Hellloooooo, everyone!!!
We completed the Crescent City Classic and were NOT last!!!
Claire, you were in the group ahead of me. You are so right...with 14,000 people there was no way to find each other. What a great time you did!!
This was my first really big event. Lots of new things to experience. In the race info, it said that the different color groups would be called to the start. As the line up was 6 blocks long (no corrals) and we wanted to see the start, we waited at the start to hear our group called. Once the starting "gun" (They shot a cannon!!) went off and the seeded runners were on their way, all bets were off! All different color bibs were mixed together. I understand that this was probably frustrating for faster people!! When we saw mostly our color bibs and some people pulling kids in wagons, we joined the line for the start. I had rented a chip because this was going to be my test for Minnie. I had my Garmin, but I wanted to see what a chip would say. It was cool to step on the start mat and hear the "buzz"!!!
DH decided to jog, so off he went.
I set my Garmin to give me a pace alert if I went below a 15 minute pace..big mistake! Fortunately, I didn't let it bother me (too much) because of what I've read from all of you here. I knew to ignore what people were doing around me (MfM) and stick with my plan. I also knew my rhythm, so I was a little surprised when the alert kept going off. Finally, when I had completed one mile..it said I had done it in 12:41!!! There is just no way.
So,
Goofyguy and
MelR, I'll let you know when the official chip time comes out how close the Garmin was! I probably got looks from people around me when I started yelling at the Garmin.."A 13 minute mile??!! Are you nuts??!! Why are you telling me to SPEED UP???!!!"
Now, you runners may laugh at this next bit, but I've told all of you that I am a WALKER (and NOT a race walker!). Well, when
Cam and others were talking about "wogging," I thought I would try to add that beginning last month. My intervals are 2 minutes walking, 15 seconds wogging!!! Minnie's 15 minute pace really has me worried..especially now that I've read that there WILL be sweepers!!!
So, I upped it to 2 minutes walking 20 seconds wogging. I am proud to say, I was able to maintain that all the way!
As Sunny pointed out in January..it adds mileage to weave between people in front of you! I was constantly scanning for a break in the crowd for when it came time to wog. I was trying to keep Miss Manners happy and wog on the left, walk on the right. I was with groups of people who were strolling along (there was no set finish time), so I got plenty of practice weaving!
. According to Garmin, I did 6.6 of the 6.2 course!
There was a trio dressed in hula skirts, a group from a walking club dressed in black top hats, black tails and white running shorts carrying their canes decked in paper roses, and quite a few people with bunny ears (one who was handing candy out to the firemen and policemen). As Claire said, once we got into the neighborhoods there were people with hoses spraying water, one guy was handing out Mardi Gras beads, beer was offered, and people had gathered on their porches to cheer us on!
The worst part was to cross into City Park and see where the finish line was..then to see the long twisted way we still had to go to get to it!! I imagined that that was how it would be to enter EPCOT and see the sphere!!
I crossed the mat at 1:44, my official chip time is 1:34:08 which means a 15:10 pace.
Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic that I did that!! It's just that we have this
in three weeks. All I can do is my best, right? Garmin has my average pace at 14:31 for the run.
Here's the sight that greeted us when we got into the stadium:
and there were still lots more behind us!
It really was a great experience and certainly helped me to get ready for Minnie and DL!! Gotta go run now!!!
To both Cam and Carrie. 
to your family. 
I hear just to qualify is amazing in itself.....let us know how you did. 
Coronodo Springs Resort 
Now this is only a month after I get back from the Minnie and I dont think we really should go because of $$$ but how can I pass up this opportunity. All the wheels in my head are starting to turn. More WDW planning 
)
outta me--I was standing nearly in front of it! I didn't even know that the cannon worked. 
As for your 50 mile bike before the Minnie, there are a lot of really good bike trails here in Central FL, several of which are fairly close to WDW and long enough to get your ride in. One of them, the West Orange Trail, even has a bike shop that rents bikes if you will not have yours with you. I'm sure their rentals are in no way what you are used to riding, but it would be one way to get a ride in.
is out of school for the week. I signed her up for a "camp" at my fitness center at work. She had a great time, and they took them swimming at the University pool all afternoon. I did not end up running, but did 30 min on the elliptical yesterday. I have my ortho appointment at 3pm today, and I'm very curious to hear what he has to say.that Jo Dee Messina is running the Boston Marathon without qualifying? I was just reading on Runners World that she is running Boston, her 1st marathon. WHAT??? How not right is that?? Qualifying for Boston is huge and an honor, yet she gets to run it without qualifying because she is a celebrity??
