Chicago Marthon recap part 2: race day

So, I guess I should write about the actual... race day. (considering the fact that tomorrow is November... and November calls for a  lot of epilepsy-awareness type things.)

Well, race morning, I woke up early.. if you can call it that, since I did not sleep well at all. I woke up almost a dozen times throughout the night. It felt more like I had been taking a little nap than sleeping. When I got up, I got dressed for the race... aaaand we headed to downtown.

My mom and I tried to stop at a few different places in order to get some breakfast-type food to eat, just so that I would not have to run an entire marathon on an empty stomach. That task turned into an adventure... and an adventure that was more a challenge than it was expected to be. We could not find any fast food restaurant to get something to eat, so we stopped at a drug store.. which was closed. After a while, we ended up going to a little gas station, where I got a Clif Bar. Then, we were finally off to downtown Chicago.

This was my third consecutive Chicago marathon. That was lucky, because I had an idea of where I was going and what I was doing.

..that didn't save the beginning from being dramatic and anxiety ridden, however.

When we got downtown, some of the roads were already closed, making traffic a little bit of a mess. We were cutting it close on time. So, I jumped out of the car and walk/jogged the mile-ish to my corral. I came to an intersection and saw... the wheelchairs go by. That was the part when I freaked out a little bit. Logically, I knew that my coral hadn't closed yet and I also knew that the wheelchairs always start first and, often, start much earlier than everybody else.

But still... when I was trying to cross the streets and they were blocked by the wheelchairs that had already started, it freaked me out a little bit. (by a little bit, I  mean a lot. I may or may not have been borderline panicked at that point.)

Anyways, I ran across the street between groups of wheelchair races and made it to Grant Park, to my corral, then felt much better about everything. I'm very thankful that I didn't have to gear check anything. That saved me from one very very long line. I got into my corral, texted my mom that I made it, she said that she had finally parked. Then I started to get more nervous. For some reason, I was dreading the race. I had hyped myself up for it, especially since last year I had a terrible race, did a horrible job training for it.. and I wanted to do better this year. I did train better, but I was not where I wanted to be. At all.

I was nervous about everything, having a bad race, freaking out, not being able to do as well as I wanted to, and so on.

I ended up talking to some people around me about things. This one woman was running her first marathon and seemed to have a mix of emotions. She was both excited and nervous. We talked about some races that I had done, but mostly... just talked about the day ahead of us. One thing that I enjoy about being a back of the pack runner is that I get to talk to a lot of people in the corral before I get to actually start. Does it calm the nerves? Not necessarily. It's just a nice camaraderie type of thing.

So, then the race started. I decided to push pretty hard in the beginning in order to get a good start, then, if everything fell apart later, I still would have had a good beginning. I'm not sure that was really the best strategy, but it was the best that I had at the moment.

I felt good. Actually, I felt great for many miles. I was killing each mile, on track to smash my PR by at least 15 minutes. I was still on track to beat it by 15 minutes by the time that I got to mile 22. I had a good race. I saw my mom at several different intervals, starting at mile 3 and going all the way through the race. I also saw Katherine and Andi at different places to, but didn't see them until mile 13ish. (I was starting to think that I would not see them at all.)

There's something about having spectators that helps get through the race. It was an energy thing. It's just nice to have someone that you know being there. (though the spectators in general in Chicago are great.)

The streets of Chicago are awesome. I loved running through the streets, seeing all of the buildings. I think that my favorite parts are being between all of the tall buildings. The course, for the most part, is pretty flat. I really enjoy the start, then running underneath the overpass.

One unique thing about running in Chicago is the number of bridges. It seems like we ran over the water a number of times, which was pretty cool. One of the time, at about mile 3, my mom was standing up on the side of the bridge cheering. That was the first time that I got to see her, so that was awesome. The bridges were really fun. I liked that they put carpet over most of them, because it made them easier to run on. (though I did see a girl trip over the carpet. I guess that you can't win them all.)

 



I started to feel a little bit rough a little bit after mile 22. My legs started to get very tired, my mind started to go negative, in a sense, and I started to feel like I wasn't sure I'd make it. I thought about all of the things of the last year, the tough year that it was, and all of the changes that I had gone through and was about to go through.

At a certain point, it always seems to get a little bit more difficult to run that 26.2. After 24 miles of being on pace to kill my PR, of feeling awesome, of keeping a pretty steady pace, it all started to fall apart. It got tough. I think that part of the problem was that I hit the same point where I really fell apart last year. I wasn't sure if I could run anymore. My legs were heavy, I was frustrated, I was exhausted... So I turned my phone on. I texted both Katherine and Kristie.

Kath and Andi met me and walked with me for about a half mile or so, before I turned off my phone and ran the last part by myself. It was nice to have that support. Kristie gave me a text message pep talk that helped push me through the last part.

I ended up finishing strong. I didn't get my 15 minute PR, since I walked about a half mile. (well, honestly, probably a full mile, if I could the part before I turned my phone on, too.)

When I got to the last push, that last hill right at the finish, I struggled again. That hill kills me every time, even when I'm expecting it. It feels impossibly long and large. I pushed as hard as I could through that point, and ended up finishing with a 6 minute PR.

New marathon PR: 6:24:13

I'm good with that.

The theme of this year: I'm not where I want to be, but I'm on my way. I think that this race showed that.

(thankful for my supporters near and far: those who were physically there supporting me, running all over Chicago, those who gave me words of encouragement during the whole process, and those who sent me well wishes and thoughts that day.)

Boston Memories.

It is difficult to believe that it has been a year (and a day) since the bombings at the Boston Marathon last year.

Boston has meant a lot to me since I began running. I have this slightly crazy hope that, someday, I will make it to that race. I have hours to cut off of my marathon time in order to just qualify, but I am (and always have been) a dreamer, so I am hopeful.

Last year, I was at work on the day of Boston. I remember being disappointed, because I would not be able to watch the race online like I had for the previous several years. I checked on the race via my phone a few times during the day. I vividly remember standing next to the elevator with my friend, Kristen, when I got a Facebook notification that someone had commented on the status that I had posted earlier in the day, that I was excited about the race (and about Abe Lincoln, but that's a different story) and that it would be a good day. A friend of mine had commented that it was not a good day in Boston. That's when I checked all of the major news outlets and my heart broke.

I remember that Kristen and I stepped into the elevator and went straight downstairs to the break room to watch the news. It was awful. I could hardly go back to work. I had to keep going back to watch the news, over and over, for the rest of the day. I ran into a friend who had thought that I might actually be in Boston.. she had been worried about me all day. When I got home, I could not walk away from the news, either. Eventually, I did drag myself away to go for a run.

It took me a while to actually feel back to normal... and I was not even in Boston. I was just a girl who had run a handful of marathons (and a lot of half marathons) who had dreams of crossing the finish line in Boston. I was sad, hurt, angry... so many things. I couldn't stop thinking about it for several days.

I still feel so many of those feelings, but I also feel empowered. Someday, I will be in Boston on Patriot's Day, whether it be to run or to volunteer. I would just love to take part in the event.

 

The next race afterward was the Geist Half. I ran it for Boston.

Boston Thoughts.

I don't really know how to put my thoughts and my feelings into words. I spent yesterday wondering "why" over and over again.

Why runners?
Why Boston?
Why the marathon?
Why the finish line?

I started running just over four years ago. I was obese and felt terrible. I had just started having seizures (though undiagnosed at that point and I had no idea what was wrong with me) and did not want to get any less healthy than I already was. Running wasn't about anything but the exercise and weight loss. It was calories in and calories out. I didn't even run outside for a long time.. it was all about running on the treadmill at the little fitness center at my apartment complex.

Then my mom suggested that we run the Fort4Fitness Half Marathon. I signed up with NO idea how much it was going to change my life. On September 26, 2009, I ran my first half marathon. After that, I was hooked. Three and a half years later and I've run numerous 5ks, a few 10ks, 16 half marathons, and 4 full marathons... and a number of other random distances, a mud run, and some race "challenges"- like the Tour de Pain and the Goofy Challenge.

Through running, I have come to find myself and become a stronger and more full person. Because of running, I've developed a stronger relationship with my mom. Through running, I've made connections with new and wonderful people. To be a runner is to belong to a wonderful community.

Yesterday was the first time in several years that I wasn't able to "watch" Boston. I had to work, but was still very excited about it- sneaking on my phone every so often to check on how the elite runners had done.

Right after I had taken my break, I was standing by the elevator talking to my friend, Kristen, when I got a notification on my phone. Someone had commented on my Facebook status (about Boston and it being a great day), saying that today was not a good day in Boston. I immediately read about what happened on Twitter and CNN. My heart broke.

I've never run Boston. I dream of qualifying and running, but it seems far off. I do relate to that final push before the end.. seeing the finish line, sprinting toward it.

To think of someone (some group, etc.) placing bombs in that area is horrible. It hits me in a place so close to my heart. The finish line of a marathon is one of the most jubilant and wonderful places that I have been. To think that this has happened to a community that I am a part of hurts. A lot. Runners and their spectators are the most wonderful, caring people.

Reports that some exhausted and drained runners ran to hospitals to donate blood show exactly the type of people that runners are.

I also love spectators. I don't think I could have completed my first marathon without knowing that my best friend was there at different mile markers waiting for me and that my mom was trying to find me throughout the different Disney parks. In Chicago last October, I ran with a Goofy Challenge shirt. Thousands of people yelled "Go Goofy" throughout the route. Those people who make signs and go stand and cheer for runners in CRAZY temperatures and weather are some of the best people out there. I have never spectated a race. It is one of the most selfless and giving things that people do.

I just wanted to share some marathon and spectator photos from my own running experiences.

I won't quit running because of this. I'll probably run more, train harder, and dream bigger. My heart is just a little broken right now. 

I will show up in Chicago this October fitter and stronger than ever. Nobody can take away what running has given me. 

Disney Marathon Weekend Part Two: Full Marathon Day

I had a lot of different emotions coming into the marathon. I felt untrained, unprepared, and really not ready. Frankly, part of me was dreading it. I just wasn't in the right mental space to run 26.2 miles.. then I found out that the weather was going to be insanely hot... and I looked forward to it even less, if that is possible. ...but everybody else in my group was really excited about it.

Everybody set individual obnoxious cell phone alarms for 3 am, so there was no question that we would wake up. I actually slept pretty well, considering that it was the night before a huge race. I was pretty worn out from the night before the half (Friday night). I think that, by the time the first obnoxious alarm went off, I had slept 6 or 7 hours, which is VERY good for the night before a race.

I woke up and realized that half of my face was still swollen from the night before. (I've been having some hives lately.. some kind of an allergic reaction or something. It happened for a little while when I was a kid, too.) I was definitely not excited about a swollen upper lip, but hoped for the best. We got dressed, went to the bus... and Kath realized that she forgot her camera. Sad face, especially since we planned to run separately. After some discussion, I decided to give Kath my camera and run with my mom. We had never run together for more than a few miles before, but we have a similar pace. I also had overheard someone running with her dad during the half and it made me feel thankful to share the experience with  my mom. (insert sappy "I miss my dad, but I'm glad that my mom is still here" music...)

So we rode the bus to EPCOT and began the long walk to the corrals. (It's such a long long walk. That's one thing that Chicago did better, in my opinion. The corral situation was much easier, but probably also easier for running bandits... hence them running out of medals.) We ended up splitting up, because Jen was a corral ahead of the rest of us (that speed demon!). We said our goodbyes, wished her good luck on her very first full marathon (!!), then my mom, Kath and I went to corral E to get ready for the race. We chatted for a while, I excitedly murmured about Joey Fatone running the Goofy Challenge (they were interviewing him). I really felt a personal connection with him... it was his first half AND his first full. That makes him crazier than me. It made me think back to my first Goofy Challenge and how I had no idea what I was getting into. With this one being my third, I was feeling a like I knew what to expect, but not super pumped about it. I knew that it was going to be really emotional, but I wasn't ready to really face that.

 Eventually, the fireworks went off and there went corral A. I started to feel a little bit more excited about the race, but not where I really wished that I could be. I was excited about the idea of running with my mom, because we hadn't done it before. My mom and I have gotten a lot closer since we both started running and have lost all of the weight that we have lost. It is really special to share running with her. (and my best friend! If Kath didn't come along to my races and train with me, I don't know WHAT I would do. It would be a lot more lonely.) I just couldn't really wrap my mind around the 26.2 miles that were looming ahead. I was nervous that the course had changed for the 20th anniversary, because I didn't really have a map in my head of exactly where we were going. I just knew that I was glad that we weren't going to do the EPCOT loop that had been done previously. It does sort of suck to run a 5k and then end up back at the start line, knowing that you still have more than 20 miles to run. haha. Anyways.. eventually, it was Corral E's turn to start and we took off. Kath stayed with my mom and me for close to a mile before she went off to run her first full marathon. My mom and I stayed at a steady pace and talked a little bit before we got to the Magic Kingdom. We planned to stop in the park for pictures (and a clean bathroom stop!), so we knew we would lose time that we would have to make up for.

One of the parts that I always dread during a Run Disney event is the giant hill in front of the Contemporary. It came at mile 4 (ish) during the half, and this time, during the full, too. As always, the hill was very challenging. It's a steep hill down, followed by a just as steep hill straight back up. My mom and I walked the up hill part... It takes much less energy to walk sometimes.. and it isn't too much of a different pace! At that point, we were passed by a coworker of my mom's, who said hello and went on his way. (I love how much of a community running is!) We ran into the Magic Kingdom and down Main Street. It is always really exhilarating to see all of the spectators lined up along Main Street, cheering for their runners. It always sort of makes me tear up. It was neat to get to run down Main Street with my mom. Last year at the half, we happened to meet up there and get a cute picture, but during this race we were together on purpose!

After we ran down Main Street, we stopped for a picture with Buzz Lightyear! Then we used the park's bathrooms, which is ALWAYS a good idea. When you can avoid the port-a-potty, you always should. (At least, that is my philosophy.) We ran through Tomorrowland and into Fantasyland.. Then we ran through the castle and into Liberty Square and Frontierland. That's always a fun part for me, because I keep my eyes out for coworkers. This time, just like on Saturday, I stopped at the Market and waved to some of my fellow stockers.. then we went on our way. My mom and I had lost some time, but knew that we would make it up on the dreaded Bear Island Road. (I had been dreading Bear Island Road the most out of the whole race. I almost lost all of my motivation on Bear Island Road last year and nearly walked the entire thing!)

After Magic Kingdom, we ran back toward the Transportation and Ticket Center, where the next part of the course was to run on the Speedway. I had never even seen the Speedway, so I knew that it was going to be a surprise for me. This part was one of the new portions of the course that they had changed this year, for the 20th anniversary of the race. It actually ended up being pretty neat. There was a crazy downhill/uphill to get onto the speedway, which was ROUGH, but there were a lot of old cars sitting out. It reminded me of going to the Muddy River Run with my uncle when I was a kid. We also stopped for a picture with Mater from Cars. Otherwise, it was a little crazy how slanted the road was, some parts were a little more hilly than others. It was a good change, though. I'd definitely do that again rather than the "to EPCOT and back to the start line" beginning that we had done in the past.

After the Speedway was Bear Island Road. I told my mom that I had really struggled there last year and she had too. I was glad that it came earlier in the course this time, because I felt like I still had some energy to power through the road. At first, it was okay and we ran at a pretty good pace, cutting some legitimate time that we had lost during the Magic Kingdom. We chatted and stayed together. Eventually, we got to the sanitation plant, which was pretty terrible. It smelled worst than it had in years past and I literally had to run on the side of the road gagging. I was pretty sure that I was going to throw up... Somehow, I didn't and was able to keep going. (Then I made the mistake of waiting in the LONGEST bathroom line of all time and we lost ALL of the time that we had just made up. Plus some.)

Animal Kingdom was good. It's always really short though. I wish that there was another mile in the park, because it goes by so quickly. (Next year, I'm thinking about hopping on Expedition Everest during the marathon. That would be a hell of a story to tell!) When we got to the parking lot after Animal Kingdom (mile 14ish), I sped up a little bit, then slowed down. I really wanted to stay with my mom and help her stay motivated. She was doing her best, but really struggling with the heat. She was having some pain in her jaw that was bothering her and was drained. She told me to go ahead a couple times and joked about getting on the next bus, but ended up feeling a little better and we kept going. When we got to mile 16, we were running on one side of the street and lots of people ahead of us (at mile 21!) were running back on the opposite side of the street. All of a sudden, Kath came bounding across the grassy median to give hugs and say hello. I was very excited to see that she seemed to be feeling so awesome at that point.

My mom and I ended up splitting up right before mile 17. She had decided to walk for a while and I really wanted to just get moving. It was right before ESPN, which is pretty significant, because it was the part I was looking forward to the second least (only after Bear Island Road!). I knew that it was going to be a part that I was going to be in my head a LOT. The last time that I ran out there was during the Tower of Terror 10 miler, which was a really significant race for me personally and really signified a pretty big shift in my life. I expected to be hit with memories and I really was. There is something about running that can really get to me. I almost never run with music, so I am always stuck in my head thinking about things, memories, ideas, when I'm out there. All of the feelings that I had been feeling for the past several months hit me right then... like I expected. It was an extremely emotional three miles through the Wide World of Sports.. and I needed it. My life has been through so many changes in the past year that were awesome and awful. I thought about every moment during those three miles.

After the Wide World of Sports, I still had an okay pace. I pushed it up the last overpass toward Hollywood Studios, knowing that I was close and trying not to think about or be concerned for my mom. Running through Hollywood Studios was almost like a relief for me. I knew that I was almost there and I felt VERY strong and very confident. From that was the Boardwalk, then World Showcase at EPCOT... (I do love watching people buy beer and snacks during the final stretch of the  marathon.) Before I knew it, I had crossed the finish line! I was hot and emotional. I felt like my body had just been through one of the most difficult things it had ever been through... and that was accurate. It was the most emotional race of my life, topped by it being the day after a half.. and the heat was insane.

I turned on my phone as I walked toward the snack station and got a text from my mom saying that she had been picked up by the bus and was waiting for me. I almost lost it right then. Somehow, I walked to the Goofy Tent, got my medal, and then started crying. When I met up with my mom, I started sobbing. It was the most out of control I have been in a long time. I didn't even know how to put words to what I was feeling in that moment. It was nuts. Eventually, I calmed down and we got on the bus back to the hotel, showered, and got ready for the parks for the evening.

I felt more calm as time went on. I expected for it to be emotional, but all of it with the heat and with feeling sad that I left my mom and she didn't get to finish just combined for a really awful few moments.

...but I'll probably be back for more next year.

2013:
Miles run: 53.75/1000
Miles biked: 0
Meters swum: 0

Chicago Marathon Recap!!!!!

I guess it is about time that I write my Chicago Marathon race report. It's been a week since the race now and I've been home (sick!) and wishing that it wasn't over. Anyways...

Last Thursday was my 26th birthday. It started with breakfast with Katherine (and Mickey, Pluto, Lilo, and Stitch!) at O'Hana's. Then, we hit Downtown Disney for a little bit of shopping before I had to come back and finish packing before my flight. (It's practically a birthday tradition to hit Downtown Disney!)

I flew up to Indiana to spend the rest of my birthday with family. I haven't spend my actual birthday in my hometown since 2006. My mom, sister, and I went out for dinner and drinks (only for my mom and I), then my brother and his fiancee went to get appetizers with us later that night. Yes, appetizers post dinner. That is, by the way, what began my terrible pre-race eating. Bad choices all around.

Friday, I had lots of appointments. I finally met my baby cousin, Wyatt, who is now five months old! That was fun. Then, we had a big birthday party for me. Super fun! I haven't had a big family gathering like that in a very long time. I got to see almost all of my favorite people in one place at one time. So yay for that! I got lots of well wishes for my race. 

Saturday morning, it was time to head to Chicago. My nerves were going insane the entire drive. I slept off and on and felt nervous for the rest of the time. I felt like the drive took no time at all and all of a sudden, we were at the expo. Major freak out. I was nervous and anxious and feeling unprepared for the race. I sucked it up and we went and expo-ed for a while. I'd have to say that Chicago is the coolest race expo that I have been to so far. I bought some new shoes and a t-shirt... and some energy gels (because I need them!). We walked around for a while and looked at things. It was truthfully very very fun.

When we finally decided that it was time to leave the expo, we went to my mom's friend/my godmother's house to spend the night. We sat up chatting for a little while, ate some more birthday cake (!), then got everything together for the race. I was so amazed that it was almost time to run Chicago. I couldn't believe it. I'd put so much into training for the race and it was here. I didn't sleep well at all. I've never been so nervous before a race in my life.

We got up in the morning and dressed in layers. (It wasn't even 40 degrees out yet! I live in Florida now!) Then we headed to downtown Chicago. We got there super early and went to a McDonald's to use the bathroom and my mom wanted to eat. I was still too nervous. Eventually, we made it to the starting corrals and ended up being some of the first people in the last corral. That was fun. We stood there shivering for a little while. I still was not excited about the race at all. I don't know what the problem was. I was just really nervous about the race and had been for months.

Finally, it was time to start and things really started moving. When we crossed the start line, I half expected that my mom and I would stay together for a little bit. I turned around after a few minutes and she wasn't there. That was okay though. I felt really strong for the first several miles of the race. I ran my first 5k split at at a 12:33 pace (That's almost a 5k PR for me). My 10k was 14: 02 pace (I stopped for the bathroom right before the 10k mark.) and my 15k was 13:23. I felt SO good for my first half of the race. I actually felt really good until about mile 17.

Then I ran out of gas. Hit the wall. Whatever.

I walked several miles after that and kept beating myself up about it. I was exhausted and sick (did I mention that yet? I've been sick for about two weeks now. Awful.), but I kept pushing forward. It eventually hit me that I wasn't going to run a 6 hour marathon. Then I slowed down more.

I finished in 6:31:45. I'm disappointed. I know that if I hadn't gone so fast out of the gate, I would not have run out of gas and I would have met my goal. Still, I ran a 16 minute PR, so I'm glad for that.

I did LOVE the race though. It was cold (I ran with my hat and gloves on the entire time), but the city was wonderful. There were SO many people cheering there. It was so fun to run between skyscrapers and to see things in the city that I've been to many times. I love Chicago and I'm glad that I got to have the memory of running in it. I pushed myself harder than I have before (for 17 miles haha.) and felt awesome.

A few of my favorite things:

• giving children high 5s. I love when kids spectate. I gave MANY children high 5s.
• The "Nike Owns Chicago" section of the race. I think it was at 21 or 22. I was drained and my ankle was hurting at that point. Really awesome though! (I half wish I brought a camera.)
• Spectators!!!!
• "You have stamina! Call me!" Best. Sign. Ever. (Besides "McKayla is not impressed" that I saw at Disneyland.)
• Volunteers!! 
• Best expo I've ever been to. Hands down.
• Medical people giving out space blankets at mile 23/24. I needed it. 
• I got to stand at the finish line and hug my mom when she finished!

A couple disappointments:

• They ran out of medals before I finished. Bummer. I should be getting mine in the mail soon. (tomorrow?)
• Some of the people at the water stations stood waaay to far into the road and crowded it for the runners. 
• Running out of gas/hitting the wall. Boo. 
• Hill at mile 26. That hurt my feelings!
• Mostly the medal thing.
• I had gastrointestinal issues.

I've only run once since then. I'm trying to get healthier. I've been super sick. I do need to hop into Goofy training though. 

I learned some valuable lessons from this race. I plan to work a little harder at endurance and pacing myself. ..and not eating like crap.

I can't believe that it's over.

Goal: 1000 miles/366 days

So far: 678.06 miles/288 days

To go: 321.94 miles/78 days

Disney Marathon Weekend Part Three: Marathon Sunday

The theme from last weekend was "is this real life?". It was a question that we were all left to ponder several times with the 3 am alarms combined with the lengthy running. The major day that I was terrified of was the full marathon. I was afraid I wouldn't finish and I was fearful that everything would just prove to be too much for me. But it definitely was real life.

Anyways, we all got up to the wonderful morning alarm clock. I was extremely anxious. I feel like I have enough confidence with half marathon distance that I know I can complete it, but full marathons still scare me. As of last weekend, I'd only done one before and I didn't know how to mentally prepare myself. I don't really understand why, but quitting definitely went through my mind. Somehow, I trudged myself to the bus stop with a thousand thoughts running through my mind every minute. I got on the bus and managed to sit down, still worried about every little thing that could possibly happen to me along the long route. Since I did the Walt Disney World Marathon last year, I knew the route pretty well and felt like I could figure out where I'd  be struggling the most alone the way. That was probably not the best thing to spend my morning doing.

So my mom and I went to our starting corrals, but not without much drama. Naturally, we had a port-a-potty malfunction. Well, at least my mom did. She made a new friend that morning. hahaha. That poor lady..

Anyways, so we made the lengthy trek to the starting corrals, pretending that we weren't really about to run a marathon. You'd think that I'd have the entire running thing mentally figured out the third day in a row, but not so much. Anyhow, so we got there, huddled up and had a spontaneous dance party while all of the other slow runners in our corral looked at us grumpily. They started the race and it started to feel more real. Since we started in the back half of the pack, in one of the slower corrals, we got to wait a little while before our start. That was a little bit intimidating. It was okay, though.

When we crossed the start line, I knew that I had no option but to try to put space between me and the people at the end. I wanted to prove that I was worthy of running a marathon and definitely that I was worthy of running one faster than the people who were already behind me. I wanted to also be faster than the people ahead of me. I had way too much paranoia about being picked up by the sweeper bus. So I ran. My mom ran with me too. At some point my mom wasn't running with my anymore,  but I'm not sure when I lost her. I ran the several miles to EPCOT, where I had to choose between taking a left path or a right path around Spaceship Earth. I went right. Someone ran with me for a little bit, telling me that he was "Perfectly Goofy", meaning that he had completed every Goofy Challenge thus far. Impressive.


I left EPCOT and knew that I was on my way to the Magic Kingdom. First, I knew that, right before mile 5, I'd find Katherine and Kailey waiting there with signs to greet my mom and me. I was excited. There's something about people cheering at races that pushes people along. There's something even MORE about friends and family cheering people along during races that means that much more. As I was running up toward them, I was super excited, just knowing that I had supporters that were there for me. It's really an awesome thing. I'm really thankful for all supporters who get up and go out there and cheer for people at any race. It's truly a wonderful thing.

I watched the sun come up while I was running toward the Magic Kingdom. That was awesome. There's something about being up before the sun and knowing that you're doing something awesome with your life when you see the sun rising off in the distance.

I was still feeling pretty good up until mile 8, when my intestines started aching again. (I really need to be more cautious about what I eat before a race...) I had to stop at the bathroom at mile 8 and a half or so. That's when I really started struggling. Kath and Kailey were at mile 9 waiting for my mom and me, but I was definitely wanting to quit at that point. I felt miserable and I still had 17 miles left. I stopped and said hello to Katherine and Kailey and kept going. The next several miles were up to the Magic Kingdom and through the park. I knew that was manageable. Actually, when I got to the Magic Kingdom, I started to feel a lot better. It was almost as though a weight had been lifted.

I was feeling pretty good, I ran down Main Street, through Tomorrowland, stopped for a picture in Fantasyland with the Mad Hatter and made my way through the castle. Running through Cinderella's Castle is one of the most anticipated parts of the races. For me, the most exciting part is turning the corner down Main Street, seeing all of the cheering people with signs, cheering everyone along. It's exciting and wonderful.

After the castle, we headed through Liberty Square and Frontierland. I saw some coworkers getting everything opened up for the day and waved as I ran through. I felt so much better after I had finished running through the Magic Kingdom. There's really nothing like it. I was rejuvenated and refreshed... and felt like I was ready to run a number of more miles. I didn't really feel like I had just run more than ten miles at that point. Awesome. I had also been checking my Garmin obsessively and was way ahead of pacing requirements at that point. I was extremely excited about that.. and a little bit relieved at the same time. I knew in my heart that I'd finish the race and that I'd receive the medals that I had wanted so badly and for so long. I was not naive enough to think that it was going to be an easy or a simple journey, but I was beginning to feel more confident in myself, finally.

I thought that the section after the Magic Kingdom was going to be really tough, as the road really tightens up and it can get tough to run around people who are slow than you. I spent some time running in the dirt and the grass, which was somewhat unfortunate, but it was reality. Otherwise, I was still feeling pretty good. I saw Katherine and Kailey again at mile 13, almost to the halfway point. It was the last point where they would get to see me for a while, so I stopped, gave some hugs and went on my way. My mom still hadn't caught up with me and I was a little bit concerned about her, as it was her first full marathon and I remembered very well how I had felt during my first full. I knew I had to just believe that she would finish and that she had it in her heart to get it done



I was having fun. I made it to mile 13.1 and smiled as I crossed the little timing thing. I was halfway there and I felt awesome. My body felt okay and the Disney entertainment was phenomenal along the way.I was ahead of my pace by a lot and everything felt fantastic. I kept trucking along, knowing that I was probably going to hit a wall soon. That was an advantage of knowing the race course. I knew what the roughest miles would probably be. I ran as much as I could up until my legs needed to stop and take a break. Unfortunately, that meant that I walked for several miles and obliterated my chance at meeting any of my goals for finish times. My goal kind of morphed into just a goal to finish. I do wish that I would have pushed myself a little harder in those miles between Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, but those miles were tough. I had the strength to keep moving forward, but not the strength to continue running every step of the way. I'd like to think that next year I will be more fit, and I will be. I'm working on it every day.

At mile 16 or 17, we entered Animal Kingdom. That was really awesome, because I finally had a little bit more energy in my system. We ran along the park, which is the park that I'm personally least familiar with. I work at the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom just hasn't been a park that I have visited often, ever since it opened. It was neat to run though the park, see characters, guests, and cast members who went out of their way to cheer and wave to us as we passed. I guess it is kind of a continual theme that the crowds really get me through races. I had a lot of fun running through the park again and realized that I had less than ten miles left and that I still has two parks and the Boardwalk to run through. I felt like the rest of the race would be a breeze.

After Animal Kingdom, we headed down the road toward Hollywood Studios. I felt really confident in my ability to finish the race. I was still a little bit ahead of pace, but was still walking the majority of the time. Looking back, I'm somewhat frustrated in myself for not running more and pacing things out better. I wonder if I hadn't pushed it as hard in the first half, maybe I'd have been able to better run the second half. I don't know... There is a part of the route when you run down a half mile down the road and then a half mile (or so) back. You see all of the people faster than you on the way there and all of the people slower than you are on the way back. My mom and I passed each other on the way back, so she was about a mile behind me at mile 20/21. That was a little bit of a relief, because I hadn't seen her in a while and honestly didn't know where she was.



Hollywood Studios was super fun. I had been looking forward to that part of the race for several miles, because it was one of my favorite parts that I ran through last year. We ran backstage a little bit and got candy and fruit snacks at one of the water stops. I couldn't eat the chocolate, so I had to throw them out. (Sorrrrry Disney on a waste of your money...). I ate the fruit snacks, though. Fruit snacks combined with energy gel and water definitely got me through the final few miles. Hollywood Studios was awesome. I tried to congratulate everybody I saw who had a half marathon medal on from the day before, but it was getting a little bit difficult to speak out loud. I wish that we could have fun more miles through the park, because it is such an awesome park, but I guess that there's only so much that they can do when the park is still open. I have to keep that in mind, I guess.

I was most excited to see the Incredibles when I first got into the park, because last year when I got to that point, they weren't out anymore. I had just been a little bit too slow. This year, I made it and got a picture with  both Mr. AND Mrs. Incredible and Frozone. As I was running down the street toward them, Mrs. Incredible was waving and clapping at everybody who was passing. It was a touching moment for me and meant a lot. I stopped and got a picture with them and really felt like I was on my way to finishing my second marathon, that I was past all of the most difficult portions of the race and was almost done. I was so excited. Thrilled, actually.

After I left Hollywood Studios, it was a few more miles and then the finish line. I ran down the Boardwalk, which felt a million miles long. (I think it was actually just two or so.) Then I entered EPCOT again. That meant I was almost done. I tried to speed it up, but my legs were shot. I kept thinking of my favorite childhood story, "The Little Engine that Could". I don't look like a runner. Some days, I don't feel like a runner. I feel like I'm fooling a lot of people. I am SLOW. I still have a lot of work to do in order to get to where I want to be in my fitness lifestyle. I've made a lot of changes and I have come a long way, but I have to still tell myself that "I think I can" from time to time in order to really get it done. Somehow, I did it. I kept moving forward and before I knew it, I was turning the corner toward the finish line. I had done it. I finished my second Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge. I amazed myself at my tenacity. Maybe I am one of those people who can do anything. Maybe it isn't quite all out of my reach after all.

Everyone, their medals, and Goofy. We're all going Coast to Coast this year!

Mileage update- 

So Far: 59.93 miles/16 days

To go: 940.07 miles/350 days

(long run tomorrow!)