Trip of Firsts

[TandyR]

This isn't a typical trip report...I wrote it mostly so I could remember what happened this past weekend. This past weekend I took part in my first triathlon and it happened to be at Disney...so there are some Disney parts to this trip report and some triathlon parts to this trip report. If you want to read it fine if you don't that is ok with me also. Let me say Disney is a great place to do something like a Triathlon and Danskin put one a great Tri...so if anyone wants to do it I would tell them to go for it...I had a great time.

May 13, 2005

Got up at 5 am, had breakfast, helped the girls get their things they need for a weekend at Grammie’s and Grampie’s house. Drove over to my parents. We dropped off the girls’ things and my father drove us to the airport. Our flight was at 9:10am. We got to the airport at 7:45am. I gave the girls a ton of kisses because this the longest will be the longest we have been away from the girls at the same time. Checked in without a problem, then we sat and waited and waited. We were flying Delta this time, I don’t remember ever flying Delta in the past, but for this trip I had a AAA travel agent put together a package for us. Which is something I have never done before.

The first flight was to Cincinnati. The flight was good and much to our surprise not only did we get a drink, but a choice of a snack, honey roasted peanuts, Sun Chips, cheese & crackers, animal crackers or granola bar. Lately all the flights I have taken have only given out a beverage so a real snack type thing was a surprise. We landed about 20 minutes earlier then scheduled, it was nearly lunch time.

First Christian and I scouted out our gate, then decided to have lunch. We decided to try a place called Max and Irma’s (or something like that). He had Spicy Chicken Sandwich and I had French Onion Soup and a small chicken salad croissant. What was different about this restaurant is they bake chocolate chip cookies to order, so Christian and I ordered 6 to gp and a glass of milk. Across from the restaurant we saw a store called The Spirit of the Red Horse. We saw a horse figure on a blue stone that our youngest daughter would love. We agreed that we would buy it on the way home since we had a lay over in Cincinnati on the way back.

We went to our gate and they just started boarding when we showed up. We boarded and had our cookies and milk, they were very very good. On this flight our flight attendant was about 4-5 months pregnant and both my husband and I felt funny having her wait on us. Also when we talked about it later we both had thought the same thing. If something had happened to the plane who would we handle it because we both knew we couldn’t leave a pregnant woman behind in a dangerous situation. Well we never had to figure out what we would have to do because the flight was smooth. They also had a beverage and snack on board, but because of our wonderful cookies we both only had a drink.

We landed in Orlando right on time. I was a bit worried because I had only seen Christian’s bag not mine going between planes. I didn’t know what I would do if my bag went missing with all the stuff I needed for the weekend, but it made it without a problem.

We got our bags and found our shuttle to Hertz to rent our car. No problem getting to Hertz, but when we got there they couldn’t find our reservation, but we had a voucher saying we had paid for it. They never found the reservation, but they put together a new one and applied the voucher to it and made sure we took advantage of the AAA perk of both of us being allowed to drive the car at no additional charge. It was some tan car, it was clean which was the only thing I really cared about.

We got to Coronado Springs Resort without a problem. It was our first time there, we hadn’t even ever eaten there, let alone stay there. We are DVC members but I wanted to stay at the resort where all the Tri stuff was going on because there was an Expo, a course review, first timers clinic and stuff like that going on and it seemed that staying there was the best idea.

The CM that checked us in wasn’t the most friendly CM I have ever seen, but she was very efficient. She gave us room 5135 which is in the Casitas section on the first floor. The room had a water view and was one the first floor, it was really nice.

We also got $25 Disney Dollars as part of the package our AAA travel agent booked for us, the CM who checked us in didn’t know how to account for giving us the Disney Dollars, but she found out very quickly. So even though she wasn’t that friendly she knew what she was going and when she didn’t she knew it was better to ask then putz around wasting time trying to figure it out.

We had to meet a friend for a 5:45pm PS at Tony’s Town Square and it was getting late so we quickly checked out our room. Things were spotless and there was a towel bunny in the room waiting for us. My first towel animal.

We drove to the Magic Kingdom parked in the AAA lot (first time doing that) which was nice since we were already running behind we didn’t need to wait for the tram. We met up with our friend, Cathi, we have known her since college. She works as a computer programmer for WDW and does the programming for the food and beverage computers.

Christian and I were on the dining plan, which was also a first for us, we had never done a dining plan before, it really worked out well for us this trip. We had talked to Cathi about sharing meals since we knew we can’t finish two sit down meals with desserts and appetizers. Even with 3 people we didn’t finish all the food. We had fried goat cheese,
calimari, seafood pasta, some sort of salmon, chocolate banana creme brullee and mini conollies. All the food was great. If we hadn’t had the dining plan it would have been around $93 for dinner with tax and tip. We did have a little problem checking out, but it was the waitresses first day and she was very nervous but we told her we totally understood so don’t worry. I did go to guest services at our hotel when we left the park just to make sure everything was really ok in the end, it was.

We went to get a fastpass for Space Mt., someone ended up giving us theirs because they were leaving. Then we went and bought a few things for the girls. Cathi had to leave because she was tired after a full day at work and staying at the park so she headed out. We said bye to Cathi and went over to Space Mt. it turns out that it just broke so they were turning people away. We decided we would leave but found Main Street blocked by the parade, so we wandered around and ended up back over by Space Mt. which had just restarted. So we went on Space Mt. Then we headed back to our room.

 

[TandyR]

May 14, 2005

In the morning I had a Quaker Oatmeal Breakfast Square in the room. Then I went to the convention center in Coronado Springs. It was a bit odd walking in there it was a bit like stepping off Disney property with all the people in suits, tags and cell phones. When I got there I went to a Mass Mutual Seminar titled “Never Kissed a Frog, Never Have To.” Mass Mutual was a platinum level sponcer of the Tri and they put on this seminar on investment planning for women. It made me think about some stuff I might want to check into, but the major benefit of attending were a free breakfast and not having to stand in line for my race packet. Seeing the lines later made me realize what a benefit that was. My packet had my number 627 (Stich’s younger sister as I called myself later), the two stickers with my number (one for my bike and one for my helmet). It also had the timing chip that I bought, I didn’t need to buy it, but it was one of those “I want it” things so I bought it. So now I have my very own timing chip that I can use in other races. Also in the packet was the neoprene chip strap that I bought. It was one of the best $5 I have spent, it was so flexible and soft never noticed it on my ankle.

While I was picking up my race packet at the seminar, the woman did the lecture pulled my name out as the winner of their raffle. It was a nice carry on piece of luggage, a towel a tank top, mouse pad, seceral books and many many other things.

I went to meet up with Christian. He was in the Pepper market having breakfast. I had him take my raffle prize and asked him to put a refillable mug on his breakfast ticket for me. During the day while I was at the Expo I lost track how many times I refilled it, but I saved money with it. For breakfast Christian paid cash rather then a meal off our dining plan. Then he headed off to Publix so I could have gaderade for the Tri and not have to pay Disney prices for water. I went to the Expo.

First thing I did was get my chip tested and it worked without a problem. I got my cap. I was in wave 6 and had a hot pink swim cap, which was always the color cap I wore when I did visualized the Tri....funny how that worked out since I have never had a hot pink swim cap. I found Elizabeth, a friend from a board I take part on, and introduced myself since it was the first time we had met in person. Elizabeth introduced me to another board participant, Karen. We talked abit and agreed to meet at about 2pm to rack our bikes. I went to listen to the course review, nothing had changed from when I had checked the race web site. Then Sally Edwards did the first timers clinic. She really pumped up the room and did a great job making everyone feel they could do this. She is the spokeswoman for the Danskin Tris and she is the designated finisher so nobody has to worry about coming in last. She talked about a woman she met at one of the Tris....and why this woman was doing a Tri. The woman talked about loving basketball but leaving basketball behind so she could do well in college and then grad school...work and then family and then at one point she realized she had completely lost contact with the basketball player in her. I so related to that story.....I swam competitively for several years...from the time I was 10 to the time I was 19 or so. I made choices that caused me to lose touch with my inner swimmer and just training for the Tri I found my inner swimmer again. I talked to Sally Edwards about that when I got my copy of her book signed by her and I got my photo taken with her. I can’t say how happy I am to have found my swimmer again....I am peace again.

Also at the Expo a person from Disney’s Wild World of Sports was there to talk about their Endurance Series. They had a metal from the Disney Tri...which is an international distance rather then a sprint. It was a very cute metal with Mickey on it. Maybe someday I should give that one a shot.

After the Expo I met up with Christian and I looked at my raffle winning, packed my transition bag and rested in the room until it was about 2pm and we went back to the Expo to meet up with the people from the board to rack our bikes. I met Marsha and Thersa for the first time. Saw Karen and Elizabeth again. We made plans to meet at Tickets and Transportation to take bikes over to the race area. Since I was renting a bike I didn’t have a bike to deal with but Thersa had two and I helped her with one of hers. It was fun taking bikes over on the ferry...there were so many bikes on the ferry it was such a different atmosphere then the ferry normally has.

We were heading to the transition area to rack our bikes, so we got off the ferry and took a left down to the path that goes under the monorail. We walked down the green shoot that was the finish line for the Tri and then we saw the transition area...it was a sea of bikes....more then a thousand bikes...it was a sight to be seen. I went down to David’s World Cycles’ truck to get my rental bike, a nice standard hybrid very much like the one I have at home so it was no problem getting used to it at all. I took it an found my rack. It turned out that Karen and I were on the same rack so we could work together and figure out what we were doing since it was both our first time. Elizabeth and Thersa gave us some very good tips and we all walked through both transition and checked out the water.
It was about 3:30 or 4pm when we were done. We wanted to met up at the Kona Cafe for a “Tri Virgin” Dinner...Christian and I were just going for drinks because we already had plans to eat at Chef Mickey and have Mickey head raviolis (major part of my visualization about how the weekend was suppose to go). So every one went their own ways.

Christian and I went over to the Contemporary and got a couple bottles of water and hung out and talked and took the Monorail to the Poly to wait for the others.

At the “Tri Virgin” reception Elizabeth and Thersa gave all the first timers bags of stuff, a visor and a crown (which I should of worn during the Tri, but I grabbed my normal running hat instead out of habit and forgot the visor and crown), a nice bright orange towel so we could see our racking spots. I know there were other things in the bag but my brain can’t remember what at this time. They also gave Christian a crown and he wore it with pride. He wore it from the Poly all the way to Chef Mickey’s. We had our photo taken there with the crowns on, but we ended up not buying them because the guy never came to our table to sell them. Oh well. Chef Mickey’s the food was just what I had planned for, the only disappointing part was that we were in the back room and Mickey and friends seem to forget that room and the CM selling the photos definitely forgot we were there. I got to see Minnie and Goofy and one of the chipmunks...and got photos with all of them, Christian’s camera batteries died just as he was taking my photo with Mickey. Such is life. We used the dining plan to pay for Chef Mickey’s since I had a virgin Pina Colada dinner was about $73 with tax and tip.

Christian and I headed back to our room. I took a nice hot bath. I double checked my transition bag and called for a 4:45am wake up call, set the alarm and went to bed. Christian put on one an episode of my favorite podcast (www.croncast.com for anyone who cares) for me to listen to while trying to go to sleep. Everything I have ever read about the night before a Tri says not to expect to sleep well the night before. Well that wasn’t the case for me. I slept like a stone.

 

[TandyR]

May 15, 2005

At 4:45am the phone rings it is my wake up call. It is Stich...which I think is great because of my number being one off from Stich’s. I get dressed and went outside and swung in the hammock to think about the race. I saw a drunk conference goer on a bench outside. Went back inside had my Quaker Breakfast Square while Christian finished getting ready. We hopped into the car and drove over to the Magic Kingdom. We were waiting at Tickets and Transportation for a local friend of mine to show up, Anne. Christian had been talking on the phone with her and we knew they were there but had made a bathroom stop while waiting for us. So we sit down to wait for them. I see Anne coming and then I realize she is with another good friend of mine, Christina. Christina is from California...it turns out she and her son flew out just to see me in my first Tri. I was so suprised and so touched....I couldn’t believe someone would do something like that for me. So we all got on the ferry and talked. The ferry took about 15-20 mins to leave the dock. I knew it was getting closer and closer to the start of the Tri, but I didn’t realize how close. I was having a good time talking to the Christina’s and Anne’s kids and with Christina and Anne. When we got off the ferry and started going to the transition area I hear an announcement that the transition area was closing in 5 mins. I have 5 mins to set up the last of my stuff....I haven’t done anything...I hadn’t gotten my shoes ready and I hadn’t set my stuff out just right. I am shacking because I am so freaked out. I grabbed my bag from Christian and ran to my bike and set things up. Since he wasn’t allowed in the transition area I tossed him my sneakers to untie them for me and I set up things as quickly as I could. I think I did it well with as little time as I had. I headed over to the swim start and put on my hot pink swim cap and went to look for other hot pink swim caps in wave 6. I stumbled across Karen and she and I talked while we watched each wave go off. It was finally our turn. I remember stepping on the orange timing mat then waiting at the edge of Seven Springs Lagoon trying to picture the race in my mind. The song Braided Hair was going through my brain. Sally Edwards gave us a pep talk and our swimming mantra and then we counted down from 10 and we were off and I panicked. I am a very good swimmer and I panicked. The water was so dark I couldn’t see anything and the plant life had caught my ankles at the start and the air was so humid I was have trouble breathing. I stopped swimming totally and just treaded water for a bit and cleared my head and took several deep breaths and decided that clearly freestyle wasn’t going to work for me today. So I ended up swimming backstoke all the way to the red buoy, turning over only to see where I was. (I was a backstroker in high school, backstroke is still my best stroke and I feel most at ease swimming on my back.) I stopped at the red buoy to hold on for a sec. and assess what the heck I was doing. Then started swimming breaststroke and rolled over and did backstroke for awhile and then did breaststroke for the rest of the swim. When I got out of the water I was so angry with myself for freaking and worried because swimming is my best thing out of the three disciplines and if the swim went this badly how were the other two going to be. Christian saw me and he later told me this was the only time he was worried about me because I didn’t look well. I explained to him what was going on in my mind and he understood.

I got to my bike. Put on my helmet first and buckled it because I didn’t want to be disqualified. Tried to put on my sunglasses but they fogged up right away, so I took them off and drank some gaderade. Cleaned off my feet by pouring a some water on them and drying them off and putting on my socks and shoes. Pulled my bike off the rack and went under the rack myself because it seemed the easiest way to get my bike going. At some point I put my sunglasses back on and I pushed my bike to the bike start. Got on my bike when they told me and had a nice ride. I am never going to be threat to Lance Armstrong or anyone like that. I had a nice ride the only problem was people were passing me all the time...I made a goal....that I wanted to pass someone....I finally started passing people just before the turn around point. The course was nice it was though the backstage area of the Magic Kingdom, past Grand Floridian and a golf course to the backstage area of Animal Kingdom. I got to see the garages where the floats for the parades are kept. I got to see Disney’s recycling facility and their plant nursery. It was neat seeing all this stuff and I loved that the CMs were out waving us on and cheering for us. I wasn’t great at the biking, but at least I felt that I had my feet under me again after such a sucky swim. I felt that I could finish the tri. Got to the bike finish and got off my bike went in and racked my bike. I couldn’t get my bike on the rack. Since it is a hybrid and not a racing bike it had a kickstand so I put the kickstand down and declared my bike “racked.” I took off my helmet, put on my running hat saw Christian and gave him a kiss and headed off for the run.....headed off in the wrong way....I realized and turned around and went the right way.

The run was through the Magic Kingdom...I knew I couldn’t run it all...my right foot was hurting...it had been hurting for the week before. I would run a bit and walk a bit. I ended up finding another woman who I never got her name, but she also was more of a swimmer then a runner and we ran/walked together and talked to each other and gave each other encouragement. The run course went in and out of all the different parts of the Magic Kingdom. CMs were stopping setting things up for the opening of the park to cheer us on. It was just so awesome. Then there was the run though the Castle and down Main Street. It was amazing. Being a person who loves Disney World I will never forget that part of this Tri. I walked a bit at the end of Maine Street and through the ticket area....but once I got out and could see the end of the race....I didn’t care that my foot hurt I just sprinted to the end. I crossed the finish line, they gave me my metal and I could hear the announcer say “race number 627 Tandy Ratliff from South Portland....I guess that is Oregon.” Well he got that wrong...people forget Maine has a Portland also. I found Christian and my friends...Cathi had shown up also. This part I can’t remember much about I was just so pleased that things went well and it looked like I did better then the time I had set in my mind.


Then the time came for Sally Edwards and the second to last person to cross the finish line. Much to my excitement it was Karen....I had been looking for her the whole time...I saw her on the bike but then never saw her again. I was so excited for her. I ran over to her and gave her a hug along with all the other people from the board we are on. Some people took Karen to sit down I ran to get her some water and food. It was just very exciting.

After that Christian and my friends went to the monorail to get back to Tickets and Transportation...once again since I rented a bike I didn’t have to take one back on the ferry. So we could take a less crowded way back.

We all headed back to Coronado Springs...I took my shower and we all met up at Maya Grill breakfast to celebrate. The food was good. We all had a good time. I thanked Elizabeth and Thersa for everything they did for me...congratulated Karen again. Cathi headed back home. Christina, Anne and their kids, Christian and I all went to the Dig Site (the themed pool at Coronado Springs. We stayed there for hours. The kids love the slide...so did Christian. Christian and I decided when we come back on DVC points we will have to pool hop with our girls to the Dig Site because we liked the pool so much.

Christina and Anne and the kids needed to head out and Christian and I had PS at Sci-Fi Drive In. So we all said our good-byes and went our separate ways. Christian and I drove over to Disney Studios and we window shopped and I took him on Rocking Roller Coaster, which was his first time on it and he realized why I love that ride so much. We also did Star Tours...something we have never done before. Then we went to Sci-Fi Drive In....it was the worst food we have ever had at WDW. The milkshake was very good, but everything else was either cold or burnt. Onion Rings were cold, Spinage Dip was cold, Christian’s Ruben wasn’t good, but I didn’t ask why and my chicken sandwich was burnt. So I don’t think we will be heading back there. After dinner I was so tired I was sure Christian was going to have to carry me back to the room, but I ended up making it on my own.

 

[TandyR]

May 16, 2005

Our flight was at 3:50pm so we had time to do stuff....which is normally not how our last day is...we normally have a really early flight and have to get up before dawn to get it. So since that wasn’t the case we slept as late as we could......7am. Having children who wake up early changes your life, even when you want to sleep in you can’t. We packed and headed over to the Pepper Market for breakfast...Christian has fallen in love with the Pepper Market and wants to go back when we are down again in April. Breakfast was very good...the cashier was a bit of a pain when it came to what she was willing to count towards the meal plan so we ended up paying some out of pocket...but that was ok...I finished a Triathlon the day before I didn’t care about anything like that.

Christian and I went to Downtown Disney to do shopping so we could bring stuff back for the girls and so I could take care of my addiction to Mr. Potato Head parts. I bought myself several new pieces....Christian figured it out. I spent $42 on Potato Hear parts. We also got our youngest daughter a My Little Pony named Kimono dressed as Belle....she has been wanting Kimono for about 6 months now, but I thought she had been retired...a month ago I found out she was retired everywhere except at Once Apon a Toy....you should have heard the little screech she made when she saw that we got her Kimono. We got our older daughter dangle Minnie and Mickey earrings which was a big suprise because I said no dangles until she was older...so you should have heard her when she got them. Then we went to Epcot it was about 10:30am or so we knew we wanted to be on the road to the airport around 1pm so we could return the car and make it through security and stuff. The only thing we did in Epcot was go to Soarin’ which we both really enjoyed. The stand-by wait sign said the wait was going to be 60 minute wait, turned out that it was only 30 mins.

We left Epcot went to Earl of Sandwich picked up a couple salads to go, chips, cookies and drinks...though we weren’t hungry we still had two counter service meals left so we figured we would get something to go and either eat it in the airport or on the plane. That worked well and I didn’t feel like we were wasting the meal. I enjoyed my Oriental Chicken Salad....Christian said his antipasto salad was ok not great.

We returned the car they tried to charge us $1.98 for something and I told them it was all prepaid...the woman went to talk to someone else and said that when the guy who rented the car to us inputted things wrong into the computer so the computer was trying to charge us $1.98, but they took care of it. Our flights were smooth we had no problem getting the horse figure that we saw on the way down to FL. We got into Maine at 9:30pm or so. All in all it was a great trip and I am now officially a Triathlete.


Dining plan stats:
Money saved using dining plan: $85.72

Tri Stats:
Swim: 9:46
T1: 4:43
Bike: 43:29
T2: 2:05
Run: 26:03
Total: 1:26:07

 

[TandyR]

One last thing I wanted to say. People have told me that I have a very supporting husband. Yes I do and I am very lucky for that, but I also have some very good friends who would support me in anything I want to try. So I am greatful for both my husband and my friends.

 

[ironz]

Great job, Tandy!! You ARE a triathlete!!
And that was my favorite kind of trip report...one with a triathlon mixed in with Disney!
I'm very happy for you. Wish I could have done that race, but couldn't swing the extra time to get down there. I'm leaving in a few hours for the World for the 1/2 Ironman tri. Will let you know how it goes!

 

[TandyR]

Oh I will look forward to your report about your trip and the half iron. Best of luck.

 

[pumba]

I feel like I was there with you....thru the food and the parks and the restaurants and the rides and the tri........congratulations on finishing your race and thanks for being part of maine too

 

[shatzjsl]

Congratulations!!!

Great report!