Race Reports/Kudos/Encouragement - January 9 - 11

[laughinplace199]

Matt. Thanks. I did see you on the overpass and then again in the parking lot after the 1/2. People like you get so much more out of life because you give! Thanks for your service to our Country, dedication and giving spirit! May God always bless you!

Now my shout out. I want everyone to know how proud I am of my wife. She, along with me, finished our first 1/2 last week. She is a seven year breast cancer survivor that had the surgeries, radiation and chemo that go along with that terrible disease. Long story short she had a lot of complications with the surgery vs the radiation. She still has a lot of pain but she manages to walk as many days of the week she can. She walks 2-3 miles at a time and I really didn't know if she could make 13.1. Well she did. She finished just a minute or two after they quit the timing. I check the split times of the last people with times and she was right with them or ahead at all the splits. But she finished. Got her medal. I was running back and forth from the finish line to the medical tent. When she came to the photography gate I almost knocked her down hugging her.

You may be wondering why I didn't run with her. She wouldn't let me. She demanded that I go ahead and run my race. As my Buzz Brigade teammates know I battle a different type cancer. As the Dr that diagnosed my lymphoma told me, I have "a rare type of a rare type of cancer". What I have is not fatal but it is not curable either. I have to do maintenance chemo for two days a week apart every three months. I had to go the day after I got back for a treatment. But it's not the 'bad' chemo. I've seen the bad with my wife and others in the infusion room and believe me, mine is not that bad. I'm good.

Well I've been trainging for the last year for the Disney 1/2. One of my sisters is a coach in Team in Training L&L Society. She talked me into walking after my intial chemo (once every three weeks for 6 months) just to feel better. Well you know how that goes. If I can walk three miles I can run three miles. If I can run three I can run five and..........

So we did it. My two sisters, two brother in laws, and the wife and me all finished. We won. Spent a week at OKW. Enjoyed the parks. Beautiful weather. Enjoyed life. Priceless memories. We won!

My only regret is I didn't meet more of you. My Buzzie teammates have been such an inspiration. But I guess that gives me a reason/excuse to come back. As my teammates love to say 'To Infinity and Beyond'!

Six Medals!

Sister and Me at the Castle

Mile 5 with Sis

Me and Lee Ann at OKW

I haven't had a chance to read all of the race reports yet, but I just have to say Mike, congrats to you and your wife!

 

[WDWFAN9]

Awesome report Carrie!

 

[laughinplace199]

Carrie, great report and pics. Thanks for sharing!

I'm currently working on my own race report/novel. I keep trying to edit it to make it shorter, but I just can't seem to decide what to cut.

 

[funwalker]

Awesome Report & Pictures Carrie! I was thrilled to see You and Scott volunteering - appreciated the Hug - at the water stop during the Half!

MickeyT: You, Your Wife, & Family are truly an inspiration to all of us!

So we did it. My two sisters, two brother in laws, and the wife and me all finished.

Congratulations, You ARE WINNERS!!!!

Thanks, Matt for the First Class Cheering on the over pass

 

[laughinplace199]

I apologize in advance for the lengthy report. Thanks for reading it!

Disney Marathon 2009

I signed up to run the Disney marathon with my husband, Rob. He thought it would be a cool thing to do since we had both turned 40 over the summer. When I signed up, I could not even run a mile, so the past year has been a long journey.

The week leading up to the marathon was a blur. One minute, I was excited about the prospect of running a marathon. The next minute, I felt like I was going to puke. Most of the time, I felt somewhere in between.

We arrived in Orlando Friday morning, and that afternoon we were off to meet the WISH team at Pop Century’s food court. Everyone was so nice and it was great to meet so many WISHers, but it was definitely a bit overwhelming. I'm not a shy person, but I felt shy there. It seemed like so many people already knew each other and I wasn't quite sure how to jump in. I found some of my 'Ohana teammates, so I was more comfortable after that. After chatting with a few people, Rob and I decided to head over to Epcot, then we had dinner at Spoodles.

I awoke the next morning to the sound of cow bells. I went out on the balcony in my pj’s to see that the half marathoners were running by our resort, which explained the cow bells. It was great to watch everybody going by. I wanted to cheer for them , but I knew they wouldn't be able to hear me from the balcony. I might be loud, but I'm not that loud. I watched for a few more minutes and had a nice chat with the guy on the next balcony who was also running the marathon on Sunday. Then Rob & I got ready for our two mile run around the resort. After that we drove over to MGM to spend the day there. When we got back to the hotel, we got ready for dinner at the Grand Floridian Café.

After dinner, we went back to the resort and did a little shopping. We also bought some pretzels, water, and “lucky Coke” (I always have a sip of Coke before a long run). I knew it was a good idea to get everything ready the night before the race since it’s difficult to think clearly at 3:00 AM. However, since this was my first marathon, I found the process of getting ready extremely overwhelming, even at 8:30 PM. Was my chip fastened right? Was my bib too low? Am I crazy for thinking I can run a marathon? Would I be able to access my pack and get my camera or Gu whenever necessary? Did I pack the right things in my post-race bag? How did I let Rob talk me into this?

We set the alarm for 3:00 AM, requested a wake-up call for 3:05 AM (just in case), and went to bed. When we woke up at 3:00, I was surprised to learn that Rob had a race anxiety dream and I didn’t. I was also amazed that I actually slept better than I did the night before. Marathon, Shmarathon, I’m not scared – bring it on! Well, maybe I wasn’t that confident, but I was definitely no longer nervous. I was ready to give it a shot and see what happened.

We were ready and out of the room at about 3:40 AM. As we were waiting to board the monorail, I realized that I had forgotten to have my sip of “lucky Coke.” I was a bit disappointed that I had forgotten the Coke, but it wasn’t the end of the world. Although, if something terrible happened during the race, I‘d know why. The monorail came right away and we were off. The walk to the Race Retreat tent seemed long, especially since we were walking in the dark. Once we got inside, I was very glad that we had splurged on the Race Retreat. While we were eating, Rob got up to get another bagel and came back with a “lucky Coke” for me! When we were done and it was almost time to go to the corrals, the line for pictures was really short, so I decided that we needed to get our picture taken. I was so excited/tired that I accidentally said, “Hi Minnie” when I stood next to Daisy Duck. I quickly apologized and explained that my brain was still asleep. I’m sure she understood. After getting our picture taken with Donald & Daisy (AKA Minnie) and another one with Goofy, we got ready to go to our corral.

Again, the walk seemed very long. I had to use the port-o-potty, but decided to wait until the last port-o-potty location instead of using the others along the way to the start. There were lots of people going off into the foliage to take care of their business and I was tempted to do the same when I saw how long the port-o-potty lines were. However, one look at the spiky foliage was enough to steer me away from the shrubbery and into the port-o-potty line. The line moved pretty fast, but we still almost missed getting to our corral in time. Luckily, once the fireworks went off the people ahead of us started running, we were able to move into our corral and we were off! That part was definitely very exciting.

For the first few miles, it was almost a surreal feeling – running down the roads of Disney in the dark. When we ran between the little booths at the entrance to the Epcot parking lot, I started to get excited. I was really looking forward to running through a park. Once we entered Epcot, it was a bit crowded getting through the Spaceship Earth area, but then things opened up and it was easier to run. As we ran behind the scenes, I noticed at one point that we were running under the outdoor Test Track track. That was pretty cool.

I loved that throughout the race, there were bands, DJ’s, and characters to entertain and distract us. Even better were the volunteers and spectators cheering us on. Most of the run between Epcot and the TTC is a blur to me, but I do remember a few things. I remember the ladies wearing Nemo hats, tie-dyed shirts, and hula skirts. They were great at cheering us on and they had good music too. I also remember running down a road thinking we were getting close to the TTC and then realizing that we were on an overpass and the people below us were the ones getting close to the TTC . I recall using a real restroom at the TTC – it seemed like such a luxury to have a flushing toilet and a real sink.

I loved running by the Contemporary because I knew we were at about mile nine or so and I felt awesome! We entered the Magic Kingdom shortly after that. We were behind the scenes near Tony’s Town Square and they must have been baking bread. It smelled sooooooooo good, much better than the Gu I was preparing to have at the next water stop. We ran out onto the town square and then down Main Street. This part was really fun! There were trumpet players on the balcony above the castle door and their trumpets blared at the exact moment that Rob & I set foot in the castle. I really felt like we were getting the royal treatment at that point. When we into the backstage parade float area, Jack Sparrow was on his pirate ship float. He said something to us, but we didn’t hear what he said, probably because we were running so fast.

At first, it was kind of weird to hear complete strangers calling out, “Go Robert!” or “Great job, Julie!” and things like that, but it became less weird and more helpful as the miles wore on. The Sharpie signs were a great distraction at a point in the race where there wasn't anything else going on. At one point, they were handing out bananas. I know bananas are good for fueling during a race, but banana peels on a marathon course seemed like a recipe for disaster. I had visions of cartoon characters slipping on banana peels and prayed that I wouldn’t become a real-life cartoon character. Luckily, most people discarded their banana peels at the side of the road and I didn’t see anyone pull a “Tom & Jerry.”

I loved seeing the CM's with animals as we entered the Animal Kingdom. We saw a sheep, a goat, a turtle, an owl, and another bird (a hawk, maybe?). Running through Animal Kingdom was fun. The park was open at this point and although some people were cheering for us, it seemed like a lot of people were very confused as to who we were and what we were doing. We ran into another backstage area. It was there that we saw Minnie Mouse. I didn’t want to stop for a lot of pictures, but I wanted at least one during the race. The line was short, so we got our picture taken with Minnie.

I thought the next stretch of the race was hard. I wish there had been a few more distractions on this part of the course. There was one part where it’s out and back and as we were going out, I really wanted to switch places with someone who was already coming back. This is the point where things got tough for me. I had been very focused on drinking water since it was hot out (to me, anyway as I’d never run more than 10 miles in that kind of weather). I had to use every port-o-potty I passed, which I thought was a good sign. I obviously wasn’t dehydrated. However, I think I may have over hydrated, which would explain the wave of nausea that came upon me at mile 22. Also, by mile 22 my feet felt like they were made out of lead and my toes felt like they might fall off my feet at any moment. When we turned the corner and I saw that we were headed to Hollywood Studios, my spirits lifted a little. Then we saw the Nemo/hula ladies again and that helped as well. Part of me really wanted to walk at this point. We had been walking only at water stops, so that was about 30 seconds at a time. I realized at the next water stop that walking didn’t feel any better. That was my motivation for continuing to run. I would at least get to the finish line faster if I ran.

As we entered the backstage area of Hollywood Studios, they were handing out Hershey’s miniatures. I was feeling very nauseous, but I thought that maybe chocolate would somehow cure the nausea, make my feet and toes stop hurting, and I’d fly to the finish line. I had the chocolate. I was wrong. I didn’t feel any better, my feet and toes still hurt, and I wasn’t flying anywhere. I think it was more like shuffling. We ran through the costume design area, the New York street area, out by the big hat, down Hollywood Blvd., and out of the park.

The next part of the course was the love/hate part of the race for me. We went by the Swan and Dolphin. We could see the Boardwalk to our right as we continued around the water by the Yacht Club & Beach Club. I was so excited that I didn't have too much farther to go, but it was so tough at this point. I really was grateful for the cheers and encouragement, especially when people used my name, but I’m sure it didn’t show on my face. I just wanted to make it to the finish line.

I got a little lift when we finally entered Epcot, but this last mile through World Showcase felt like the longest mile I’ve ever run! People were cheering and calling our names and I really appreciated the cheers at that point. As we neared Spaceship Earth, I knew that I was going to finish. That gave me a little pick-me-up. Then I saw the gospel choir, which I knew from reading past years' reports meant I was almost there. Then I saw it…the finish line. I couldn’t believe it was finally within reach. The next thing I knew I was high-fiving Chip, Dale, & Stitch and crossing the finish line. I had done it! Five hours and forty-one minutes was our time. I think that’s pretty decent for someone who couldn’t run a mile a year ago. Plus, our time would have been a bit better if I hadn’t had to use every port-o-potty on Disney property.

A lot of people talk about the rush of emotions that you get crossing the finish line of your first marathon. I'm a bit disappointed that I didn’t feel anything like that. I was just glad it was over. As I stood there getting my chip cut off my shoe, the only thing going through my head was, “Don’t puke, especially on this nice lady cutting your chip off.” I vaguely remember getting my medal and heading to the Race retreat tent. At first, I felt like a zombie, shuffling around in a daze. Slowly, I seemed to come out of my fog. We got some pictures with Donald and Goofy (I think Daisy was avoiding me after my earlier faux-pas) and then we started our long journey home. My muscles were tight, but the worst of it was my toes. They still really hurt a lot.

We had been given flip-flops at the Race Retreat. Rob put his sneakers back on for our trek to the monorail station, but I left my flip-flops on. My toes were still hurting, so my sneakers and I weren’t exactly on speaking terms at that point The walk to the monorail was slow, but not too bad. We chatted with fellow runners while we waited and that was fun.

When we got to the hotel, we called home to tell them that we did it. They actually already knew because they had been tracking us online. We then took our ice baths, showered, and walked to the Magic Kingdom. It was fun wearing the medals in the park. Everyone was congratulating each other and talking about the race.

In some ways, I can compare running the marathon to childbirth. As soon as it was over, I vowed I’d never do it again (did I mention I’m a mother of three?). A few days later, my memory of the really tough parts has blurred a bit. I find myself thinking about what I did right, what I did wrong, and what I’d do differently next time. Wait a minute, did I just say “next time”? We’ll see….

 

[mkymsehi]

Great report Carrie. I enjoyed reading it.

 

[jeanneg]

Great race reports and photos, Carrie, Mike and Julie! Thank-you so much for sharing!

I have to add I am especially proud of Julie, my Ohana team-mate, on her super performance during her very first marathon. Yes, it is like childbirth. I finished my marathon mumbling something about "Ain't gonna be no rematch!"
Then I figured, the HALF would be fun for next year. Started to realize how I would miss out on so much if I didn't do the FULL........and now, I'm actually contemplating going GOOFY!

 

[wtpclc]

Forgive em for all teh ones I have not read head. So hard to catch up.

Julie - Way to go!!!!! lool, I swore I'd never do another one right after my first, too. TThis was my forth. There was a shirt at OMM that said something like "I know, I vowed I'd never do this again."

jbucci - I put an amphipod pack on my race belt that's just the right size fro a small digital. In the pooh pic, it's right next to his elbow. It's easy to acces and not a hassle at all,. Of course, you can tell how good I'm feeling or how tired I am by how many pix I take.

 

[laughinplace199]

Great race reports and photos, Carrie, Mike and Julie! Thank-you so much for sharing!

I have to add I am especially proud of Julie, my Ohana team-mate, on her super performance during her very first marathon. Yes, it is like childbirth. I finished my marathon mumbling something about "Ain't gonna be no rematch!"
Then I figured, the HALF would be fun for next year. Started to realize how I would miss out on so much if I didn't do the FULL........and now, I'm actually contemplating going GOOFY!

Awww, thanks Jeanne!

I think it's great that you're contemplating going Goofy! I say go for it!

 

[deekaypee]

Okay, I think I declare Jeff the official WISH/DR/Dead photographer. Instead of going Goofy/Dopey, he can just run from meet to meet! Great photos!

CarolA: Great job overcoming your illness and pushing through. I look forward to meeting you next year...especially if there's another dessert party. It sounds like you felt worse than you looked, if fooling your BF is an indication. And that probably means good pics, right? The pain fades, but the pics are proof of your triumph!

Matt: What a great thing you did for WISHers, creating memories on the course for all of us. You were a sight to behold in your hat, and it was great to see you bopping along the course (ahead of me). I'm counting on seeing you again next year (fingers crossed). The picture Jeanne posted is going on my laptop for training inspiration! And I just wanted to add that Cheryl rocks, too! Her smile is just gorgeous and I looked for it on the course.

Allyson: We missed seeing you at the water stop, too. We decided to go to the end of the water stops, but maybe went too far to be seen. Next time.... In far more important news, congratulations! You did a great job--remember, the pictures are essential to any Disney race! I loved that you had support, not only from Julie but from another runner as well--that's one of the things that makes this sport so memorable. "Time of YOUR Life" indeed. I'm sorry, though, that next year doesn't look like it's in the cards for you.

Jim: "My only goal at an Expo is to find all of the free stuff." That's me, too! It was great to see you, and meet you, this weekend. I love the idea of the Happy and thanks to you (and Pat & Tracey) for doing it. You've got me convinced for future years to give that a try. But your description of the 5K makes me want to sign up for that--so I'm planning on Dopey. I'll be happy to see you at the 5K regardless! (P.S. Yay for you, Anne, and Pat helping fellow athletes get through.)

Oh, yeah, street sweepers. Pretty impressive, although I felt guilty about dumping the Powerade.

Pat: Congratulations on your photo stops--they sound like fun.I love how you describe the advantages of walking. It's true, and I can totally see why you're drawn to do that distance all over the country. I'm hoping to "run into you" more often.

Carol: Woo hoo on meeting your goal time, and then some! The water park does sound like a good post-race treat. Better than an ice bath. Thank you for volunteering and doing such a great job as a course marshall. That must have been a challenging assignment, and I appreciate it.

Mike: I had no idea of your story or your wife's. From one survivor to another, I'm so very proud of you both--and of your whole family for doing this event together. And for sharing your story with us. What a great way to celebrate your lives, and how you've met the challenges of the race and your cancers. You're winners, by any definition.

Becky: Just a quick shout-out, because I missed you this time around.

Carrie: Great race report, as you know I love the details and the pictures. MP3 player--priceless. I can't think of better songs for you. (And I'm stealing them.) I loved that you supported the first-timers without candy coating it. It makes their victory all the more sweet. (Even without the candy coating, oddly.) So glad you got to see your parents on the course. You're right, seeing people we know does make a difference. (Scream teamers rock!) I agree with you about the Sharpies; change 'em up! I loved, loved, loved the miracle picture (as you know): Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore. It's exactly what you needed. Only to be topped by the DHS WISHers. And I love this end:

Our time was 5:26. Not what I wanted, but made my second fastest time by 20 minutes. Given the heat, I am very happy. Most importantly, though, for the first time since 2006, I know I didn’t give up on myself. I am really happy with that and thrilled to remember all the blessings I felt before, during, and after the race.

That paragraph says it all.

Julie: I still can't imagine you as shy, but am so glad to have met you. About your race. You've got a great memory for race details! You're helping me remember parts of the course I forget (wish I could forget the porta potties). I really appreciate your description of the post-race questions. We all get them. You and DH look great in your pic with Minnie! Childbirth, huh? I'll take your word for it. Sorry to hear about the nausea, though, and know you'll resolve those problems by your next marathon. And next time, I'm buying you your lucky Coke (so you just have to come next year, have to.) Last words: 0 to 26.2 in a less than a year. You're faster than my car!

Jeanne: Go Goofy. You know you wanna....

 

[jmasgat]

Carrie Great race and great report---Tigger-ific, to be precise!

Julie I am super impressed by any novice runner who decides to run a marathon! Great job! I am also a novice and the most I committed to was the half. But I'm definitely thinking next year for the full. I know what you mean about the "childbirth effect". It wasn't 48 hours before I was thiking...."Well, if I trained for it, why NOT a marathon?"

Maura

 

[laughinplace199]

Carrie Great race and great report---Tigger-ific, to be precise!

Julie I am super impressed by any novice runner who decides to run a marathon! Great job! I am also a novice and the most I committed to was the half. But I'm definitely thinking next year for the full. I know what you mean about the "childbirth effect". It wasn't 48 hours before I was thiking...."Well, if I trained for it, why NOT a marathon?"

Maura

Thanks, Maura. You should definitely go for that Mickey medal next year! If I can do it, anyone can.

 

[amykab]

Better late than never..My race report!
My race report. I had alot to say.

Friday 1/9/09

Arrived at WWOS around noon for the expo. Packet pick up was not crowded, but I could not bring the stroller inside. ACK. It was a bit difficult keeping up with Delena and picking up my stuff, but we managed.
Headed to the expo to get my shirt and look around. Again, no stroller. And it was more crowded in there, and there were a lot of things for Little D’s inspector gadget arms to grab (So so Sorry to the people at the huge table of Gu! ) I got my shirt and bought a couple other things from the race merchandise area. Lastly, we picked up my volunteer stuff for the full on Sunday. This was easy, no line.

We then headed to POR to check in. The room was ready and I tried to have Delena take a nap before we headed to POP for the WISH meet. No such Luck. Around 430 we headed over to POP for the WISH meet. It was great to be able to put some faces to screen names.

After the WISH meet, we headed back to POR. I had hoped DH would be here soon, but he got caught up at work and traffic so he wouldn’t be there for awhile. Delena and I headed to the food court where I got the traditional pre race pasta dinner. I had a meet up with my half marathon teammates from my charity team, the children’s tumor foundation (CTF). I met so many nice people. We talked for a bit and discussed plans for meeting up at the bus stop in the morning for the race.

DH finally arrived at 745 ish. We walked back to the food court so he could get some dinner.When we got back to the room, Miss Delena went to bed and I organized all of my stuff for the race. Obsessed over placement of my number on my shirt, obsessed over what I should wear for a shirt. Finally got it all figured out and tried to go asleep around 11 pm. I needed to be up no later than 245 am. I tossed and turned forever. Everytime I would fall asleep, I'd have dreams of oversleeping and missing the race.

RACE DAY. 1/10/09
I ended up getting up around 245 since I wasn't sleeping anyhow. I got dressed, checked one more time to be sure I had everything I needed. I walked down to the food court and got some coffee and ate a clif bar before meeting up with my CTF team to get on the bus at 345. I am guessing by 415 the bubs dropped us off at EPCOT and we walked what I am guessing was close to a mile to the bag check area. I hung out there for awhile, drank some G2, and had a team picture taken with my CTF teammates. After that, everyone kind of went on their own to the appropriate bag check tent and then it was on to port o potty city. OMG. So many potties! And I still waited about a half hour to use one! (note to self: pack tissues or some TP next time!) I started to make my way to the start corrals, and I caught up with another WISHer ( hi Tracey!) that I had met the night before at POP and “know” from the lean/mean/weight loss thread on the Events board. We walked at least a mile to the start corrals. Wave 1 had not started yet and we were both wave 2 so we used the potties there one last time. We then headed to our respective corrals to await the start of wave 2! The wheelchairs started at 545, And wave 1 at 550 There were fireworks at each start which was really cool! At 6 am Wave 2 was started! More fireworks. It took about 10 minutes for me to cross the start! Upon crossing the start people started dashing off to the sides to take advantage of nature’s bathroom. Boys and girls were doing this. And massive amounts of clothing were being shed. I got rid of my Disney towel that I had borrowed from the room. I did throw it in one of the clothes bins though. They do donate all throw away clothes to charity. Some of it was pretty nice stuff!

Miles 1-6 went by literally in the blink of an eye. The course was crowded and I am not one to weave in and out of people constantly, but I pretty much jogged the first 6 miles, albeit slowly, until we hit the outside of the MK. I took water or Gatorade at every stop up until this point. I wanted to soak up the atmosphere of running through the MK, so I walked more through the park. In fantasyland I saw one of the “coaches” for CTF who was checking on everyone and he ran with me for a bit. I will say right now it was SO SO nice to have the WISH support and CTF team support on the course. It made all the difference. And running in the MK was awesome. Totally had tears during this part of the race.

It was outside the MK, maybe around mile 7.5-8 ish where I started to realize I was probably overhydrated. SLOSH. SLOSH. Ugh. So obviously I quit drinking from this point on. I couldn’t run. Too much sloshing and stomach cramping. Yuck. Outside on the long road out of MK I walked with a girl from my CTF team who was walking to save her legs since she was doing the Goofy. I walked with her from about miles 8-12. It was so nice to have someone to talk to. This was her 3rd goofy!! She ran again right outside EPCOT (about mile 12) and I then happened upon an ex-coworker (not co-irker, thank goodness) who was hurting due to some bad sciatica pain. It was so nice to catch up with her and we really helped each other through that last mile. Which BTW, I was very disappointed didn’t go around world showcase. The Minnie 15 K did. Despite practically puking , I ran the last quarter mile. No way was I going to cross the finish line walking! So, 3 hours and 15 minutes after I started, I crossed the finish line! I got my chip cut off, got my Mylar blanket, and finally my DONALD medal!! I then made my way to bag check and promptly put on my flip flops. They felt so good! I had a huge blood blister on my right pinky toe, and some other smaller blisters. I was still feeling really sick to my stomach, so I drank just a little bit and got on the bus to go back to POR. I had hoped to get a picture with a character and catch up with my WISH and CTF teammates, but all I wanted to do was take a bath and lay down. So I did.

I pretty much lost it when I got back to the room. I got physically ill from the overhydration. I was mad at myself for over hydrating. I was disappointed about my time since it was a half hour longer than my first half in November. And elated that that I was able to finish. And just overly emotional in general. These long distance races have a huge mental aspect to them and they do mess with your head and emotions.

The day after (Sunday)
On Sunday I volunteered at Water Stop 11 for the Full marathon. So much fun. (Hi, Maura, Tracy and Bryan ). WS 11 was in the MK in the back of Splash Mountain. We had to be at the volunteer tent at around 5 am and were transported to the WS by 6 ish. We set up a water table towards the end of the stop. Bryan was called away to go mix powerade , so Tracy, Maura and I ran the WISH water table. Since we were at the end, not too many people took our water, but it was so much fun to cheer people on. And AMAZING to see the wheelchair athletes and elite runners come through. Our first runner came through LESS than an hour from the start of the race. 11 miles in an hour! And awesome to see all our WISH teammates come through! It was also fun to dump the remaining water cups we had on our table into the street and watch this massive street cleaner thing suck them up! I loved volunteering and would do it again!

Lessons Learned:

1. Overhydration is likely as bad as dehydration. I was sufficiently hydrated pre-race and had I not taken any drinks until mile 4, I probably would have been ok. Lesson Learned. I was thinking of my first half, where it was warmer and more humid. I needed to drink every mile or so. It was colder and drier for this race. Very important to take these things into account.

2. No strollers allowed at EXPO!!

3. Time spent talking, walking, running with people on the course is priceless!

4. Starting the race is JUST as important as finishing.

5. Volunteering is fun (and gets you a free ticket and really cool jacket!)

I had a ton of pics, and didn't want to bog down the thread by imbedding them, so here is a link to my album from the weekend.
http://picasaweb.google.com/AmyKAB/Disney12MarathonTrip2009?authkey=mT3xlul1M9E&feat=directlink

 

[laughinplace199]

Awesome report, Amy! Thanks for sharing! If it helps, you weren't alone in the overhydration department - I did the same thing. The important thing is that you crossed the finish line!

 

[mkymsehi]

Amy, nice report.

Liked seeing you use the tattoos, I almost mistook your for a NASCAR race car!

 

[laughinplace199]

Julie: And next time, I'm buying you your lucky Coke (so you just have to come next year, have to.)

Debra, I just might be taking you up on that lucky Coke offer. I have Rob convinced that we need to do the full again in 2010. Now I just have to hope that all of the stars align in the money and childcare departments!

 

[scoolover]

the story for today for me was the weather. It was perfect or nearly so. Perhaps it could have been 3 degrees cooler but who can complain about such a small thing. Comming into the race I was very concerned about my conditioning. the last time I did a long run was on December 3 which was 5 weeks ago. Since then I had a long of 8 miles which is why I was concerned. Going into the race, my confidence was pretty low to the point that I was talking about exiting the full marathon course at mile 18 to go watch the Giant football game.

One thing that struck me as odd was the face that I only say one WISHer on the entire course. It was a pleasure meeting Tracy in Magic Kingdom.

Now on to my race report. As is my M.O. I arrived at the WISH meet and stayed on the outskirts of all the happennings. I am an introvert and therapist gave me permisson to hang on the outskirts. At about 5:00 or so, I separated from my DF Kathy and headed into port-o-potty heaven. Anyone there in the future should know that the best place to go is all the way down on the left. Two years in a row, there have been shorter lines and fewer lines going to more toilets. I headed to the corrals and even though I have done the walk a few times, I am still surprised at the distance. I walked to corral B and found a nice spot next to the fence where I did some light stretching and basically waited for everything to get started. One of my goals was to get some good video of the fireworks. I failed miserably. Where ever I turned the camera, I just missed the latest explosion. If you need a videographer, I am not your guy! Photographs - maybe. Anyway, getting to the corral a bit later than I usually do was nice because the wait was not bad at all. It was perhaps 20minutes or so.

The gun went off and I think that it took about 3 minutes to cross the start line. Of course Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and the duck of the day, Donald were there to see us off. As usual, the walk/run thing started out a bit tense for me. I try to be very courteous by staying to the side of the road and looking back before walking but in the beginning of the race there are just so many people that it makes it nearlyimpossible to walk without impeeding someone. That means that I usually run more than I should. This year I have gone to a run 3 to walk 2 which really has increased my feeling good. In the past I have tried a 7 to 1 and 4 to 1 and failed miserably. It remains to be seen what will happen in the full but I hope that the half is an indication. Anyway, the great thing about today was that I was at the back of wave 1. About 1/2 mile into the run I was about 100 to 200 people from the back which made the walking more care free. By the time the second wave caught us we were spaced out enough that it was never too crowded.

I was surprised at how good I felt during the entire race and again, I will attribute it to the cool temps. At 260lbs, I really sweat and boy did it being cool help out. Have I told anyone that I thought the temperature was perfect. My goal for the race was not really time oriented. It was more based on feeling good at the end and building confidence for tomorrow. Boy, did I end feeling good and build some confidence.

One of the advertised things about the race weekend was that there were going to be more characters. I didn't really see it until we got back to Epcot and when we got to the out and back there were three that were there that put it over the top. I would say that there were more than last year. I was happy about the amount and different characters than I have seen in the past. If I pass someone I have a picture with, I will usually just keep on going. I stopped a bunch of times today.

Here is the meat and potatoes of the race.
mile 1 13:00
mile 2 and 3 average time 12:47
mile 4 11:43
mile 5 11:55
mile 6 13:05
mile 7 12:56
mile 8 12:05
mile 9 12:01
mile 10 12:12
mile 11 11:56
mile 12 12:02

The whole thing took about 2:43 which was actually faster than last year. I took an ice bath and 3 hours later, I feel tight but great.

 

[scoolover]

For the 08 Goofy, I ran a very easy and relaxed half and 16 okay miles of the full before falling apart and hobbeling the last 8-10 with G.I. problems, blisters and severe cramping. I finished in about 2:45 and 6:30.

This year I ran an easy and relaxed half in about 2:45 and ran about 18 pretty decent miles of the full before G.I. problems forced me to walk the last 8 miles at a good clip. I felt great from 18 to 24 when my G.I. issues forced a few bathoom breaks. Even though my body felt better than after any of the four marathon I have run, I actually finished with a very similar time as last year when I wanted to die. I really wish that I could get time out of my head, especially at Disney races, but it always seems to be in the back of my mind. Unless I decide to qualify for Boston by running a two hour PR, it simply doesn't matter.

I arrived later than usual because the bus man said that my two spectators could not come on the bus because only runners were allowed. Annoyed but undetered, we went back to the room and got the car keys. Me, Kathy and My father drove to the start. My mother and son slept in with the intention of meeting at Animal Kingdom (mile 17.5) at about 9:30.

We arrived at Epcot and more or less, drove right in and parked with ease. I was a bit concerned due to road closures but it wasn't an issue. We parked and went to the family area. I was disappointed that all the WISHers were gone and I could not find any of my WLS people. I waited until about 5, said goodbye to my scream team and entered the staging area. The best place to use the port-o-potties is in the far left corner as there are fewer lines to more potties. The mile long walk to the start was filled with a quiet energy that is tough to describe. I was in the second corral of the red course which was the slower side. I stayed toward the back of the corral and gave some advice to a Goofy rookie, haha.

The fire works balst off and we were off. I really felt great, not feeling any side effects of the half. I was able to walk my 2 minutes and run my 3 without feeling like I was getting in anybody's way. It was congested but not too bad. It felt slightly warmer than Saturday but not bad at all. The first 4 miles were a bit tight but running through Epcot is great to start the race. At mile 4 I saw my scream team for the first time. We determined that I was in about 11,637th place at that point. (my dad had a clicker). Kidding. Anyway, the trip from mile 4 to about mile 8 is all about setting a good rhythm. At mile 8 I took a bathroom break. I decided that I would take breaks instead of suffering even if it meant a slower time.

Here is another tip. Run down the center of the water stops and gradually move over toward the end. The beginning are simply too congested. Powerade, however, is given out in the first 1/3 of the water stops. When you get to the TTC, the crowd noise is incredible. I got some pretzles from my scream team and was off toward the Magic Kingdom. The pretzles were awesome and didn't hurt my G.I. system. I also had a chewable multi-vitamin and I think that it helped a bit.

The run from the TTC to MK is pretty easy because there is a lot to look at and you have the contemporary hill to look forward to. It really isn't much anyway but breaks up the course flatness. Mile 10, there is another chip check that gives you a 10 mile split.

Kathy and my father were on main street waiting when I arrived. I took more pretzles because again, they were not messing with my G.I. tract. Up Main Street I went. I tried as hard as I could to take it all in. I didn't want look back and not remember it because I was looking through a view finder on my camera. It was a great day. It was clear and relatively cool. One of the advantages of doing the Goofy of running multiple years is knowing where the photo ops are. As someone who likes to get pictures with the characters, It is nice to be able to bypass the ones I already have. On Saturday, I stopped for a great pic with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy in Liberty Square with cool costumes that I had not seen. On Sunday the line was probably 5 times as long but I skipped it. The rest of MK is equally exciting. Once you are out of MK it gets a little tougher. There is a long stretch to the Grand Floridian which is boring but the legs are still fresh enough to keep it going alright. The scream team is there for some moral support.

Here is the best part of the whole day. I missed the mile 12 sign but didn't know it. All of a sudden I see the mile 13 sign and before I knew it, I was half way there. I passed the halfway point in about 2:45. It was the same time as the half the day before. Mile 13 to 17 was pretty good. I was still run/walking and keeping a good pace. I stopped at mile 15 to use the bathroom because I thought I had to. Apparantly, I didn't. I had to stop again at mile 17. This time was for real. With a 5:20 PR, I wish I could know what I could run without stomach pain in every run over 15 miles.

Anyway, my team was at mile 17.5 and it was good to see them. I got some more stuff to eat and left. My mother and son could mot make it so I was disappointed but what can be done. I left there and decided that I would pretty much walk the rest of the race. My body felt great and my mind felt outstanding. My stomach hurt and running was out of the picture. I kept up 15 minute miles walking for the next few miles. Mile 21 was funny. I was doing great. I saw my WISH team and since I was only wearing my hat I was not screaming WISH like I would have been with the shirt. Anne saw me late and forced an orange on me which was funny as I was chased down the course. I did get a cramp from turning to grab it but her effort was very appreciated.

Hollywood studios is another fun part of the course. It is a nice distraction after about 5 miles of nothing. Out near the gate was another WISH group handing out goodies and again, how nice to see some friendly faces. I was pertty content with what I had to get me to the end of the race as I was passing I heard, "twizler" and boy, did that grab my attention. That was a treat.

From there I was still doing well to about mile 24. That was when the balls of my feet got hot and started hurting. Hollywood studios, the walkway to the Swan and Dolphin and on to the Yacht and Beach club were all very pretty and it is pretty east to get distracted. Again, Mentally I was still there but the stomach issues were there as well. I got into Epcot and walked world showcase, still at a nice pace. With less than 1/2 mile to go, I had to ask where the nearest bathroon was. That part of the day was annoying at best but I really must say that I enjoyed this marathon more than any other I have done. The choir was upbeat and great again.

My scream team was at mile 26.19 and I stopped to say hi. I must not really think that highly of running a good time when I probably stopped and chatted for a total of about 10 minutes with them along the course. I guess that I was not really that concerned about time.

I finished feeling really good overall.

As did everyone, I got the mylar, medal, chip removed and loaded up on drinks and snacks. I went to get the Goofy Medal and headed out to meet my people. Kathy had already gone to cool the car so when I meet my family, we were almost ready to go. One thing I had to do before I left was to meet up with Anne and thank her for the wonderful support. She is awasome! What a treat to see her on the course.

I got in the car and headed back to the All Star Music Suite and that was when all the fun started. I was drinking Powerade and eating snacks to rehydrate. I took an ice bath and waited about 20 minutes to shower. The Giants were on and I was watching. Anyway, during the shower my midsection started to hurt. I could not tell if it was muscle fatigue and cramping or a spasm or what the hell it was. I got half dried off and went and collapsed on my bed. I was literally writhing in pain and could not breathe very well at all. I would change possitions and get a second or two of relief before seizing up again. My mother look panicked but that was okay because I was getting there also. I asked for a glass of water and salt which I could not drink right away because of the pain. I finally did and also had two chewable vitamins. In another 2 minutes I was going to have my mother call for help. I couldn't take it and was scared but the salt and vitamins kicked in. The pain lessened a bit and I downed another Powerade as the pain finally subsided. I would say that the severe pain lasted for 10 minutes and I layed there for about 5 minutes without much pain before I had the guts to move. When I did, I was better. I ate everything in the room to try to replenish what was missing. I really did consentrate on electrolyte replacement during the race and rest of the day. I was not sure what caused it. My guesses were weak stomach muscles that were pissed, dehydration or a lack of vitamins and minerals. After talking to a body builder I work with, I would guess it was the electrolytes. He told me that many body building shows have pedialite back stage for what I was describing. You would think that after 4 marathons, I'd have a clue but no.

Again, the whole weekend was great. The 1/2 had to be one of my favorite races of all time and the full was my most enjoyable too. Thanks to everyone invloved!!!


I took mostly video during this years races. I regret not getting more photos now but perhaps I can make a video to link in the near future.

 

[mkymsehi]

Great reports Scott.

 

[jmasgat]

Scott Congrats! And BTW, that picture of the MK you took during the half is Spectacular! Seriously, it is magazine worthy, with the roses and the lights.

Maura