Roxymama's 5k to Marathon, Time to Collect Another Castle

[KSellers88]

Girlllllll! You killed it! I was so stinking excited watching your time this morning. HUGE Congrats!!!

 

[ZellyB]

You are awesome!! I’m so proud of you!!

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Way to go. So happy for you!

 

[sourire]

So happy for you and proud of you!!! Crushed it! Absolutely can’t wait for your recap. More dancing bananas are in order:

 

[FredtheDuck]

Ah-mazing!!! What an accomplishment. Excited to read your recap.

 

[SarahDisney]

Congrats, marathoner! You did awesome!

 

[SheHulk]

amazing. I'm focusing on being happy for you and trying not to be jealous of that sub-5

 

[TheHamm]

That is an awesome time!! Can't wait to hear all about it. Put those toes in an ice bath!

Isn't the baby toe in the goofy pool already?

 

[Ariel484]

Awesome job MARATHONER!!

 

[girliea]

Wahooo!

 

[run.minnie.miles]

WOOHOO!!!! Way to go Roxy!!!! You KILLED it!!

 

[Bree]

Way to go! Congrats!

 

[rteetz]

YOU ARE A MARATHONER! Congrats!!!

 

[roxymama]

Roxykiddo wanted to help write my race recap...aka she did not want me "working on my computer"
So the below is from her. Stay tuned shortly for my real recap. I'm typing it on my laptop then adding in the pics via my phone. It's just easier. If you see recap with no pics, come back soon!!!

 

[roxymama]

Chicago Marathon Race Recap Prologue


(Shoe art by roxykiddo)

Let's go way way back to the year 2017. I had finally gotten up the nerve (and succumbed to peer pressure) to try out a half marathon. At the time that was my "end all, be all" of race distances. It seemed insane. Why would anyone run longer than that?...how did people even run that long? But I trained and it was awesome and fun and hard. But I really liked it. So when @michigandergirl suggested that I could run the Chicago marathon and that she would enter the lottery with me in the hopes that we could tackle it together...it seemed both impossible and insane. But it unlocked the possibility in my brain that maybe she was on to something. Maybe I could go ahead and take a chance. If the lottery gods deemed me unworthy then I was off the hook. I still wasn't quite sure I was going to take that leap though. Training was a big obstacle for me. I've read about people doing 16, 18, 20 mile training runs and that was a scary prospect. But @DopeyBadger had given me some peace of mind with training ideas that would still mean a lot of running (and often), but maybe not a lot of those crazy long runs. Hmmmmm....I just didn't know yet.
October 2017 and the Chicago marathon was on TV. I had some dis-friends in the race. I always watch it. My family had someplace to be (probably ice skating lessons) and hubby was having a hard time pulling me away from the TV. It wasn't the elites that had my captivated; it was the "age groupers" as the news reporter was calling them. The rest of the pack. I started to see myself on the screen and I think roxyhubby noticed. We got in the car and before pulling out of the driveway he said "So you're running the marathon next year." No question mark. And I meekly said "yeah." And then I freaked out in my head! I'd been obviously mulling it over on the boards in bits and pieces but this was the "OH GOD IT'S HAPPENING" moment.

I registered for the lottery from the Disney magical express on 10/31. Thinking that would bring me some kind of magic. And then I waited. And maybe it's the old wanting what you can't have, but much like limited edition makeup, the more I couldn't have this thing I only sort of thought I wanted...the more I wanted it. I needed them to send me my application approval. But they didn't. I wasn't chosen and neither were a handful of us from the boards. Including my would-be running mate @michigandergirl . I was happy for those that got in but I cried on my couch...a lot...over this thing I thought was insane to begin with. I thought I'd get relief that I wouldn't have to do it...but now I really wanted it. Just felt like since I was already in good running shape, just completed two half marathons, just broke my 10k PR, I didn't want to wait another year. So I went the charity route. Thank you to everyone who PM'd me asking how they could help or offering support. It's hard for me to express my gratitude.

So this is the part that's hard to talk about or type about. My mom got really sick this year. She had been fighting multiple forms of cancer for multiple years now. But it was different this year. She had some really good months that were wonderful to experience with her, but then things got hard. And I pulled back away from running for a bit. I was training for a spring half marathon and I had to fess up to Da Coach that I needed to reset. And we did. I ran that half, and it went ok. But I was worried about how I'd handle marathon training. I started my training in June very focused and then my mom got worse. But I kept running. And then my mom got really really worse. And I still ran. And then I said goodbye. And my mom started coming on runs with me in spirit. And I kept running. It's really that simple. I didn't always run on the exact days planned or at optimal times of day or in ideal conditions, but I ran and ran and ran. I was an emotional mess but I ran. Stopped instagramming, stopped journaling, rarely posted silly gifs, but the running stayed. And you all stayed with me.
I started getting in-training PRs. I was feeling very strong. I was feeling prepared. I was feeling ready. And absolutely scared out of my mind that I had no idea if I could run 26.2 miles!!! I knew I would finish if my body let me, but the getting there was such an unknown.

To be continued with Part One: The Expo!!!

 

[TeeterTots]

Wow! Amazing start to your report! I’m not a regular poster but do follow. I’m so sorry for your loss! I lost my father to cancer 5 years ago, but it feels like yesterday. The pain is still so raw! I run with his spirit too! He was a drill instructor and I often cadence to myself on LRs.

I caught your finish on live stream and was so happy to see a fellow disers and DB trainee! Can’t wait to read more!!

 

[rteetz]

So excited for this report! Great start, wish I could've been there with all of you.

 

[roxymama]

Chicago Marathon Race Recap Part One: The Expo!

I enjoy race expos. My favorite kind of shopping is just walking around pollinating things I like (picking things up, putting them down, touching things and going "oh neat") So I took Friday off work so that I could go take my time soaking it all in and not feeling rushed to leave. It sounded like Team Disboards would all be arriving at different times so I wasn't totally sure who I'd run into but was hopeful I'd get to say hi to at least someone.
I was on the verge of just going at 9am when it opened but decided to enjoy some time on my couch with my legs up for rest. And then it was nearing 11am already. Oops. Didn't take me long to get downtown and at least I'd beat the lunch rush...but I was faced with an epic crush of humanity to get through security and into the packet pickup area. Never had seen anything like it at an expo before!



Sent out a message to my dispeeps to warn them. Luckily it was only about a 15-20 minute wait before I was through and had my bib in hand. Stopped at the Girls on the Run booth (my charity) and picked up bright pink cheer squad shirts for my family. Kiddo got a really nice tech shirt!

One of the directors spent quite some time talking me through tips about running in the rain and other team members were offering other advise about the race and where to go in the morning, etc. They clued me in that there was a booth selling cheap throwaway waterproof top layers. So I got one! (Turned out to be kind of a garbage buy since the zipper was useless...still came in handy...a little bit)


Picked up my free tshirt and got a text from @cburnett11 that he was there. We met up by the shirts and had a nice chat with his family. Hopefully we will run into each other again during WDW weekend. Wishing your wife much luck on her big race!

My race expo tradition has always been to pick up one sweaty band. I now have quite a collection. I picked out two Chicago marathon themed ones (ferris wheels and skyline) and the woman at the booth said "You know if you buy three you get a fourth free." So I caved. Found an awesome pineapple one to wear at WDW in the vicinity of dole whips and then got roxykiddo her very own purpley one. (Oddly @CheapRunnerMike wore a pineapple kit during the race and @DopeyBadger's wife carried a pineapple balloon in the crowd. Weeeiiiiird)


Made a stop at the rundisney booth to peruse the race bling. I love the Donald medal I will earn this year. I've posted all of them on the Marathon 2019 thread, so go check them out there too!



Had to visit my soon to be future Hot Chocolate bling and jacket as well. Running that race in only a few weeks. Yes, that is a hot dog on a chocolate bar. I only took one free piece of chocolate at the booth. I know, I'm dissappointed at myself too. Should have taken more.


I pollinated a bunch of shoe booths. But nothing caught my eye at the right price. Headed to the Nike booth which was PACKED. I already saw that the line snaking to the registers was long but I still wanted to snoop about. I really liked the official jacket with skyscraper motif. I had it in my hand and went to join the huge line when the "bouncer" pointed to actual real end of the line which started somewhere in Wisconsin. At least I assume since I couldn't actually see the end of the line. So I put the jacket back. But don't worry, I used the internet and bought it (and a shirt) online that arrived TODAY! I did have jacket envy all weekend when I saw people wearing it out in the wild.
Model time...


Nike Jacket (went a size up because I wanted to wear this less as a running jacket and more as an actual fall/spring jacket over normal clothes)

Nike shirt - the back says Finisher...which I am (spoiler alert)

And here's the freebie one we all got. MONSTER LETTERS!

I was ready to head out (so nervous about making my legs too tired at this point) but texted a few people just in case they were already at the expo. Luckily @DopeyBadger was coming up the stairs and @ZellyB and @Chris-Mo were getting their tshirts. Cue dis-meet. So glad we got the chance to all talk in person vs online again!
Roxyhubby texted me that the verdict was about to be read in a big Chicago trial and that a lot of the city was starting to shut down in prep, so I assured him i was already basically at my car and heading out. Traffic was a tad nutso but I made it home and commenced packing everything I could possibly need for our hotel stay and race day.
Flat Roxy was ready...but was I???

 

[TeeterTots]

Love the monster letter tee! Love love the sweaty bands and love your peacock feather sneakers! Yay expo and mini dis meet!

 

[ZellyB]

You look great in that jacket! Our Chicago shirts arrived today also. It was great seeing you again this weekend.

I'm so proud of how you maintained your running and I'm so sorry about your mom. You are so strong and I know she must be so proud of you and cheering you on.