Hi everyone. I want to apologize in advance for the length of this race report. There are just so many thoughts and memories that I want to capture, and this is the best way for me to do it. Besides, since I was out there the longest, I figure I'm entitled to a longer report, too.
About this time last year, I found the WISH boards, and for whatever crazy reason, I looked up here at the events/competition sub-forum. I was so inspired by everyone's stories that I caught Marathon fever, and eventhough I was heavier than I had ever been in my life, I decided to paricipate in the Half the following year. And so my journey began...... but I'll skip ahead to race day.
After an extremely restless night, I wake up at 3 am to a very loud wake-up call from Stitch and Mickey. Even my dh could hear it and was amused by it. Since I knew to lay out all my things the night before, getting ready was a cinch, and I was out and headed for the bus 35 minutes or so later. I am a Florida girl now, and am truly a WIMP when it comes to cold weather, so I was a bit nervous when I was quite warm in my throw away warm up clothes. It was going to be a warm day. We made it to Epcot and I started looking for the lime green shirts -- only to see them everywhere. What was up with all the teams wearing lime green this year? Didn't they know that was our color? Hello?!?!Anyway, I finally found the inspiring lime green shirts and had fun meeting and chatting with a few people. Everyone seemed so calm and relaxed, but I was a wreck. I just knew that I was gong to be swept. I was averaging about 16:45 (or so) on my long sessions, and my fastest one was 16:04 (or so) on a 5 mile walk. That walk about killed me. I knew I couldn't maintain that for even another mile, so I was very nervous. Also, due to an illness and then the kiddos being out of school, I missed out on 3 weeks of training. Pretty much anyway. I did a few walking tapes at home, but that was it. My game plan was to try to get to the front of my corral (the last one, of course) and do a r1/w9 thing. I figured that was the best way for me to get that cushion and keep it for as long as possible.
Well, the announcers started telling runners to make their way to the starting line, but I hung back. I was wanting to make one last visit to the portapotties. However, I did eventually have to go toward the starting line and my corral. It already seemed full, but since I was by myself, it was easy to work my way forward. I think I managed to make it a little more than half way through the corral before the start for the 3rd wave. Not too bad. I remember being pleasantly surprised that there was room to move. I was afraid we would be tripping over everyone else's feet, but that really was't the case. I also remember something that Anne (I think) mentioned last year at the Minnie about not darting in and out so much. Something about it wasting energy and actually adding distance to the run. Disclaimer: I may not have been Anne that said this because I honestly don't remember who said it; but it made sense to me, so I tried to keep it on the straight and narrow.
Mile 1 I did in about 15:45. Mile 2 I did in 16 flat. Mile 3 was about 16:20. Notice a pattern? Yep! With each passing mile I was getting slower and slower, and I was certain I would be swept -- but not until after I went through the MK. I knew I had enough of a cushion to make it that far, so that was exciting. Somewhere before the TTC, I met a lady who said she loved our shirts and asked if we could walk together -- since we seemed to be walking at the same pace. What a neat lady. She had had surgery (hip -- if remember correctly) and hadn't been able to start training until very recently. She loves Disney, and her goal was simply to make it through the MK. I told her about WISH and the DISboards, so I hope she looks for us. (Leslie, are you out there?) We were doing alright when we got to the Contemporary hill. It was really tough for me to go up and felt I was holding her back, so I told her to go ahead and that I'd catch up to her. Right after that was my first encounter with a wonderful bike medic. He said we were all fine. We had 7 minutes to make it to the next check point. We were at mile 5, and I was 7 minutes ahead of the sweepers. It was the first time that I thought I might actually finish the race. Even at a 17 minute mile, a 7 minute cushion would take me to mile 12 (pretty much a sweep-free zone). I tried to catch back up with Leslie, but the course got really crowded and I never could. Besides we were then entering the MK and I started to have to fight back the tears. I was so excited to be doing this in one of my favorite places on Earth. On Main Street was where I also noticed my first WISH scream team member. Sorry, I don't know your name, but your face kind of lit up when you saw me and you started cheering for me by name and ..... wow.... just an indesribable feeling. The encouragement you gave was so uplifting. I finally knew what others meant when they said how much it meant to have people cheering for you. I mean I knew they really meant it and weren't just "shoveling sunshine" -- as my friend used to say. I started to pay more attention to the volunteers and the others who gathered to cheer for the runners. I also started saying thank you to them as often as I could.
However, it took me almost 18 minutes to run that mile. Now, I was beginning to worry again that I would be swept. Outside the MK I could see the buses waiting to take the runners home, but I knew I'd make it past them. I also saw my new friend, Leslie, making a right turn toward the buses. She had made it through the MK and was stopping. I guess I was happy for her. Her goal wasn't to finish -- just make it through the MK and she did. Soon after leaving the MK, an ambulance went by, and so, another person was out. And with that, the real race began. I thought this part was the hardest. It still seemed like such a long way to go. As I'm thinking about this, I came up on the bike medic who tells us we have 3 minutes to make it to the next point. We'll all make it fine if we stay at the pace we're going. Oh, okay. I guess I can stay in this thing a little longer. We pass that check point, and soon after that I see the girl on the bike with her red flag going to the next point. Ugh!! That was fast. I just saw her. Soon the medic is telling me that we have 2 minutes to make it to the next point. We can still make it, but its going to be close. I just keep on keepin' on. I'm thinking at this point that not making the check point would be alright. I make it past the mile marker and figure I'm safe for now. Then all too soon I see that blasted girl on that bike with her *^&%& red flag riding by me again. Aaargghhhh!!!! Do I really want to keep doing this? I mean I've gone a long way -- farther than I thought I would. Would stopping (or being stopped) at this point be so bad? Soon I hear the bike medic say that we have 2 minutes to make it to the final checkpoint. What!?!?! The FINAL one? Could I really be home free if I make that one? Hmmm..... do I really want to though? It was mile 10 and that meant 3 more miles, and I had never gone more than 10 miles during my training. I was really thinking I was done; and when the medic added that if we wanted to make it, we'd have to pick the pace up a little bit, I knew I was done. Imagine my surprise when I actually did pick up the pace though. I guess I really did want this. The race officials were not on their bikes this time. They were standing next to them, and I knew it was close. I made it though and let a big Wooo Hoooo as I walked past. Could I really be home free?
After 30 or 40 seconds, I turned around to look behind me. It was the first time I had done that the entire morning, and I saw 2 white buses pulled across the road where I had just walked. Man, that was close. I walked a few more moments enjoying the walk because I did feel safe, and then ...... there's that girl again. Now, where is she going? The guy said this was the final leg. We were supposed to be safe. Rats!!! I try to pick up my pace a little. Soon another bike medic comes up to me and says, "Eleven miles is a lot to be proud of. Are you going to quit at 11?" I said I wasn't planning on it, and he said, "Well, they might make you quit." Now, I was confused. Is there still 1 more sweep point? I don't get it. "You know that, right?" he said, "They may make you quit." I looked him square in the eye and said, "If they want to stop me because of my pace, that's fine. However, that would be the only reason to stop me. Otherwise I'm okay. Listen to me. I'm coherent and easily able to speak. There is no reason to stop me." He looked at me, smiled, and said, "Congratulations, then." and dropped back to speak with someone else. Then I start thinkng that maybe I wasn't as coherent as I thought because I just thought I heard him say congratulations, but there is that girl up there waving that heinous red flag. However, I also notice there are no buses there with her. Also when I guy behind me takes off at a full sprint, the bike medics take off after him yelling to slow down. It was okay. He was safe. With that the entire mood changed, and we started celebrating.
About that time, I also start to hear a conversation going on behind me. The same bike medic that asked me if I was going to quit must've asked the woman behind me the same question. I heard her telling him no way. At first, she was embarrassed that she wouldn't finish and that if she did, she'd be the last one to do so. However, she'd been following my shirt (not me... my shirt.
) for the last few miles, and she was determined to finish -- even if it meant being dead last. We talked for a bit and finally made it to the top of the hill only to see the road go back down and make a right turn UP another slope. Hello?!?! What is up with that? I guess it was just too much for some people. Several people started cutting across the median and headed toward the parking lot. Others of us just looked at each other wondering if we could do that, too, but it seemed like it would cut too much distance off the course. I had decided to stay on the pavement and take the long way up the (hopefully) final hill. I did hear someone ask about those people, and we were told they were done. They were stopping. When we made it to the top of that slope, we saw them sitting on the ground, We also saw a few others stop. It was so heartbreaking. They had come so far and were so close. I couldn't imagine how much pain they must have been in or how bad they must have felt to decide to stop at that point. I was still feeling sad for them when we turned the corner and headed down toward Epcot. And I saw the most beautiful sight. A sea of lime green WISH shirts. Wow!!! I couldn't believe that ya'll were still there. Thank you for the cold water and the cold washcloth. Those were a little piece of heaven, and thanks too, for the cheers and the encouragement, and thank you so much for just being there. It was an amazing boost, and it did help me pick up my pace.
We entered the backstage area of Epcot and one CM asked what took us so long. I said something about stopping for breakfast a few miles back and the bike medic (the one who asked me about quitting) laughed and repeated it loud enough for the guy who originally asked the question to hear. It got a lot of laughs and a few cheers. We continue through the gated and are now onstage and up ahead I see my dh and my little girls, and I am just overwhelmed with emotion. Suddenly I find it very had to breathe and I try so hard to fight back the tears. I couldn't though. I tell them I love them but that I can't stop but I will definitely see them at the finish line. They were at mile 12.25 and I cried that last mile of the race. Several times I had to take my glasses off to wipe my eyes because I couldn't see. They were so filled with tears. The gospel choir was amazing, and I raised my hands and sang along as I walked by. Then the bike medic (not the one that asked me about quitting, but the one that had been telling us how much time we had) said that he didn't want to alarm me, but just around the corner was a large (and loud) group of people and a big sign that said Finsh Line, and he offered his congratulations. I thanked him for his encouragement along the way and I turned the corner to another sea of WISH shirts and just past the finish line -- my family. Crossing that line was one of the most amazing feelings in the world. It was indescribable, but I rank it right up there with childbirth and getting married. I realize that as I do more of these races that excitement at merely crossing the finish line will probably subside, but for now, I still am amazed and in awe of what I did. I'm not sure of what my official time was. My results aren't on the website and I pushed the wrong button on my Garmin after I crossed the line. From what my Garmin did have on it though, I'm going to say my time was about 3:50. Also, I was not the DLF, but I was close. I think there were 5 or 6 people behind me.
Also, no medal yet, but I feel certain I will get it eventually, and I'm okay with that. I thought the medal would be the big thing, but it really wasn't. Crossing the finish line was the big thing, and I have that memory. Also, thanks to this really long post, I will always have that memory. Thanks for sticking with me.
Anyway, that's it. I was sore the rest of the day but really not bad on Sunday. Cheering for the runners on Sunday was a lot of fun, too -- especially now that I really understood how much it meant. I'll be back in May for the Minnie and next January for the Half again. After that, we'll see.
Thanks for sticking with me during this long post and for all the support and encouragement this past weekend and the months leading up to it.
, blue is for male names
, orange is for those doing Goofy (both the half and the full)
, and red is for those doing ALL THREE EVENTS..
excuses excuses
