Racing to Lose a Toenail ~ My Half-Marathon Weekend *Homeward Bound 3/16 p.25

[eandesmom]

VERY exciting about the house stuff!!!

I bet you are relieved that the toenail finally came off.

Love the pics with Donald Duck. It sounds like a really fun last day!

 

[DisneyDreamerMom]

Congrats on the house news! I love the pics with Donald. I hate you didn't get the same pin as before but still, you got one! I think it is wonderful how you cheered on the marathoners. Great update!

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

Carissa,

Congrats on your race and the new house. Your report has been great so far and so inspiring. I am leaving on Thursday to head to the princess. Just wanted to say thanks again for the inspiration. Your story was the first one I read and you totally inspired me to get healthy. Since then I lost 35lbs and am about to run my first half. I could not thank you enough. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

 

[Goofster57]

My toenail fell off! Only took six weeks, but it finally happened.
Up Next - Homeward Bound

Pictures!!!! We want pictures!!!!

We finally got the ratified contract back from the seller (bank) and were able to submit it to our bank and start the process.
Up Next - Homeward Bound

Soon the real fun will begin!!

We were waiting to cheer on a very special marathoner, but we decided to spread the love and cheer for everyone while we waited.
Up Next - Homeward Bound

A very cool thing to do!!!

I realized I had lost my half-marathon pin.
Up Next - Homeward Bound

Sorry to hear about the pin Carissa

 

[MeMom]

Donald looks very proud of you girls.
I'm so glad you had that special race trip.

Best of everything to you on your big move.

 

[momrek06]

Let's start with a life update first...

My toenail fell off! Only took six weeks, but it finally happened.

We finally got the ratified contract back from the seller (bank) and were able to submit it to our bank and start the process. We were able to lock in a really good rate (4.75) so we're very happy with that. It also looks like with the contributions the seller is giving us, we won't have to bring any cash to the table at closing. This is very good since we need all the money we can get for fixing and buying things when we move in. Today I'm sending back all of the signed paperwork to the bank and then we wait for the appraisal and the finished paperwork. I think we're in the home stretch! Our close date is currently set for March 21st. We have to be out of our current place by the 31st so fingers crossed it all goes smoothly.

I want to get this TR finished since I know things will only get crazier from here on out.

On with the trip report!

We finished with EE and decided it was a good place to become cheerleaders. We were waiting to cheer on a very special marathoner, but we decided to spread the love and cheer for everyone while we waited.

It was such a cool experience to watch the runners and clap and offer words of encouragement. We'd look for the ones who looked like they were having a particularly difficult time and use their name. What amazed me the most was how many marathoners spotted our medals and hollered out congratulations to us. Here they were 17 miles into a marathon, tired, and they took the time to be happy for our accomplishment. Runners are such a great group of people!

I had my camera ready, searching the crowd for Jenny so I could take a few pictures of her running.

Look at that huge smile!

We all hugged and talked a bit about how the race was going for Jenny. Then she started asking about our races. She wanted to know how my first half went. I had to laugh. I told her she'd hear all about it later, but she had a marathon to finish! Those who have read Jenny's TR know that she has fun with her races and enjoys the moment. We finally convinced her that she needed to be on her way, but not before a few pictures first.

She wanted one of Liz and I:

With that, we sent Jenny on her way.

There was one last thing Liz and I wanted to do before leaving WDW. We wanted to get our picture taken with Donald while wearing our Donald medals.

While we were walking towards Camp Minnie-Mickey, I realized I had lost my half-marathon pin. When Melissa had given me the Stitch pin, I had put it on my purse. Since it was staying on so well, I figured I'd put my half pin on it as well to show it off. Unfortunately, it didn't work out so well and it had fallen off. I figured it probably came off when I stuffed my purse in the bag holder thing on EE.

When I returned back home, I was able to get in touch with someone at ESPN Wide World of Sports and they were happy to send me another one (which I paid for). However, when it arrived, it was not the same pin. Here is the one I got initially when I registered for the half:

And this is the replacement they sent:

At least I was able to get another half pin!

Along the way to see Donald, we stopped and got a quick snack. One of my favorites at WDW!

We made it over to Donald's line and it was very short. And he was just returning so we didn't have to wait long at all.

I did a little shopping on the way out as I had to bring home some gifts for the boys. Then it was time to make our way back to Pop.

Up Next - Homeward Bound

Oh my, Carissa, I have been bad about keeping up with trip report reads of all my DIS friends!!!

GREAT UPDATE!!!

HOW EXCITING ABOUT YOUR NEW HOME!!!

Your toenail … Ugh …

Your half-marathan pin … Ugh … I really do like the "replacement" pin!!!

Your pictures are awesome!!!

What did you buy the boys from DISNEY?

Homeward Bound!!!

 

[carissanboys]

Best update ever! It really was one of the highlights of my race to see you guys. I was so excited for you. There really is nothing like completing that first long distance race and I wanted to hear about it! Plus I like any excuse I can get to take a break That is interesting that they sent you a different pin. I'm suprised they would even produce 2 different pins. Anyway great update! And congrats on the house! That is so exciting. Hope everything goes smoothly.

Sorry you had to wait so long for it! I was surprised too. Via email she asked me which pin I wanted and I said the pin they gave out for the half-marathon. Didn't realize there was more than one! But, Liz remembered seeing the other one at the expo.

I just finished getting caught up on your report. So sorry that your groin strain was bothering you so much. Injuries are the worst! Great job on pushing through it and finishing though!
It's so cool that you guys were able to see Jenny during the Marathon to cheer her on. What a motivator it must have been for her!
I mentioned on her TR that I just booked my room for the Wine and Dine and was thinking how fun it would be we all met up for it!

I answered on Jenny's TR, but just in case you didn't see it, I'm not going to the Wine and Dine. The half was kind of a one time thing for me. I might possibly consider doing the half over marathon weekend in 2013, but it's a big if right now. How exciting for you, though!

So cool that you saw Jenny!
Love the pic with Donald.

Amanda

It was a highlight of the trip.

Love the pics with Donald...too cute!

How exciting that the house stuff is moving along.....I'd be giddy!

Gross toenail news...thanks for not sharing a picture! LOL!

I thought about it!

the replacement medal is cool, but i like your first one better,

glad hte toe came off.


well not glad it came off, but glad you dont have to worry about it anymore (you know tearing it off accidentally and really hurting it)

Well, I'm glad my toe didn't come off - just the toenail.

Good job becoming cheerleaders -- I'm sure the encouragement helps!

I hope everything goes smoothly for you on the house closing. That is a good rate you got.

Thanks! We're so excited! March 21st!!

It's so great that you were able to cheer Jenny and other runners on.
Great photo with Donald.

Thanks. Cheering them on was so much fun.

VERY exciting about the house stuff!!!

I bet you are relieved that the toenail finally came off.

Love the pics with Donald Duck. It sounds like a really fun last day!

I am glad that it's finally gone. I think it looks better without it.

 

[carissanboys]

Congrats on the house news! I love the pics with Donald. I hate you didn't get the same pin as before but still, you got one! I think it is wonderful how you cheered on the marathoners. Great update!

Thanks!

Carissa,

Congrats on your race and the new house. Your report has been great so far and so inspiring. I am leaving on Thursday to head to the princess. Just wanted to say thanks again for the inspiration. Your story was the first one I read and you totally inspired me to get healthy. Since then I lost 35lbs and am about to run my first half. I could not thank you enough. Thank you for sharing your story with us.

Thank you so much. Good luck to you and I hope your race goes fabulously! Can't wait to hear all about it.

Pictures!!!! We want pictures!!!!



Soon the real fun will begin!!



A very cool thing to do!!!




Sorry to hear about the pin Carissa

I knew someone would want pictures. And does the pin master have any Disney race pins?

Donald looks very proud of you girls.
I'm so glad you had that special race trip.

Best of everything to you on your big move.

Thanks MeMom! We're moving ourselves, which we haven't done in years. We usually have the military benefit of having movers pack us up and move our stuff.

Oh my, Carissa, I have been bad about keeping up with trip report reads of all my DIS friends!!!

GREAT UPDATE!!!

HOW EXCITING ABOUT YOUR NEW HOME!!!

Your toenail … Ugh …

Your half-marathan pin … Ugh … I really do like the "replacement" pin!!!

Your pictures are awesome!!!

What did you buy the boys from DISNEY?

Homeward Bound!!!

No worries, Karen! I'm behind too. I bought Connor a stuffed safari Pluto I found in AK. Owen wanted a Goofy mug. Sully got a Donald pin.

 

[Charleston Princess]

Congrats on all the house stuff! That's awesome about the rate and not having to worry about paying the closing costs!

How fun to be cheerleaders for your friend and the other runners!

Love the picture of you and Donald! Adorable! What a shame that you lost your pin.

Hurray for Mickey ice cream! It always looks so good to me! Maybe it's the shape. LOL!

 

[Goofster57]

And does the pin master have any Disney race pins?

He might have some feelers out to see if he can find an extra one.

 

[carissanboys]

Congrats on all the house stuff! That's awesome about the rate and not having to worry about paying the closing costs!

How fun to be cheerleaders for your friend and the other runners!

Love the picture of you and Donald! Adorable! What a shame that you lost your pin.

Hurray for Mickey ice cream! It always looks so good to me! Maybe it's the shape. LOL!

I love them! But, I prefer them when they're not so frozen. I like them to be a bit soft. That one we had that day was very hard. The only snack that I didn't eat which I love is the popcorn.

He might have some feelers out to see if he can find an extra one.

I wasn't meaning that! I was just curious if you had any race pins in your collection. Probably not the type of pin someone would collect unless they were interested in racing, but you never know.

 

[DizGirl20]

Finally catching up again! OK so being a new runner, I have to ask... is there anything you could have done in hindsight to prevent the toenail from falling off? Like bigger sneakers or different socks or... not running? Just kidding!

Seriously, I do worry about it, so just thought I'd ask to see if you had any good advice. Congrats on your completing your first HM and the new house!

 

[carissanboys]

Finally catching up again! OK so being a new runner, I have to ask... is there anything you could have done in hindsight to prevent the toenail from falling off? Like bigger sneakers or different socks or... not running? Just kidding!

Seriously, I do worry about it, so just thought I'd ask to see if you had any good advice. Congrats on your completing your first HM and the new house!

Well, I did buy a new pair of socks for the race and that's a big no no. They were a different brand (but better running socks than the ones I usually used). Also, they say you should buy your sneakers half a size or even a whole size up. I didn't do that. It wasn't a problem on the shorter runs, but it might have contributed to the issue. The weird thing is, I didn't have any issues after my 10 mile training run, just with the half, which is why I think it might have been the socks.

In the end, losing a toenail really isn't a big deal.

 

[DizGirl20]

Thanks for the info. about the socks - I learn something new everyday here on these boards! I just bought a new pair of bigger sneakers a whole size larger than what I usually get. I think that combined with thicker socks will work great for me. Funny, but since I started running this year, I realized that I have been wearing the wrong sneaker size for years!

Hope your toenail comes back in time for flip-flop weather...

 

[carissanboys]

Time to finish this up. There isn't much of the story left to tell, but I don't like leaving things hanging.

Liz and I made our way back to Pop. I think I forgot to mention that we had checked out of our room before heading to Animal Kingdom and had left our bags with Magical Express. So, when we got back to Pop, we headed for the food court. Guess what I ate? Again.

Yup, more Asian Chicken Salad. Once I had finished eating, I headed over to the gift shop to find something for Sully. I ended up getting him a Donald pin, which he loved.

We made our way over to Magical Express, collected our bags, and waited for the bus. It was sad to be leaving, but it had been a wonderful weekend! Liz and I said our goodbyes on the bus since I was going to a different terminal than her. Then I headed inside and immediately had a long wait to get through security.

I chatted with a few people and happened to mention that I had done the half-marathon the day before. Yes, I admit it. I had to brag! Part of me considered wearing my medal. And I did see at least one other person wearing hers. But, I think most people who watched me get up and down from my seat could tell I'd run some long race.

I spent my time at the gate relaxing, reading my nook, listening to music, and savoring my final minutes alone. I also spent some time thinking about the race and all that I had accomplished over the last year. At one point it was announced that there would be a delay due to a part that needed replacing, but I think it only put us about 30 minutes behind schedule.

I got to the airport in Norfolk and drove home. I was excited to see my family and show them my medal. When I walked in the door, this is what greeted me:

I have the best family! I need to say here how supportive Chuck was all of last year with my taking up running. For the first half of the year, he supported me from afar while he was deployed. And when he was home, he supported me while I started to train more seriously for the half and spend a few hours each weekend morning out running. He never batted an eyelash when I needed to spend money for my new goal. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful partner and support system.

So, that brings us to the end of this trip report. I have a few updates to give you. First, I have to thank Keith who surprised me last week. I opened my mail box one day and found the exact half-marathon pin that I had lost in Animal Kingdom. Thank you, Keith! You're the best!!

Second, we close on our house Monday! Seems like the last couple of months have gone by at a snail's pace. Next week is going to be a busy one for us as we close and then start moving in. My parents are arriving a week from Sunday to see the house and help us out.

Third, until today, I hadn't run or worked out at all since January. But, back in January I had signed up for an 8k race that is taking place this Saturday. I had decided I wasn't going to do it. But, with some motivating words from some friends, I decided to just go for it. This morning I did 2 miles on the treadmill and it felt pretty decent. I got winded faster than normal and my knees are a bit sore, but it went better than I thought it would.

Fourth, I got on the wii this morning to weigh myself and found out that I have lost 2 pounds since I last weighed myself (who knows when that was!). I was shocked to say the least! I figured I'd gained back quite a bit since I haven't been working out and I've been eating poorly. Still don't know how I managed it, but very happy.

And, lastly, I am in the process of signing up for another race. Not sure how many of you have heard, but in 2012, Disney is going to have a Marathon Relay for the first time. Liz wanted to do it and was looking for a partner. I thought about it for a bit and decided to go for it! Very excited to earn the inaugural Chip 'n Dale medal.

Thank you all for your support over the last year. You all were a part of me accomplishing my goal. Y'all are the best!

 

[liznboys]

Aw, I got teary reading this last installment. I'm SO, SO glad I got to take that trip with you. And now, we get to do it again!!!

 

[mommytothreeboys]

What a great ending to a great trip! You are an inspiration!

It's so exciting that it's almost move-in time....there's nothing quite like moving into a new house. Especially since it's your first!

How sweet that Keith replaced your medal!

Best of luck in the race this weekend. I'm sure you'll be fantastic! And congrats on the 2 pounds!

 

[glennbo123]

I love the sign your family posted! You have every right to be proud of what you accomplished!



Thanks for sharing your story.

 

[All7OfUs]

You made such amazing progress, and we're all so proud of you! I am actually contemplating the 1/2 marathon relay as well, and am going to start training more seriously starting later this spring. I hope it works out for us to meet up there!!!

 

[DisneyDreamerMom]

A great end to a great TR. You are such an inspiration! Good luck in the 8K and the relay.