So it only took me about 3 months to get a new post on here, ouch! Things have been crazy around here lately and I haven't been motivated to do much updating at all. Kicking my own butt into gear trying to get through my huge to-do list and this post was at the top of the list. Here goes nothing!
I last left you with a report of our first day at Disney: check into Pop, head to the Expo, spend the rest of the day wandering the monorail resorts. Day 2 was just as fun....Christina was added to our group and we then headed to Hollywood Studios, the Expo, Epcot, and then called it an early night to rest up for the day ahead. MAYBE I'll type up a post of that day but considering my track record, I'm sadly not promising anything.
Bedtime for Day 2 was a fabulously early 9pm. All the required running items were laid out the night before in cute little piles and the alarm set for 2:30am.
Of course we had to test our our running attire one last time. :)
I surprisingly slept well considering how nervous I was for the upcoming day! The alarm went off and I immediately jumped out of bed and started to get ready. Donned all the cold weather gear I had packed with me, looked outside and...it was SNOWING!! Not a heavy snow but there were definitely flurries...in Orlando. Temperature read 29 degrees. Crazy!
Dressed and ready to go we snapped a few groggy photos in the room, grabbed our stuff, and headed out to the cafeteria for some breakfast. (If you can read it, you'll notice that the clock in the photo reads 3:04am).
We stumbled into the cafeteria and it was already buzzing with activity and excitement. Pop seemed to be the most popular hotel with runners so almost the whole hotel was already awake and running around.
Luckily, here is where I had one of the small bumps in the road to start off the day. I brought all of the ingredients to make myself oatmeal for breakfast: the oats, peanut butter, cinnamon, and raisins. I didn't, however, bring a bowl to mix and microwave it in, assuming that I can get one in the caf. Well it was a serious hunt to find one. I finally track down an employee and ask for a bowl and he brings me out a styrofoam one. Hmm... I graciously thank him and know this might be a problem. I figure I'll just make it in the bowl but only microwave it little by little so that the bowl doesn't melt. Start on the quest of microwaving and it failed miserably. Oatmeal all over the microwave AND a melted bowl. Fail!
Nate graciously offered me a bagel with peanut butter and I ran and bought a banana. I was worried that it wouldn't agree with my stomach but I couldn't really do much about it at the time.
3:45am we packed up everything and headed out to the bus stop. It was PACKED! There were easily 5 or 6 buses waiting in line and hundreds of people on line to head to the start. Luckily got on a bus in no time and were quickly let off in the parking lot. Snapped a few photos...dropped off our bags at bag drop...lost Christina for a bit...found her...headed to the porta potties...lost Nate...couldn't find him. :) Since we were all starting in different corrals anyway, Christina and I started heading to the corrals knowing that Nate would be ok.
Stumbled upon some really old, moldy, and run down Backstage Tour trams from back in the day so obviously had to take some photos.
When we got to the corrals it was a flurry of excitement. This was it!! We gave each other a HUGE hug, wished each other luck, and headed to our corrals. The excitement was getting to me, I was starting to get realllly nervous walking around my corral but luckily I ran into a bunch of ROTERs!! Gracie, Pam, and Sarah (I think? sorry sarah!) were huddled together trying to keep warm so I sheepishly poked my head over to say hi. They welcomed me with open arms and the four of us chit chatted and passed the time away. It was so nice to have some familiar faces while I waited.
As the clock slowly ticked away, the weather seemed to get worse. It felt like the temperature dropped a bit, even though it was already 29 degrees or so! A little while later the announcer came over the loud speaker, the national anthem was sung (I believe?), and then the big countdown to the official gun! There were fireworks and characters and the excitement in the crowd was at an all time high.
This was the moment so many of us were waiting for. I shed my warm puffy jacket and tried to jump around a little bit to warm up. Tried to stretch but don't think it worked out so well. Double checked that my ipod and my headphones were in working order and started the music really low so I won't have to fumble with buttons later on (which I ended up having to do anyways!)
Our corral then started moving and we all inched our way closer to that start line. There was another tiny celebration and small fireworks signaling the start of the 2nd wave of runners (us!). I started to get a little choked up and had to take a few deep breaths to calm the nerves. The photo is really blurry but you get the idea...
The actual run to me is a mix of distinctly clear moments, and many blurry memories. I was completely overwhelmed by everything going on around me but I had the time of my life. Here's a little jumbled recap of what I can remember....
Starting out, Grace, Pam, and I all stuck somewhat together, unintentionally. Chit chatted a little bit here and there but I knew we all had our own goals set out for ourselves.
Before I even hit Mile 1, I shed the hand warmers out of my gloves. Somehow though, I ended up knocking out one of the water bottles out of my water belt! THANK YOU to the kind runner behind me who quickly picked it up and caught up to me to return it. I would have cried if I didn't have my Gatorade! I probably wouldn't have noticed until mid-Mile 2 when I went to get my first drink. Whew! First crisis averted!
Also between Miles 2 and 4, I believe it started sleeting. I honestly can't remember when I started feeling the sleet hit me in the eyeballs but it wasn't the best feeling. The wind was picking up and kept trying to blow off my Minnie ears so I pulled them off and kept them in my hand hoping that the conditions would calm a bit later on.
Around Mile 4, we ran through the Magic Kingdom toll booths. Here's another teary eyed moment. This was one of the main reasons I picked Disney to be my first big race, running through the Magic Kingdom! I started to get really hot around the Contemporary so at this point I got the bright idea to shed my ear warmers and ONE glove. Why not both, you ask? Beats me! It apparently seemed like a great idea at the time! Donned the Minnie ears again to test them out and they seemed to be staying on so that was a good sign. I tried to snap some photos but it was still so dark outside that it was near impossible to get anything acceptable.
We turned right and left Main Street to head towards Tomorrowland. Quickly made our way through until reaching Fantasyland. It's here where we ran into a bunch of characters and the lines were surprisingly short. I still had my camera turned on from my castle shot so I quickly jumped in line when I saw Alice in Wonderland and the gang by the Teacups. They had some funny comments and words of encouragement and then I was on my way! From the time I got into Tomorrowland until the photo was taken, was about 4 minutes according to the data on the photos. Not too shabby, I was still making good time!
Kept on chugging along and looked up to see the backside of the Castle. Umm...yup...another teary eyed moment. It was a trend throughout the whole 13 miles. Right before entering the castle we were greeted by the royal trumpeters.
Running down the side of the castle I saw a few official photographers taking photos of runners so I quickly got in line. The line was LONG but it was definitely moving and there was no way i was passing this up! Quickly had my photo snapped and was again on my way. The sleet had turned to rain at some point so it wasn't as miserable as it had started. Now everyone was just soaked to the bone yet still enjoying the morning.
Up next on the agenda was Liberty Square, where I ran into Louis, Princess Tiana, and Prince Naveen from Princess and the Frog. Grabbed a photo with my favorite alligator but the line was too long for the Royalty..kept on chugging!
Down into Frontierland we went and cut backstage. We were greeted with a huge pirate ship and Captain Jack Sparrow and a few of his fellow pirates. The line for Captain Jack was RIDICULOUS! I saw Grace in line and quickly said hello. After a few seconds of contemplating, I realized I was still on track to hit my time goal of 2:30 so I decided against the photo, said bye to Grace, and was on my way.
Leaving the official Magic Kingdom property, I thought there wouldn't be much in terms of eye candy and entertainment but Disney proved me wrong. We saw Mary Poppins and the gang outside the Grand Floridian, Mickey and Donald outside the golf course, and a ton of other fun stuff such as marching bands etc.
The long stretch from here to Epcot was a slight blur. I just remember chugging along and trying to take in everything around me. The on/off ramps of the roads were a slight challenge. It was a slight bottleneck so I would try to run on the grass shoulder but then would get paranoid that I would twist an ankle or something so I'd hop back onto the pavement.
Throughout the whole race, I was trying to keep an eye on my pace. At about Mile 8 I realized that I still had a little extra juice in me so I picked up the pace slightly. When I hit Mile 12 I open up the flood gates and tried to pick up the pace even more. The adrenaline of knowing I was almost done with my first ever half marathon definitely played a big role.
I believe between Mile 11 and Mile 12, you can catch a glimpse of Spaceship Earth. Now, it is NOT my favorite ride but you don't understand how happy I was to see it at that very minute!
As we were turning the corner to officially enter Epcot, I wasn't looking down and literally LEAPED into a 4 inch puddle of water! BLEH!! My whole left foot was soaked up to my ankle. Not the best way to end a race but...I was almost done and nothing could change my mood right now!
As we were running through Epcot, the mood completely changed. People were thrilled that we were almost done. It seemed like everyone picked up their pace and was trying to finish strong. The volunteers and spectators around here were screaming their heads off and clapping as hard as they can. "You're almost done! You've made it!" was being yelled at from every angle.
We quickly exited the park and turned into the lot and I could see the finish line ahead of me. I saw Mickey and Goofy and the gang by the finish line and looked around and saw the crowds. I had done it! I finished my first half marathon! My official time was 2:26:37 or something like that. I'm VERY happy with my time and so excited I beat my personal goal. After I had crossed the finish line, I started to walk with the crowds but realized I never took a photo! Quickly ran back and snapped a photo of the finish and then continued on my way.
Now from here on out...I can REALLY say it was a blur. Volunteers were everywhere. Handing out Powerades, mylar blankets, medals (yay!). I had so many things in my hands that I was overwhelmed. And did I mention it was still raining and frigid? My elated feeling was slowly turning into a miserable one. I must have been blue. I was struggling with my mylar blanket when another runner came over and kindly helped me put it on correctly. After a big thank you and mutual congrats, I continued on my way to try to find my friend Nate or the other ROTE gang.
There were people and lines EVERYWHERE. I kept hearing people say how disorganized it was compared to years past. Got my official finishers photo taken and hopped into the food line. I was too cold to drink my Powerade but I knew I should. Tried to take a few sips but I gave up. Got in line for some food and I can honestly say it was one of the most unorganized lines ever. So I waited in that line for nothing. The banana, muffin, and raisins went uneaten because I was just NOT in the mood! I then headed over to the bag claim tents to try to warm up with my North Face that I had shoved into my bag. Luckily got my bag after about 10 minutes of waiting or so but my body had already started shivering. People looked MISERABLE! :(
Threw the North Face on and saw a tiny tent selling merchandise. Hoping it was slightly heated I ran over there to warm up a bit. Wasn't that much better so continued on my way. Then my day got a little better...I saw some characters!!
Can I point out that I was apparently too delirious to take off my ipod?! I easily finished the race a half hour before these photos were taken!!!
I headed over to the H tent and thankfully saw a bunch of ROTErs there!! Totally made my miserable mood much better! Got to chat it up with Jeff, Mustafa, Pam, and a bunch of others. Took my phone out and saw my dad had already called and left me a congratulatory message. The runner updates worked great he said!! I tried to call Nate and finally got a hold of him. Told him where I was and we met up and gave each other big hugs. Now just had to wait for Christina to finish. I also wizened up and created a skirt out of my mylar blanket and took my ipod off. :)
Now the only problem we had was trying to find Christina. I had gotten the text update on my phone saying that she finished. But that was over 30 or 40 minutes ago. We started to get worried. Nate went over to the medical tent to go look for her. He cam back empty handed. Where we SHOULD have went to look was the bag claim tent!! Apparently they lost her bag for 45 minutes!! Poor Christina sat there wet and freezing the whole time until it turned up. She slowly hobbled her way to the H tent when she got it. Lots of hugs and stuff but then we were all so cold and shaking that we decided to celebrate after we were back in the room after hot showers. The bus lines were CRAZY long but we were luckily on the 2nd bus back to Pop and warm and happy in a few minutes!
So there's my abridged story...I know there's a ton of other things I'm missing but I'll try to add them as I remember. It was an experience of a lifetime and something I recommend EVERY Disney fan experience if they can. The rollercoaster of emotions that I felt for those few hours was indescribable.
The runners along the course were such an inspiration. I love how SO many Disney fans got completely into the race and atmosphere. I only wore Minnie ears but there were dozens, if not hundreds, of runners in full blown costumes, gowns, pixie skirts, Mickey body suits, etc. It also didn't seem that anyone was in it just for themselves and everyone realized that this race was mainly about having fun and accomplishing new goals. Any time someone started walking or looked a little run down, you would always see at least one other runner pat them on the back, give them a thumbs up or just give a few encouraging words. I remember at one point around mile 10 or 11, someone muttered that their Garmin watch wasn't completely accurate. That set off a few other runners, including myself, that agreed and laughed along with him and we chit chatted about what we thought the official distance was. It helped take our minds off the fact that we had already ran a VERY long distance and were still going!
The words of encouragement along the course were such a motivation. It was slightly hard to read names against the yellow bibs but a few people were able to read my name and it was a great feeling. I got a bunch of 'Keep it up, Minnie!' as well and that would always make me giggle and give me an extra push.
A HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers and fans that braved the elements and came out to show their support. To all the cast members, high school bands, family, and friends...you were all appreciated. It takes a lot to sit out there for hours in that frigid cold just to clap and cheer someone on. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The big question is...will I run the 2011 race? I can give you a definite YES! Now the decision is if I want to run the half....of the full! Yikes!!!
I last left you with a report of our first day at Disney: check into Pop, head to the Expo, spend the rest of the day wandering the monorail resorts. Day 2 was just as fun....Christina was added to our group and we then headed to Hollywood Studios, the Expo, Epcot, and then called it an early night to rest up for the day ahead. MAYBE I'll type up a post of that day but considering my track record, I'm sadly not promising anything.
Bedtime for Day 2 was a fabulously early 9pm. All the required running items were laid out the night before in cute little piles and the alarm set for 2:30am.
Of course we had to test our our running attire one last time. :)
I surprisingly slept well considering how nervous I was for the upcoming day! The alarm went off and I immediately jumped out of bed and started to get ready. Donned all the cold weather gear I had packed with me, looked outside and...it was SNOWING!! Not a heavy snow but there were definitely flurries...in Orlando. Temperature read 29 degrees. Crazy!
Dressed and ready to go we snapped a few groggy photos in the room, grabbed our stuff, and headed out to the cafeteria for some breakfast. (If you can read it, you'll notice that the clock in the photo reads 3:04am).
We stumbled into the cafeteria and it was already buzzing with activity and excitement. Pop seemed to be the most popular hotel with runners so almost the whole hotel was already awake and running around.
Luckily, here is where I had one of the small bumps in the road to start off the day. I brought all of the ingredients to make myself oatmeal for breakfast: the oats, peanut butter, cinnamon, and raisins. I didn't, however, bring a bowl to mix and microwave it in, assuming that I can get one in the caf. Well it was a serious hunt to find one. I finally track down an employee and ask for a bowl and he brings me out a styrofoam one. Hmm... I graciously thank him and know this might be a problem. I figure I'll just make it in the bowl but only microwave it little by little so that the bowl doesn't melt. Start on the quest of microwaving and it failed miserably. Oatmeal all over the microwave AND a melted bowl. Fail!
Nate graciously offered me a bagel with peanut butter and I ran and bought a banana. I was worried that it wouldn't agree with my stomach but I couldn't really do much about it at the time.
Stumbled upon some really old, moldy, and run down Backstage Tour trams from back in the day so obviously had to take some photos.
When we got to the corrals it was a flurry of excitement. This was it!! We gave each other a HUGE hug, wished each other luck, and headed to our corrals. The excitement was getting to me, I was starting to get realllly nervous walking around my corral but luckily I ran into a bunch of ROTERs!! Gracie, Pam, and Sarah (I think? sorry sarah!) were huddled together trying to keep warm so I sheepishly poked my head over to say hi. They welcomed me with open arms and the four of us chit chatted and passed the time away. It was so nice to have some familiar faces while I waited.
As the clock slowly ticked away, the weather seemed to get worse. It felt like the temperature dropped a bit, even though it was already 29 degrees or so! A little while later the announcer came over the loud speaker, the national anthem was sung (I believe?), and then the big countdown to the official gun! There were fireworks and characters and the excitement in the crowd was at an all time high.
This was the moment so many of us were waiting for. I shed my warm puffy jacket and tried to jump around a little bit to warm up. Tried to stretch but don't think it worked out so well. Double checked that my ipod and my headphones were in working order and started the music really low so I won't have to fumble with buttons later on (which I ended up having to do anyways!)
Our corral then started moving and we all inched our way closer to that start line. There was another tiny celebration and small fireworks signaling the start of the 2nd wave of runners (us!). I started to get a little choked up and had to take a few deep breaths to calm the nerves. The photo is really blurry but you get the idea...
The actual run to me is a mix of distinctly clear moments, and many blurry memories. I was completely overwhelmed by everything going on around me but I had the time of my life. Here's a little jumbled recap of what I can remember....
Starting out, Grace, Pam, and I all stuck somewhat together, unintentionally. Chit chatted a little bit here and there but I knew we all had our own goals set out for ourselves.
Before I even hit Mile 1, I shed the hand warmers out of my gloves. Somehow though, I ended up knocking out one of the water bottles out of my water belt! THANK YOU to the kind runner behind me who quickly picked it up and caught up to me to return it. I would have cried if I didn't have my Gatorade! I probably wouldn't have noticed until mid-Mile 2 when I went to get my first drink. Whew! First crisis averted!
Also between Miles 2 and 4, I believe it started sleeting. I honestly can't remember when I started feeling the sleet hit me in the eyeballs but it wasn't the best feeling. The wind was picking up and kept trying to blow off my Minnie ears so I pulled them off and kept them in my hand hoping that the conditions would calm a bit later on.
Around Mile 4, we ran through the Magic Kingdom toll booths. Here's another teary eyed moment. This was one of the main reasons I picked Disney to be my first big race, running through the Magic Kingdom! I started to get really hot around the Contemporary so at this point I got the bright idea to shed my ear warmers and ONE glove. Why not both, you ask? Beats me! It apparently seemed like a great idea at the time! Donned the Minnie ears again to test them out and they seemed to be staying on so that was a good sign. I tried to snap some photos but it was still so dark outside that it was near impossible to get anything acceptable.
We then rounded a corner and there loomed Space Mountain (choked up moment #3 for me, if I recall correctly). I knew the entrance into the Magic Kingdom was close now! It seemed like we had been running forever since we ran through the toll booths. Came through a side entrance to Main Street and when we turned the corner and faced the castle, the crowds and emotions were running high. I definitely picked up the pace a little bit in all the excitement but then realized that THIS right here was what I came for. I slowed down a bit and tried to look around at all the faces in the crowd. I know I definitely had a HUGE smile on my face and probably some tears in my eyes. The Christmas decorations just added to the excitement and I am SO SO glad that Disney decided to keep them up for the races.
Right before the turn towards Tomorrowland I quickly jumped off to the side of the course and asked an awesome volunteer to snap a photo of me in front of the castle. She gladly agreed, snapped the shot, congratulated me, and cheered me on my way. A big "Thank You!!" to whoever that volunteer was! I looked over to the crowd when I continued running and saw the awesome ROTE crew with their signs and red ROTE gear. I quickly screamed for them and gave a big wave and smile, hoping that someone would recognize me. I wasn't wearing any ROTE gear and didn't get a huge amount of time to meet anyone but I did get some waves and cheers back!!
Up next on the agenda was Liberty Square, where I ran into Louis, Princess Tiana, and Prince Naveen from Princess and the Frog. Grabbed a photo with my favorite alligator but the line was too long for the Royalty..kept on chugging!
Leaving the official Magic Kingdom property, I thought there wouldn't be much in terms of eye candy and entertainment but Disney proved me wrong. We saw Mary Poppins and the gang outside the Grand Floridian, Mickey and Donald outside the golf course, and a ton of other fun stuff such as marching bands etc.
The long stretch from here to Epcot was a slight blur. I just remember chugging along and trying to take in everything around me. The on/off ramps of the roads were a slight challenge. It was a slight bottleneck so I would try to run on the grass shoulder but then would get paranoid that I would twist an ankle or something so I'd hop back onto the pavement.
Throughout the whole race, I was trying to keep an eye on my pace. At about Mile 8 I realized that I still had a little extra juice in me so I picked up the pace slightly. When I hit Mile 12 I open up the flood gates and tried to pick up the pace even more. The adrenaline of knowing I was almost done with my first ever half marathon definitely played a big role.
As we were turning the corner to officially enter Epcot, I wasn't looking down and literally LEAPED into a 4 inch puddle of water! BLEH!! My whole left foot was soaked up to my ankle. Not the best way to end a race but...I was almost done and nothing could change my mood right now!
We quickly exited the park and turned into the lot and I could see the finish line ahead of me. I saw Mickey and Goofy and the gang by the finish line and looked around and saw the crowds. I had done it! I finished my first half marathon! My official time was 2:26:37 or something like that. I'm VERY happy with my time and so excited I beat my personal goal. After I had crossed the finish line, I started to walk with the crowds but realized I never took a photo! Quickly ran back and snapped a photo of the finish and then continued on my way.
There were people and lines EVERYWHERE. I kept hearing people say how disorganized it was compared to years past. Got my official finishers photo taken and hopped into the food line. I was too cold to drink my Powerade but I knew I should. Tried to take a few sips but I gave up. Got in line for some food and I can honestly say it was one of the most unorganized lines ever. So I waited in that line for nothing. The banana, muffin, and raisins went uneaten because I was just NOT in the mood! I then headed over to the bag claim tents to try to warm up with my North Face that I had shoved into my bag. Luckily got my bag after about 10 minutes of waiting or so but my body had already started shivering. People looked MISERABLE! :(
Threw the North Face on and saw a tiny tent selling merchandise. Hoping it was slightly heated I ran over there to warm up a bit. Wasn't that much better so continued on my way. Then my day got a little better...I saw some characters!!
Can I point out that I was apparently too delirious to take off my ipod?! I easily finished the race a half hour before these photos were taken!!!
I headed over to the H tent and thankfully saw a bunch of ROTErs there!! Totally made my miserable mood much better! Got to chat it up with Jeff, Mustafa, Pam, and a bunch of others. Took my phone out and saw my dad had already called and left me a congratulatory message. The runner updates worked great he said!! I tried to call Nate and finally got a hold of him. Told him where I was and we met up and gave each other big hugs. Now just had to wait for Christina to finish. I also wizened up and created a skirt out of my mylar blanket and took my ipod off. :)
Now the only problem we had was trying to find Christina. I had gotten the text update on my phone saying that she finished. But that was over 30 or 40 minutes ago. We started to get worried. Nate went over to the medical tent to go look for her. He cam back empty handed. Where we SHOULD have went to look was the bag claim tent!! Apparently they lost her bag for 45 minutes!! Poor Christina sat there wet and freezing the whole time until it turned up. She slowly hobbled her way to the H tent when she got it. Lots of hugs and stuff but then we were all so cold and shaking that we decided to celebrate after we were back in the room after hot showers. The bus lines were CRAZY long but we were luckily on the 2nd bus back to Pop and warm and happy in a few minutes!
So there's my abridged story...I know there's a ton of other things I'm missing but I'll try to add them as I remember. It was an experience of a lifetime and something I recommend EVERY Disney fan experience if they can. The rollercoaster of emotions that I felt for those few hours was indescribable.
The runners along the course were such an inspiration. I love how SO many Disney fans got completely into the race and atmosphere. I only wore Minnie ears but there were dozens, if not hundreds, of runners in full blown costumes, gowns, pixie skirts, Mickey body suits, etc. It also didn't seem that anyone was in it just for themselves and everyone realized that this race was mainly about having fun and accomplishing new goals. Any time someone started walking or looked a little run down, you would always see at least one other runner pat them on the back, give them a thumbs up or just give a few encouraging words. I remember at one point around mile 10 or 11, someone muttered that their Garmin watch wasn't completely accurate. That set off a few other runners, including myself, that agreed and laughed along with him and we chit chatted about what we thought the official distance was. It helped take our minds off the fact that we had already ran a VERY long distance and were still going!
The words of encouragement along the course were such a motivation. It was slightly hard to read names against the yellow bibs but a few people were able to read my name and it was a great feeling. I got a bunch of 'Keep it up, Minnie!' as well and that would always make me giggle and give me an extra push.
A HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers and fans that braved the elements and came out to show their support. To all the cast members, high school bands, family, and friends...you were all appreciated. It takes a lot to sit out there for hours in that frigid cold just to clap and cheer someone on. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The big question is...will I run the 2011 race? I can give you a definite YES! Now the decision is if I want to run the half....of the full! Yikes!!!
