerSports one.

The guys had hardly done what they had intended to do during the party; I guess watching their texts for where I was, wondering where I was, trying to figure out where they could go to watch me (they asked about various places, and were told NO, but found out from me later that there had been spectators all along where they had been told NO about), etc, took the party-party out of their system. They did hit Rock 'n Roller coaster a bit so that was good.

We did Star Tours, I know that because of this picture.

We were going to ride TSMM but if I recall the line estimate was crazy. Without my earplugs I can't handle the noise in the line, so we skipped it. And saw the evil Lotso. As I said something about how evil he was, a lady in a different group said something about "oh he's not bad" and thankfully her companions reminded her of just how bad he was in the movie. He's so pink and fuzzy it's hard to remember, but yep, he fit right in with the Villians theme.

I really really REALLY wanted a drink, I had PLANNED on a beer, but in the actual moment it seemed like a horrible idea. I really didn't want to be carried out of the park after collapsing just because of a beer.

But man that bar looked like fun.

I rode TOT! By myself, since Eamon was refusing to go. It was all misty and spooky, and there was a tall gaunt-looking CM standing just beside the door saying Hello all of a sudden to scare people.

The lady in my row with the stripey thing on her shirt was dressed as a Tron character. In the light it looked like she had painted on her clothes. Which she had. In the dark, however, it glowed perfectly and she looked like she was right out of Tron.

The medals do glow in the dark; the windows in the hotel look so cool. And as the ride dropped, our medals did start floating up (mine appeared to be at my nose level) despite how heavy they are!


Then Robert went, and I forgot to tell him about the CM. When the CM said "Hello", Robert startled and jumped, and turned to say "you got me" to the CM, and slammed his arm into a line post. Since Robert was moving as he did this, his body weight was behind the arm, and it made for a NASTY bruise that turned into a weird open injury (like the skin split from the impact) after about 2 days. FREAKY! But Robert does fun things like keloiding with scars, so his injuries almost always do weird things. I felt so bad for him, though.

He did, however, agree with E keeping himself from the ride, as that CM would have effectively ended the night for E and therefore for us.


Although we didn't do much, we did do some, and because we were moving slowly, soon enough the clock showed this!

And E's always-wishing-for-an-all-nighter face showed this.

DHS at 4am...

I literally do not remember the bus ride home. As I think about it I remember walking past the normal transportation area, seeing the other buses across, and Robert magically figuring out what bus to get on, but that's it. Gone. Blank.


We needed to talk to CMs in the lobby for some reason, and on the way in I took this picture. At the time I did NOT remember that sign, you know, that I had taken a picture of already. Yeah, I need to do better with my pre-and-during-race nutrition and hydration. I had eaten so many electrolyte replacements during the race my belly felt FULL by the end, but when I counted how many I had left I realized I had needed to eat more.

We did whatever our business was, made our way back, E collapsed in bed, I took a bath in epsom salts and just barely was able to drag myself out before I passed out and became a tragedy....and we slept like logs.



Until way too early in the morning, when we had to get up to head to our 10:45 ADR at Tusker House!

 

[bumbershoot]

I edited a bunch of spelling, and the fact that apparently I did have some memories, and about the medals on the TOT ride, into the above.


Gotta say I do not regret that manicure! Purple might not be the color everyone wants for their fingernails, but I am loving it in the couple pictures where I can see it. Maybe I'll budget even more in January and not only get the manicure but buy all the various things they used on my nails (SO many coats of polish and clear coat and things!).


Yagh at the arm skin. I wanted to do the "arm's up" thing because that's what you do AND because I had a nasty bruise on my shoulder (from acupuncture the previous week), but I'm not sure I'll do that again. My arms look good and strong when not flapping up in the air. That really was an attempt at smiling, LOL.

 

[annmarieda]

Here is the first time I wished I had a running companion. I felt so alone getting on that bus! It was almost full, and it seemed like everyone had friends. I did notice that there were a lot of family/friends that weren't running (from their clothes). I should have just gotten off the bus and run back and gotten the guys, but I didn't even think about it. Anyway, everyone looked like they had companions, and part of me felt like the shy schoolkid getting on the bus at the beginning of the year, where everyone was a stranger and no one would like me (yeah, I had a fun school life with those thoughts in my head every day). I also kind of felt like I was a fraud; I wasn't a "runner", I was a wannabe, I'd never finish and they all knew it.

I don't know how many of us there are who feel like this... I assume that there has to be more than just you and I... but do know that I too felt this. I felt this at the phm and again at the ToT 10 miler. Everything from feeling like everyone else were friends to thinking they all knew I was, as you put it... a "fraud"

It was a party over there! And I was alone. Dang. There were people dancing to YMCA and other songs. (which looked like fun but as Coach Charles on the WISH boards mentions, that really wore out some people who weren't thinking of the 10 miles to go) I finally realized that all the lines I saw were for people waiting to take pictures. Again I wished for a companion. I also realized that some of the photos I'd seen on runDisney from the race were actually not DURING the race, but from this before-party. Aha.

you are braver than I. I just found my corral and sat outside it. I did not go anywhere near the prerace festivities.

Where I waited in "my" line for 45 minutes.

Were these the ones up near A - C corral? I never saw much of a line..or noticed one anyway.

Eventually the line dwindled and I started chatting with a couple people. One lady was really nice, and assured me that it would be OK if we were late. Whew, OK. Let's make a mention, though, that the corral I was headed for was blocked from my vision by the short L side of the portapotty area. Wish I could have seen it.

Nice lady veered off to another line shortly before the line ended. In some sort of weirdness of time or potty use, she and I met back up heading to the corrals. We headed through the runner-only line to see that corrals A-F were gone gone gone (we were both heading to E), and we were told to go into G. The guy in front of us went through the G gate and then they closed it on us. Had to go to H.

Kind of made our own way into H. Basically they had everyone all squished in their corrals, then they opened one side and let people out to walk on down to the start. If I'd been in my proper place I would have started with E. As it was, I started with H. My family expected me to start with E, I didn't have my phone, and they were somewhat mystified what was taking me so long.

It gave this nice woman and I a good amount of time to walk and talk, and it seemed we had a lot in common. I really appreciated the experience she had with other races and all the little things we chatted about.

They broadcast the DJ-type people talking about the race, so we could hear when everyone went...the race wheelchairs, corral A, B, C, D, E (we yelled "woo!" when they went, and confused the heck out of everyone around us), F, and G...and then finally it was our turn.

You made a friend in line. For the phm... I made friends with people all around me. Not so for the ToT. Everyone was so quite. It was like they all were ready to get down to business.

HEAT, such heat.

it was bad... but luckily not quite as bad as last year.

Cloverleafs with fireballs in the retaining ponds in the middle. (I think there was just one such cloverleaf but we went around/by it more than once) Those fireballs are HOT, even if you're not near it. It's astonishing how much heat those put out, and how fast it travels. I shouldn't have been surprised, because I remember watching the Disneyland fireworks from Disneyland Hotel's concierge lounge. Back then, pre-renovation, they had windows that opened up there, and they were open. When the big tall flames shot up during the fireworks, you could actually feel the heat all the way to the hotel, and INSIDE the room. So I shouldn't have been surprised.

I believe this was a new addition from last year. What were they thinking? It really made things warm!!!

Amazement by the "good jobs" etc that runners give other runners.

I love how other runners can be so supportive!!!

Amazement at some of the costumes....full-on Syndrome including bodysuit, cape, and WIG...Blade, complete with ankle length vinyl-looking coat with "swords" in the back of it...lit-up tutus...how many people running in groups had one person be Cruella with everyone else dressed as dalmations... So many fun, neat, amazing costumes. Running skirt with octopus tentacles attached to it for Ursula! Mother Gothel and Rapunzel running together! (with wigs!)

I too was impressed... I can't imagine running in all of that... but I am impressed. I also was impressed by a guy who had very much so the LEAST amount of costume possible. He was shirtless as well as shoeless. CRAZY!

How FAST some people run. We were just off the cloverleaf and there were already people who had gone all the way on osceola to the AK lot entrance and turned around and were on the way back past us.

You have to keep in mind that that stretch is only a couple miles. If you start in an early corral and even do a 10 minute mile (which you should be doing if you are in an early corral) You are coming back from that while later corrals are just starting. I know I was on my way back when I saw the larger corrals moving out. I also saw them when I was leaving WWOS and they were headed into the forest.

How true the little cartoon is about how runners are NOT basketball players, considering how many cups are strewn on the ground AROUND the garbage bins.

How dangerous it felt to be running over crushed and/or skittering-around water cups on the ground.

How glad I was to have my water bottle, but then how refreshing it was to take cups of water and later to pause and pour some watercups into my bottle.

I think this is just par for the course. I have ran so many events that gave out water and at each...the litter of cups was astounding.

WWOS seemed to go on forever!

I think a good third of the course had to have been WWOS... it was crazy!

I think the dark and scary trail was before WWOS, because I remember coming out of there into bright lights and maybe baseball fields?

Yep, you enter the woods off of the hiway... then exit the woods onto a path at WWOS... that path takes you to a baseball field.

That said, around mile 6 if I remember correctly, I hit a wall. Despair, sadness, loneliness. I'm SURE I was not alone on the path at that moment, but it felt like I was. I was forcing myself to keep running on the schedule, because I'm weird in that way, but I sure didn't WANT to.

This made me go back and look because I thought I hit a wall around there too. In looking... miles 5,6 and 7 were all in that trail/WWOS area. I slowed quite a bit during that time. It was hard there....

then my memory tells me that I literally turned a corner, and there was a "zombie dance party" blasting Born This Way by Lady Gaga. And it ROCKED my world at that moment. That song can be meaningful in all sorts of ways, and I got all philosophical about being born to run (gag, sorry, it's not like I'm an Olympian, but in a way I sort of am "born to run" because walking long distances absolutely destroys my hips and makes me limp, but if I'm in a jog I feel SO much better), and here I was, at 43, running a 10 mile race, and I was over halfway there, and that moment and that song and the zombies (even though I'm anti-zombie) and everything just turned me on my head and made ALL the difference.

That is so cool that you got a second wind!!!

Back to TOT...did I mention the fireballs?

I didn't stop at a single character. I looked at them and tried to appreciate them in the moment. I only remember a few, though. Dr Facilier. The Hag. Not a character, but the ship that I think was from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Gravediggers? Lots of random zombies. Not something I associate with Disney but that's OK.

Eventually I took these pictures.

I know, aren't you amazed at my running-while-taking-pictures prowess?

I am very impressed! lets just say... I am not so coordinated...even if I stop.

As we were running in DHS I missed a LOT. I missed the fact that we ran around the hat. We did? When? I remember running through a tunnely sort of area but still outdoors and I guess it's the costume area that you go by on the whatchamacallit tour, but I was having a hard time realizing where we were. I saw some sort of prop from something that made me say "oh that's that prop" and then continued on.

I think my memory is helped by the fact this was my second time running the route (yet is far from perfect and quite foggy too), but yes... around the hat. First you come in the back of the park... run down the streets of America (? I never can remember what that is called...where Osbourne lights are at Christmas) Then up by where ABC Commissary is and it pops you out (if you are looking at it from the front of the park) the left side of the hat. Run around that...down by TSM.. then it is foggy for me. I know you get to the backlot tour tunnel...and I thought you then run through LMA? Maybe that comes first?

And I tried to speed up. Maybe I did? Maybe I didn't. I was getting a hitch in my breath because I was about to be finished. Assuming I didn't fall or die or anything, I was about to finish my first REAL race (guess the 10K didn't count all of a sudden?), my first BIG goal since grad school, and I was about to FINISH IT. And I was amazed, and wanting to cry, and wanting a hug, and loving everyone around me who was exactly the same because we had all signed up for this race, trained for it, and run it and here we all were, finishing it, and just wow wow wow and WOW.

P

Once I got that, I just lost it. The tears would not stop. Nearly every emotion imaginable was coming out in those tears, and despite all evidence to the contrary, I was having serious doubts that I had actually done it.

But there was that medal on my neck, getting all sweaty.

I had a picture taken but the photog was on the ground and it was post-run, post-cry, dehydrated and "seriously, did that woman pee her pants?" sweaty, and I did NOT buy that one. (just the finish photo)

After that I remember bananas being given, a bottle of water, a snack box... (pictured with my arnica cream, below)

Your recollection has me feeling emotional all over again. I love that feeling of accomplishment. So cool!!

They had brought my supplies so we went to find a restroom. Do you know I didn't even know there was a changing area? But I'm glad I didn't because it was before the reunion area and I hear it was hotter than outside in there!

So miserable! So not private either. You were much better off in the restroom.

So I hogged a stall and used one of the towels they had brought to dry off and to sponge at my icky hair and get relatively decent. Changed from my running clothes and running shoes into my Prana dress and my Crocs (oh glorious flipflops).

They had tucked some surprises for me in there. They had bought the expensive race jacket I had denied myself. And the necklace. And a Cinderella themed set of mouse ears (the light blue with the sparkly shoe on it) because I was a princess for having done the race. Aw... I was done in the bathroom.


They had my chocolate almond milk and my water and I tried a little of the PowerAde given at the end of the race but that stuff is just nasty and has HFCS which just isn't good for me. I think I had a Mojo bar. Tried to talk but kept losing my train of thought. Legs hurt. Toes hurt. So tired. And I felt like I had lost about 15 lbs, which actually is sort of possible considering how puny I felt and how much I sweat.


Blurry picture of me after I had started recovering. Wearing my new jacket because even though I was hot, I know that I get COLD, and get cold FAST, after a long run. This jacket is actually my RoadRunnerSports one.

You look awesome!

The medals do glow in the dark; the windows in the hotel look so cool. And as the ride dropped, our medals did start floating up (mine appeared to be at my nose level) despite how heavy they are!

That is so cool!!!

Then Robert went, and I forgot to tell him about the CM. When the CM said "Hello", Robert startled and jumped, and turned to say "you got me" to the CM, and slammed his arm into a line post. Since Robert was moving as he did this, his body weight was behind the arm, and it made for a NASTY bruise that turned into a weird open injury (like the skin split from the impact) after about 2 days. FREAKY! But Robert does fun things like keloiding with scars, so his injuries almost always do weird things. I felt so bad for him, though.

OUCH

Although we didn't do much, we did do some, and because we were moving slowly, soon enough the clock showed this!

And E's always-wishing-for-an-all-nighter face showed this.

DHS at 4am...

How awesome that you stayed so late.!!!

I literally do not remember the bus ride home.

Nope, I don't either.


Thank you so much for sharing your race recap!!! AWESOME job!!!!

 

[nancy drew]

Awesome recap, amazing race!!!!

I too understand exactly what you and annmarieda have described about the pre-race feelings of being the only one who isn't running with friends. I spent a summer running 5Ks, and although I ran into people I knew a few times at the starting line, it still just sucked going alone and feeling like everyone else was running with their bestest buds. I also completely understand that feeling of "I don't belong here."

 

[bumbershoot]

Hi, ladies! Thanks for reading all that.


It's so good to know that I'm not alone in sort of wondering if others think I belong in the running club. I've been working on some serious emotional stuff involving self-esteem (the emotions of the weight loss have started revving up the more I realize that I'm a small person now and I don't have to throw caveats in there) and so I didn't know if it was just me or if it is common. I'm glad to know I'm not alone.


The portapotty line I was in was way closer to the bag-check area than the corrals. I made a rotten decision on line, and for whatever reason didn't fix the decision. The lines for the potties that were facing (their backs were facing?) the corral areas cleared out quicker. I SHOULD have moved to the junction of the sides of the L, because those lines seemed to be emptier. But I was chicken to move. Ultimately it was OK because I met that nice person, and I got to see what it was like to make a mistake at a race...got that out of the way now.

 

[bumbershoot]

Animal Kingdom day!

So excited for my first full "recovery" meal.

So tired. Almost too tired to get up for it. But you gotta get up. Dragged everyone out of bed, drove, parked, got to tram at the end of loading, got to the parks. Pretty excited to be near a large, noisy, boisterous family in front of us (filling the two bench seating area at the front of each tram vehicle) that didn't listen to a single safety announcement, kept letting their kids stand up and move around, etc. Especially excited when their oldest child exited the tram on the LEFT then went up and around the front of the tram, against specific instructions (some behind called urgently to the child as the child was doing it).


Awesome.

The more annoying part of the day? As I was getting out everyone's paper APs as we approached the turnstiles, a random, leaning-against-the-back-of-the-ticketing-building CM accosted us. We HAD TO go get the APs changed to RFID. NOW.

OK but we have reservations.

No, you have to do it NOW.

We are about 2 minutes from being late already, we will do it later.

Now.

We are on our way to breakfast, I ran 10 miles last night, I have to eat, we are almost late.

No one's late at DisneyWorld, don't worry about it, you have to do it NOW.

I said something about how WDW charges for missing reservations now, and you most definitely CAN be late, and simply walked away at that point.


Went to the gates, waited for a family group to go through, one by one, totally ignoring the fact that there are TWO mickey head poles to use, showed our paper APs, Robert's was acting up but it was fine, and made our way to Tusker (stopping QUICKLY to get the photopass lanyard on the way).

Checked in, waited, had pictures taken.

We were there when breakfast was still out, and then they slowed changed to lunch. This was exciting. But it actually kinda fell flat for us. The breakfast stuff for vegetarians just wasn't all that exciting. And then they took a LONG time getting lunch out. And then...well Eamon started his trip-long "I'm not hungry" thing. It was really weird. He had started to get a cold, and it messed up his hunger, so in a large way he was starving himself (and acting like a person does when they are very hungry) while refusing to eat. So odd. ALL he tried at Tusker was mac&cheese, which he normally loves, but didn't eat much. And he tried nothing else of what he normally loves. The start of a trip-long problem....

The food was good, but I was full too fast. Grr.


I had FP+s for Primeval Whirl, Everest, and Kali.

In between we were going to casually do the new Wilderness Explorer thing, wander, etc.

So we headed over to Whirl (which I had pushed back away from our food time for obvious reasons), and I was moving so slowly it took a bit to get there. Oh yes. It was hot.

Bright and beautiful and sunny and hot.

Used the FP+s on Whirl, had a great time as usual. But when we got off of it, the heat hit us. And the fact that we had been at DHS until nearly 4am, took longer to get home, etc, and then we were up by probably 8:30...

We went into the giftshop in DinoLand, wandered for a few, noticed that even inside the a/c shop sweat was streaming down my face and I was wanting to just sit down, and I called it. Thankfully both of my guys agreed. Too tired, too hot. Bagged our entire AK day.


On the way out we saw this guy, hiding in the bushes like we wanted to do. Actually, if he weren't in his enclosure we kind of wanted to jump on into his water hole. But he was, and that would be really foolish and trip-changing to do so. To say the least.

Aw, pretty birds.

Pretty waterfall.

Pretty don't-remember-what-he-was.

Those were all taken as I stopped and sat on benches, trying to feel less hot and more energetic. Didn't work.


We did stop in Guest Services to get the APs changed over. As the CM helped us, he noticed that our APs were active on our MBs. This was the first he had seen of this automatically happening, and he was stunned. The last I had read on the boards, APs were NOT active on MBs. By the time I went to report this on the boards, it HAD been heard of. What's amusing to me about the FP+/MB stuff is how QUICKLY people are forgetting what it was like 10 minutes ago. Oct 4, APs had to be brought separately, used separately, they weren't on MBs. By the time the 6th or 7th rolled around, OF COURSE they are on the MBs, how silly of a CM to think otherwise and to be boggled by it. It's the one part of the MB/FP+ issues on the boards that's making me shake my head.

Anyway, he didn't make us RFID cards. Said he would have to break the MB/AP link to do it and he didn't want to do that. He was awesome in many ways, so even if he was wrong on that I forgive him. He was fun. After E and I exited Robert looped back around to test the MB/AP link, and it worked.

Tram, to car, drove. Resort. Rest.

 

[bumbershoot]

We rested and then got up for tea. I don't know what I was thinking, having such an active day, but live and learn.

The rumors are true, there's no pure a la carte menu anymore.

BUT BUT BUT they totally and completely and EASILY let us order two Buckingham teas plus an extra pot of tea. Our server knew we were sharing (we told her exactly what we needed) and it was all totally fine.

The Buckingham is:

tea sandwiches: we took the PB&J, ham, and some other meat sandwich out of the lineup, and got cucumber/watercress, and two other sandwiches that were actually quite enjoyable.

buttery scone and jam tart: tried our best to share these items fairly between the three of us.

choice of two delicate house-made pastries, strawberries&creme, or english trifle: E had the strawberries and Robert and I shared the pastries.

That was Robert's choice. I had a swan pastry once, filled with blueberry something. Not only was it not to my taste, but it was horrific to eat the poor swan. I left that to R this time.

That little scrumptious thing was mine.

E enjoyed it, but has stated that he's going for the pastries in the future. Probably for the best, given what I've been slowly ever so slowly learning about desserts at WDW. The whipped cream probably had gelatin in it. Not fun for our family.


E had the Prince Tea (that's the Princess tea when a male orders it), I had the english breakfast, and I can't remember what Robert had.


Until just now I never noticed that you can order "craft beers". mmmmm, beer.


It was all good. It was all more expensive than we normally spend there. It was annoying to not get EXACTLY what we wanted, but oh well. And we miss, tremendously, the cheese&cracker platter that has brought up our bill in the past.


Then we went a'wandering in the Grand Floridian.

Nothin' ritzier than construction walls! There have been walls up there, it seems, forever...



Eventually we left and went on back to POR. I believe it was that night we went to the pool and met neat people while sitting in the hot tub for 200 years. We are incredibly and horribly neglectful people and let our 9 year old who has been begged to join the swim team for 2 years now go off into the pool to play without our supervision. We were there during the lifeguard-on-duty time, FYI. Didn't actually feel all that neglectful.

I had two, count 'em, two, beers. Thank you Robert for going to the bar for me! They were Abitas, which I'd never had before, and they were tasty.

And then the slide was closed, the lifeguards left, and it was time for us to go too. (they weren't closing it down, it was just OUR time to go)

 

[bumbershoot]

Today was going to be our "do or die" get-to-know-and-enjoy-Magic-Kingdom-or-collapse-trying day


We started off nice and early with breakfast at the Wave. We chose to pay for Valet parking at Contemporary, as that is a WDW-legal way to get all-day parking at the resort, no matter what you're doing for the day. It was WELL worth it.

When you get up for a 7:30 ADR this is what you see along the drive.

Ooh, the Wave was good! We got the buffet, and our server let us know that if we needed something from the buffet that had been made with meat, that the kitchen would make it up for us fresh without the meat. And that included, joy oh joy, the cheesy grits. Made up a nice bowl of them for us! And they made big lovely cheese omelets for Robert and Eamon, which I snagged a bite of.

I was actually quite good in my choices...I've come to respect the value of cut-up-fruit. Sure, fruit isn't that expensive (except that it can be!) and I COULD buy it and cut it up on my own, so why waste the stomach-space. BUT if it's what I want, and I'm sitting at a restaurant and not at my home with knives and nice fruit, then have it, by all means have it! I had it and it was lovely. I had that, some of the grits, and some really nice steel cut oatmeal with brown sugar. Also, coffee. And a bit more coffee. Possibly MORE coffee, too.

The guys had some potatoes (which I tried, and they were GOOD), more eggs, and I don't remember what else.

All in all it was a good value, it was good food, and except for being pretty cold in there, it was a really good meal. I'd do it again!


We wandered the giftshop and the arcade for a few minutes. They have pinball in there (Tron! Avengers! Pirate! Elvis!), and I like pinball, and they have prizes in their arcade, so we WILL be going to the arcade in the future.

And on we went to Magic Kingdom!

 

[bumbershoot]

We took the monorail over to MK for some reason (my boys insisted) and soon enough we entered the park.

This day we/they spent a good amount of time with the Sorcerers game thingie. I spent time taking a picture of each window and then ignoring the rest. I truly do not comprehend it and don't care to try to understand it. Just not my thing, and I don't want to know if it could be my thing. Know what I mean? Anyway, because this was an intent of ours we stopped in to get the gamecard and pack of cards first off. Heard a CM being rather snotty, telling people it's not a trading card game. Guess he hasn't visited a giftshop where they sell extra cards for it, and it's CALLED a trading card game by disney merchandising...

We rode Pirates and saw this fabulous shirt. It is SO true.

That one, the one above, got messed up because people were walking in between where the player stands and the camera. Bad design. Wasn't the only place it happened; and the problem is that you don't know it didn't finish completely until later when you have to go back to that same spot.

The above spot was the second place it happened. Why? Because the game card traders were standing right in the way of the camera. They are into the game enough to have just played it, they are into the game enough to be trading cards. But not into the fellowship of playing a game like this to actually MOVE OUT OF THE WAY once finished.


The great Rapunzel Bathroom Break!

It really is lovely in there. I'm actually OK with it "just" being a bathroom. Who ever said bathrooms can't be in nice courtyards?


He rode it! He rode it!

I decided to not wear my medal that day (though I had the previous day and ended up wearing it the following day). But I've got my little race necklace on in this picture.

Note that I have my disney parasol in that pic. It was incredibly helpful! I got it in Feb, but you can't pick it up immediately because the paint is drying. Then you can't use it in rain for a few days because it's not quite waterproof yet. And then I kept forgetting it. But I remembered it on this day and thank goodness!

We went on Splash and then went to have our pictures added to our PP+ account. The line was very long, and when we got outside it had started just dumping water on our heads. The guys really only cared about their feet, but not enough to stand in the exit to Splash until it was done with, so we ran for it. My little parasol covered me very nicely!


By this time it was totally time for lunch, so we headed to Columbia Harbour House.

That picture was hard won. Or, rather, the table it's on was. The place was a madhouse. A wet, dripping madhouse. We happened upon a little group leaving a little table, and since we're a group consisting of low numbers of people (find the joy of an unintentionally small family where you can!) they gave it to us.

Some serious people-watching to be had in a place like that during an hour of rain like that.


Moving along after the rain stopped....

Neat viewpoint. Definitely don't get THAT view in Disneyland.

 

[bumbershoot]

Visiting Rapunzel again.

And then it was Pirate's League time!


I got the mermaid, E got black eyed Jack, and R got Hook. We each got different CMs working on us. I got Rutledge (do they use their real names? eh, doesn't matter) and I adored him. He made me *feel* like a pretty princess. Even though the pictures doesn't really show the same way I felt. The only bit of tension was when I insisted he repaint my nails with the mermaid color (green), when he could SEE that I had a brand new manicure. He didn't want to. I made him. Yeah, I regretted it. Oh well.

You can see in the castle picture above that shoulder bruise I was talking about? (from acupuncture the week before) Well, the PL CMs already do a thing where they ask if parents caused the bruise when they've put on the bruise for black-eyed Jack, LOL. So you should have heard the fuss when Rutledge called attention to my shoulder bruise. Robert's CM was not happy with him, not at all, LOL. Rutledge even put makeup on my shoulder to try to soften the look of the bruise. And Rutledge found out I'd run the race the other evening, and he announced to the whole room that I had WON the race.

Little note for the CMs there. The grownups maybe don't need the "mermaid tear" shimmery stuff on their foreheads. I think it looks lovely on little girls, but not on older women on whom it just looks greasy, LOL.

Other than that this is almost the same pose as my Senior HS portrait. Except my arm was smaller then. And unbruised. Wasn't wearing that much makeup. And my bra wasn't hanging out. But the POSE itself. That was similar.

My little pirate.

There's a good way to cover a bruise!

The last little bit of Sorcerers.

After PL there was talk of doing the pirate parade thing but E felt weird about it. Sometimes he gets introverted and I see how difficult I must have been as a child (and still must be). But I think that most of the annoyance is just that it's not really like him. Then we discovered that there's a new pirate-themed sorcerers/kimpossible-type game. Signed up for it but actually never did it. Drat.

Waited out Big Thunder with our FP+s, saw the Country Bear Jamboree, and a variety of other things. The guys did some shooting at the Frontierland Shootin' Arcade while I tried to do a bit of shopping. As I got back to the shooting area I realized it was about to storm again, and encouraged them to just stay put. After all, we had face makeup on by then! I sat, they shot, they sat, we played checkers at the table with the checkers game on it. Finally it cleared up and we moved along some more.


I don't think we even stepped foot in Tomorrowland, which was a bummer. No iasw either because the line was too long to force them on. That dang MK version with its incredibly boring line and weirdly long waits just ruined it for Eamon...

Ignored the rides in New Fantasyland. What other parts did we not get into? Tom Sawyer Island, also. Still have never stepped foot on the MK island!


But ultimately it was nighttime and it was time for late dinner. Actually it was early for late dinner. Early enough that we got to go to Gaston's and try the La Fou's Brew. We stupidly got two. One in a special cup and one in a normal plastic cup. The CM brought out the ingredient list for the brew and the topping so I could look while she poured, and if I'd taken better pictures I could have even figured out the WW points for it. Alas, I skimmed the ingredients and took far too blurry picture to make out the serving info.

We love Butterbeer. We think Bb is sweet. The Brew is about 200 times SWEETER than Bb. Goodness gracious it was sweet! I'm fairly certain I developed a cavity from the eighth of a serving I had that evening! We ended up dumping a nearly full cup out because there was simply no way the three of us could finish both of them. Yikes.

And THEN we went to check in for Be Our Guest. We had a bit of a wait, and we waited on the bridge. Lo and behold the fireworks started! And the fireworks ended approximately 2 seconds before our name was called for dinner. Perfect!


Blurry. Ugh. But this is where we were seated.

The light in there is funny. This is my napkin. I'm sure IT was red. Just not sure everything else in there was pink.

E ordered the penne with red sauce. I got the potato leek soup with the Garden Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette. Robert chose the french onion soup with the Seasonal Salad Trio. And yes both of those soups are vegetarian at BOG.

E was OK with his meal. I loved mine. Robert loved most of his but the salad with beet in it (he's one of those people who tastes dirt instead of beet). E surprised me by being willing to try a bit of my soup, and suddenly this happened.

He got his own soup.



We were SO happy with our dinner. Oh and I had a beer, a Le Fin du Monde, and that was great.


Robert had taken off his Hook face. E and I had forgotten we had our faces on. Leading to our meeting with the Beast.

Walked out of the park slowly. It wasn't closed - there were more EMHs - but we were tired.

I really disliked taking off my makeup that night. You know how sometimes you just feel pretty (or handsome, depending on who you are) and you don't want to change anything? That's how I felt. I had bought makeup remover pad thingies, but even with those I had a hard time with my makeup. Specifically my eyebrows. My eyebrows were teal until the next day's shower. Nothing prettier than teal eyebrows, let me tell you!

 

[afnaechiquita]

i loved your race review. like others, i know the feeling of "omg everyone around me is having so much fun and i am just... here." but on the other hand, i can't stand running with anyone so i can't complain about being alone in the beginning parts!

when first reading about the fireballs, i thought you were metaphoring about the weather, but i see they were actual fireballs. ouch. too hot.

great job on your finish! it is a great accomplishment, and now you can go on and do more and more!

 

[annmarieda]

So excited for my first full "recovery" meal.

So tired. Almost too tired to get up for it. But you gotta get up. Dragged everyone out of bed, drove, parked, got to tram at the end of loading, got to the parks.

Isnt it funny how only in WDW (at least for me) after very little sleep, we rush off for breakfast? But..yes, you have to get up when in WDW!

excited to be near a large, noisy, boisterous family in front of us (filling the two bench seating area at the front of each tram vehicle) that didn't listen to a single safety announcement, kept letting their kids stand up and move around, etc. Especially excited when their oldest child exited the tram on the LEFT then went up and around the front of the tram, against specific instructions (some behind called urgently to the child as the child was doing it).

I hate when that happens... but sadly, I think there is always going to be that one family on each trip. The one that acts in a way that is of putting... never fails.

The more annoying part of the day? As I was getting out everyone's paper APs as we approached the turnstiles, a random, leaning-against-the-back-of-the-ticketing-building CM accosted us. We HAD TO go get the APs changed to RFID. NOW.

OK but we have reservations.

No, you have to do it NOW.

We are about 2 minutes from being late already, we will do it later.

Now.

We are on our way to breakfast, I ran 10 miles last night, I have to eat, we are almost late.

No one's late at DisneyWorld, don't worry about it, you have to do it NOW.

I said something about how WDW charges for missing reservations now, and you most definitely CAN be late, and simply walked away at that point.

I think there is way too much confusion with the new system. It is very frustrating because the cm's are not even aware of what needs to happen.

nice family pic! Love the race bling

We were there when breakfast was still out, and then they slowed changed to lunch. This was exciting. But it actually kinda fell flat for us. The breakfast stuff for vegetarians just wasn't all that exciting. And then they took a LONG time getting lunch out. And then...well Eamon started his trip-long "I'm not hungry" thing. It was really weird. He had started to get a cold, and it messed up his hunger, so in a large way he was starving himself (and acting like a person does when they are very hungry) while refusing to eat. So odd. ALL he tried at Tusker was mac&cheese, which he normally loves, but didn't eat much. And he tried nothing else of what he normally loves. The start of a trip-long problem....

That is frustrating that he didn't want to eat much and that you were full to fast. I think that is one thing that gets to me about buffets... I always feel like we need to eat more. At least when I have a normal sit down meal, once the meal is over I feel like my work is done...no need to feel like I need to get one last bite in.

Used the FP+s on Whirl, had a great time as usual.

I love that ride... not many people seem to share my feelings towards it. I always have a good time on it.

But when we got off of it, the heat hit us. And the fact that we had been at DHS until nearly 4am, took longer to get home, etc, and then we were up by probably 8:30...

It was a rather warm day!

We did stop in Guest Services to get the APs changed over. As the CM helped us, he noticed that our APs were active on our MBs. This was the first he had seen of this automatically happening, and he was stunned. The last I had read on the boards, APs were NOT active on MBs. By the time I went to report this on the boards, it HAD been heard of. What's amusing to me about the FP+/MB stuff is how QUICKLY people are forgetting what it was like 10 minutes ago. Oct 4, APs had to be brought separately, used separately, they weren't on MBs. By the time the 6th or 7th rolled around, OF COURSE they are on the MBs, how silly of a CM to think otherwise and to be boggled by it. It's the one part of the MB/FP+ issues on the boards that's making me shake my head.


Anyway, he didn't make us RFID cards. Said he would have to break the MB/AP link to do it and he didn't want to do that. He was awesome in many ways, so even if he was wrong on that I forgive him. He was fun. After E and I exited Robert looped back around to test the MB/AP link, and it worked.

I was told I HAD to have the plastic AP... but that I could not link my AP to the MB. I currently have the band (which it states on MDE as being active) as well as 2 more for January that are set to be shipped. I just want one total with my AP on it....
Tram, to car, drove. Resort. Rest.

We rested and then got up for tea. I don't know what I was thinking, having such an active day, but live and learn.

I think we all try to pack in perhaps more than what is a good idea. However, what fun is a vacation if it isn't active???

BUT BUT BUT they totally and completely and EASILY let us order two Buckingham teas plus an extra pot of tea. Our server knew we were sharing (we told her exactly what we needed) and it was all totally fine.

The Buckingham is:

tea sandwiches: we took the PB&J, ham, and some other meat sandwich out of the lineup, and got cucumber/watercress, and two other sandwiches that were actually quite enjoyable.

buttery scone and jam tart: tried our best to share these items fairly between the three of us.

choice of two delicate house-made pastries, strawberries&creme, or english trifle: E had the strawberries and Robert and I shared the pastries.

I so enjoyed doing the tea once. We have plans to do it again in January. It is good to know things have changed a bit.

We took the monorail over to MK for some reason (my boys insisted) and soon enough we entered the park.

This day we/they spent a good amount of time with the Sorcerers game thingie. I spent time taking a picture of each window and then ignoring the rest. I truly do not comprehend it and don't care to try to understand it. Just not my thing, and I don't want to know if it could be my thing. Know what I mean? Anyway, because this was an intent of ours we stopped in to get the gamecard and pack of cards first off. Heard a CM being rather snotty, telling people it's not a trading card game. Guess he hasn't visited a giftshop where they sell extra cards for it, and it's CALLED a trading card game by disney merchandising...

I know what you mean. I really should look into it more... but just haven't had the desire to. I doubt my dd would be totally into it... and my other kids are too old for it.

We rode Pirates and saw this fabulous shirt. It is SO true.

I LOVE that shirt. I will have to look for it in January!

The great Rapunzel Bathroom Break!

It really is lovely in there. I'm actually OK with it "just" being a bathroom. Who ever said bathrooms can't be in nice courtyards?

I LOVE that restroom!

We went on Splash and then went to have our pictures added to our PP+ account. The line was very long, and when we got outside it had started just dumping water on our heads. The guys really only cared about their feet, but not enough to stand in the exit to Splash until it was done with, so we ran for it. My little parasol covered me very nicely!

I think we must have been passing by each other on this day. I was in those same areas...and the rain was interesting. Pouring and then not.

By this time it was totally time for lunch, so we headed to Columbia Harbour House.

I love this place. My favorite table is upstairs and sits over the walkway. It is a great way to people watch!

Neat viewpoint. Definitely don't get THAT view in Disneyland.

I almost wonder if I am not in that crowd somewhere.

And then it was Pirate's League time!


I got the mermaid, E got black eyed Jack, and R got Hook. We each got different CMs working on us. I got Rutledge (do they use their real names? eh, doesn't matter) and I adored him. He made me *feel* like a pretty princess. Even though the pictures doesn't really show the same way I felt. The only bit of tension was when I insisted he repaint my nails with the mermaid color (green), when he could SEE that I had a brand new manicure. He didn't want to. I made him. Yeah, I regretted it. Oh well.

How fun!! I didn't know adults could do it.

You can see in the castle picture above that shoulder bruise I was talking about? (from acupuncture the week before) Well, the PL CMs already do a thing where they ask if parents caused the bruise when they've put on the bruise for black-eyed Jack, LOL. So you should have heard the fuss when Rutledge called attention to my shoulder bruise. Robert's CM was not happy with him, not at all, LOL. Rutledge even put makeup on my shoulder to try to soften the look of the bruise. And Rutledge found out I'd run the race the other evening, and he announced to the whole room that I had WON the race.

So neat that they tried to make it special for you like that. I would worry that being adult the cm's wouldn't try and add that "magic" to the experience.

Other than that this is almost the same pose as my Senior HS portrait. Except my arm was smaller then. And unbruised. Wasn't wearing that much makeup. And my bra wasn't hanging out. But the POSE itself. That was similar.

My little pirate.

There's a good way to cover a bruise!

Love the pictures!!

Ignored the rides in New Fantasyland. What other parts did we not get into? Tom Sawyer Island, also. Still have never stepped foot on the MK island!

If we have extra time and it isn't too hot, I do really like TSI! You really should go and check it out some time.

But ultimately it was nighttime and it was time for late dinner. Actually it was early for late dinner. Early enough that we got to go to Gaston's and try the La Fou's Brew. We stupidly got two. One in a special cup and one in a normal plastic cup. The CM brought out the ingredient list for the brew and the topping so I could look while she poured, and if I'd taken better pictures I could have even figured out the WW points for it. Alas, I skimmed the ingredients and took far too blurry picture to make out the serving info.

We love Butterbeer. We think Bb is sweet. The Brew is about 200 times SWEETER than Bb. Goodness gracious it was sweet! I'm fairly certain I developed a cavity from the eighth of a serving I had that evening! We ended up dumping a nearly full cup out because there was simply no way the three of us could finish both of them. Yikes.

OMG! It is too sweet. We could not finish ours either.

Blurry. Ugh. But this is where we were seated.

blurry picture or not, what a nice place to eat!!!

I really disliked taking off my makeup that night. You know how sometimes you just feel pretty (or handsome, depending on who you are) and you don't want to change anything? That's how I felt. I had bought makeup remover pad thingies, but even with those I had a hard time with my makeup. Specifically my eyebrows. My eyebrows were teal until the next day's shower. Nothing prettier than teal eyebrows, let me tell you!

I would imagine it would be hard to get off. But I am sure you are right...nothing prettier than teal eyebrows!!!

 

[wiigirl]

Great update!

 

[bumbershoot]

i loved your race review. like others, i know the feeling of "omg everyone around me is having so much fun and i am just... here." but on the other hand, i can't stand running with anyone so i can't complain about being alone in the beginning parts!

Running with people is both fun AND difficult. In college our runs slowly turned into "let's sit around and talk, stretch, then realize we're almost at dinner so let's order pizza". Later on in college I found I had to run with a guy friend of mine (all my female running friends had transferred to different schools as well); he didn't do any of that talking stuff, so he was a great influence on me. He still lives in town, but alas his knee is messed up and he doesn't run anymore. Sadness.



Ann! Wiigirl! Hi!

I've been so focused on the next trip and the present I forgot to come back. Embarrassing.


Ann, Pirate's League was SO much fun.

Way back when, around the time of our first BIG Disneyland trips, we were two families behind another Dis'er and we didn't know until she read my trip report. I had pictures of her family and she had pictures of mine! It was too cool.

 

[bumbershoot]

Wow, it's been too long. My gears of memory are rusted!


Things we did.

Ate lunch at Brown Derby
Saw the Lights Motor Action show
Saw the Indiana Jones stunt show
Star Tours
Rock n Roller Coaster
Tower of Terror
Ralph&Vanellope
ride stop at TSMM ended our night



Well there's a fun way to write a trip report, eh?


Lunch was good! I had a beer along with our tofu noodle bowls.


LMA show was fun and neat and I learned something new about how stuntdrivers drive "backwards".

But it was soooo weird going in there, because I remembered while walking in that we had RUN through there. Had flashbacks while there. So odd.


Before that (and this was the last show of the day) Robert needed some food so he got the kid's meal veggie panini type sandwich at Studio Catering Co. It was REALLY good.


E went on TOT. Woo! For the ride I had, you know, put my medal back on. Yes I was carrying it with me. 3 days later. But it was the first time I was in DHS since the run. It's like celebrating a birthday at Disney...don't YOU celebrate it one day in each park? No? Hmm. So I wore it once for each park. Except that I felt funny wearing it by that time and was just carrying it.

So anyway, I didn't take it off after the ride, and as the guys were going off to ride Rock 'n Roller Coaster, a guy called out to me telling me it was a nice medal. I looked up, and this young man was wearing HIS, too. We promised each other we would wear them the rest of the day. So I did.

We double-dipped for TSMM FPs. So sue me. E got mixed up and scanned his MB when he was supposed to hand over his card. There might have been a stupid overreaction on my part that resulted in my wittle boy crying. I didn't mean for that to happen, but he ended up feeling stupid b/c of my "why did you do that" crud, and I felt about this big. Ran back to the CM, explained really quick, and he gave me a "come back anytime by October 15" FP. That was really sweet of him.

So we're on the ride and I'm having the game of my life, and actually so was Eamon (who was playing with Robert), and suddenly whammo, ride stop. Full, lights on, serious ride stop. Then it was "stay in your seats, we will come get you" ride stop. Drat.

Yeah, they don't like it when you take pictures "backstage" on TSMM. Not that I know this or anything. I will say this in my defense. During a ride stop (and walk-off of the ride) at Monsters Inc in Anaheim, they said "no photos" immediately. So I didn't take photos. But with this they didn't say it until after they came to get us. And I didn't think about the Monsters Inc ride stop at that time. So I didn't MEAN to be bad.

As we exited, they handed us 3 "come back anytime between now and October 15" FPs. Drat!

We were checking out on the 9th. We didn't have plans to get back before then. And now we had four cards for TSMM like that! Drat drat drat.


Well, it was too close to closing time to hope for the ride to re-open, so we headed on out.

 

[appleorchard]

I loved, loved, loved your race report. I'm going to be alone -- as in completely -- in February for the 5k and 10k because I'm going all by my lonesome, although both my sister and my DD have threatened to show up. DH, nope.

I loved the honesty of your report--well, your reports are always like that, actually, and I always enjoy them. But this one so hit on all the emotions I know I'm going to have in February I felt like I was there.

I started running in May and am truly slower than molasses, which I blame on being 62 and having terrible feet, short legs and 10 pounds of extra fat, even after losing 50 pounds. But I love to run-- or waddle, whichever. I know it's going to be an emotional experience at Disney. Just running there in October around the BW and out to HS in the morning was an emotional experience.

Thanks for writing this all down.

 

[bumbershoot]

Wow, thank you.

I was really surprised by all my emotions; not sure why, but I was. I'm glad that I wrote it out (even that part of my report surprised me; I didn't think I remembered much but the words just flowed out) so that others might not be so blindsided by what's going on in head and heart.

I think there has been enough discussion of my "I'm not worthy" feelings that you all could figure out that I tend to diminish my accomplishments while at the same time knowing how awesome they are when others do them. I have a hard time feeling it for myself, but picking up running (or any sport, really*) at almost any age beyond childhood is awesome, making goals for it, training for those goals, and doing whatever the goal was...awesome. (and even if sidelined by injury and unable to meet those exact goals still shows a person was out there, trying)

Doing the 5K = awesome.
Doing the 10K = awesome.

All awesome. And I don't mean it in the Valley Girl way, but in the true, that is amazing and awe-inspiring, way.


*taking up ANYTHING after the official educational years, to me, is fabulous. Knitting, sewing, cooking, race-car driving (Robert's home at last and today is a comp day, and he and still-under-the-weather kiddo are watching Top Gear, a British car show that I can hear down the hall), whatever...it's so cool to keep the mind working.