I knew my family was set up around mile 4 but as the race was set up, they could also see me during the first mile. I heard my sister in law yell my name as I went by and I waved and could not wait to get back to them in a few miles. As crowded as the race was, it spread out pretty quickly. There were parts along the way where you had to bob and weave to get around people, but I don't think too much time was wasted compared to other races I've done.
The first few miles were awesome. I did not start off too fast or too slow and was very comfortable. We entered Epcot and ran around the big silver ball (sorry but I don't remember the technical name of that thing). I was already feeling a little warm so I took off my long sleeve shirt and gloves and tossed the gloves. I knew I would see the family soon and would throw my shirt to them. I know this is a silly detail, but after a while, I was feeling cold again and was wishing I had my clothes. As I left Epcot and rounded the corner near mile 4, I started looking for them. Michael was wearing a red jacket which helped me find him easliy. He handed me a gu since I had already used one of my planned ones and I threw him my shirt. I gave them some high fives and thumbs up to let them know I was doing well. Michael ran along the fence with me for a few seconds and I told him that I was happy with my time at that point but needed to make up a little bit for the crowded areas.
So the first hour of the race was great! I loved the feeling of being there, running through Epcot, and seeing characters along the way. It is an exciting place to run for the most part. Unusual problems started for me around mile 6. I started to feel cold and my arms had goosebumps on them. My hands started to swell and become somewhat numb. At the worst part I was using my teeth to open my gu. I still do not know exactly what the problem was, but I plan on talking to a doctor soon to get some ideas. During the race, I decided to try to run through it since my legs were fine. I didn't want to stop at a medical tent in fear that they would make me stop or at least for the fact that it would severly affect my time. I know, I know, this could have been a stupid decision, but I knew if any other problems arose, like nausea, or numbness in my legs, that I would stop at a tent.
The next ten miles were good except for the weird feelings in my arms and hands. My pace was still o.k. considering, and I finished the first half in 2:18 which is the same time as the half marathon I ran last spring. I do think I lost a lot of time because of my arms. I kept walking to try to shake them out and drank at every water stop, which I wouldn't have done otherwise, in case it was a hydration problem. Around mile 10 we were running through the Magic Kingdom. Except for finishing, this was my favorite part. Fans were allowed to come inside the park, so I got to see my family again and they got to take some pictures. It was amazing to run through the castle, but because I could not get my mind off of my hands, I did not fully get to enjoy that moment.
By the time my hands were recovering and feeling warm again my legs were getting sore and I was mentally drained. I figured the course would be pretty flat but the little hills inside the parks and the exits on all the highways were hard to get up and down by the end. I walked far more than I had planned during the race, and I blame that on my arms. Strange, I know, because you run with your legs, but I walked more during the first 16 than I needed to for my legs sake. Then for the last 10, I could not mentally push myself as I would have liked. I had not been able to let my mind wander as I usually do on a long run which I think affected my mental stamina towards the end. The miles seemed to get longer and longer as I reached 18, 19, 20 and beyond. By mile 21, I was a little worried about my time, and was trying to convince myself that I would be happy no matter what. During miles 22-26.2, I could muster up shorts bursts of energy where I was surprised how well my legs were moving, but they were hurting in a way that they have never felt before!! I don't remember much about the next few miles, but I know at some point I ran through animal kingdom (don't remember seeing many animals) and Universal Studios (have no clue what was there except for that mirage of tall buildings). All I was thinking was that once I got out of Universal I was almost done. Those were the longest couple of miles ever! At mile 26 there was a gospel choir singing. Although I don't remember what they were singing, that was an inspring moment that helped push me to pick up the pace for the last stretch. No matter how painful, I was going to give everything I had to cross that finish line. I knew I had not gone as fast as I wanted to, but that moment was about finishing and finishing strong. As I rounded that corner, the fans were screaming and I heard Gene yell my name. I threw my arms in the air and took the last few strides to cross the finish line giving fives to Goofy and Donald along the way. I was thinking, "Thank the Lord I am finally done!" Soon I could see my husband but had to wait a little while to start giving hugs. I got my medal, got a picture taken, and got some post race food which I was looking forward to eating!
Finally I got to go see my family. I gave Michael a huge hug and then the rest of the group. We stood around for a little while because my legs were in so much pain. I had not hurt myself, but my legs were sore and stiff and just HURT. I did not want to walk to the car. I would have preferred for someone to carry me!! I told my family a little bit of how my race went and told them that I would never do this again (it only took a couple of hours to change my mind lol!).
Sunday, January 29, 2012
The Big Day (Part One)
I don't even know where to start!! The journey is over in some ways and just starting in others. I will apoligize now for the length of these posts, even though I am just starting, because I know a few words just will not tell the story.
I guess I will start where I left off last time. Even getting to the rental house on Thursday evening did not give me the proof I needed that it was about time to run 26.2 miles. We settled in and then grabbed a bite to eat and went shopping. Though it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things, the huge house we rented was amazing and the nice bathtub and hot tub did help me to relax when I needed to. A lot of my family came too, my mom and Gene, my sister, brother-in-law and nephew Colin, my mother-in-law and brother-in-law, and then a couple of surprise guests, my sister-in-law and her husband, and of course, my kids and husband. We had a great weekend together and everyone agreed that this should be an annual gathering.
Friday morning was the first time everything started sinking in. We drove to the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex to go to the expo and pick up my race packet. As soon as we took the exit from the highway, we could tell that this was going to be a busy place. We had been talking about how many people were going to be running that weekend but we didn't have an actual figure. As we began the trek to the entrance, the excitement rushed over me!! Now I felt that the race was emminent and a sense of pride for just being there was overwhelming. I picked up my bib and shirt and we walked around for a while among the crowd. As I walked away, I was pumped, but I still had to wait another day.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing, playing games and grilling and then my sister and brother in law showed up as a surprise. Jen said while she was here, "I hope you feel loved" and I totally did. My family was my biggest support system and I could have not done any of this without them.
Saturday we spent a few hours at Downtown Disney. The kids had been having some fun, but they finally got to do something geared towards them. They could have spent hours playing with the legos outside the lego store and looking around at the Disney store. They bought a few things, we ate lunch, and walked around a little bit more before going home to relax again. There were only a few hours left before I needed to eat my pasta and try to get to sleep.
Waking up at 3:00 in the morning is not something I ever wanted to do, but that was the plan for Sunday morning. We were warned that we needed to allow extra time for the traffic getting to Disney that morning, so I figured I needed to go to bed around 7:00 to make sure I got enough rest. Of course, I never thought that I would be able to get to sleep at that time and I thought that so many thoughts would be running through my head all night. Thankfully I was wrong!! I went to bed around 7:30 and probably got to sleep by 8:30 and slept well all night. Just to make sure, I set the alarm on my phone for 3:00, 3:05 and 3:15 to make sure I was up on time. I was out of bed by 3:05 and ready to go by 3:50. I thought my hubs would be dropping me off at the starting line and coming back to see me finish, but some of the family decided to wake up to wish me luck and then some went with us to watch me start, see me a couple places along the way, and see me finish.
As we drove into Epcot on Sunday morning, I said my goodbyes, hopped out of the van, and made my way to the starting area. It was crowded and it took quite a while to arrive at my corral. I settled in to wait for the starting gun and found a few people to talk to. One man warned us of the curves in the roads as you were taking the on and off ramps on the highways. Now this is something I warn others about!! A few minutes before the start, the Anthem was sung, Mickey roused up the crowd and fireworks went off. It was time to run.....after I waited about 20 minutes for my corral's turn.
I guess I will start where I left off last time. Even getting to the rental house on Thursday evening did not give me the proof I needed that it was about time to run 26.2 miles. We settled in and then grabbed a bite to eat and went shopping. Though it doesn't really matter in the scheme of things, the huge house we rented was amazing and the nice bathtub and hot tub did help me to relax when I needed to. A lot of my family came too, my mom and Gene, my sister, brother-in-law and nephew Colin, my mother-in-law and brother-in-law, and then a couple of surprise guests, my sister-in-law and her husband, and of course, my kids and husband. We had a great weekend together and everyone agreed that this should be an annual gathering.
Friday morning was the first time everything started sinking in. We drove to the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex to go to the expo and pick up my race packet. As soon as we took the exit from the highway, we could tell that this was going to be a busy place. We had been talking about how many people were going to be running that weekend but we didn't have an actual figure. As we began the trek to the entrance, the excitement rushed over me!! Now I felt that the race was emminent and a sense of pride for just being there was overwhelming. I picked up my bib and shirt and we walked around for a while among the crowd. As I walked away, I was pumped, but I still had to wait another day.
We spent the rest of the day relaxing, playing games and grilling and then my sister and brother in law showed up as a surprise. Jen said while she was here, "I hope you feel loved" and I totally did. My family was my biggest support system and I could have not done any of this without them.
Saturday we spent a few hours at Downtown Disney. The kids had been having some fun, but they finally got to do something geared towards them. They could have spent hours playing with the legos outside the lego store and looking around at the Disney store. They bought a few things, we ate lunch, and walked around a little bit more before going home to relax again. There were only a few hours left before I needed to eat my pasta and try to get to sleep.
Waking up at 3:00 in the morning is not something I ever wanted to do, but that was the plan for Sunday morning. We were warned that we needed to allow extra time for the traffic getting to Disney that morning, so I figured I needed to go to bed around 7:00 to make sure I got enough rest. Of course, I never thought that I would be able to get to sleep at that time and I thought that so many thoughts would be running through my head all night. Thankfully I was wrong!! I went to bed around 7:30 and probably got to sleep by 8:30 and slept well all night. Just to make sure, I set the alarm on my phone for 3:00, 3:05 and 3:15 to make sure I was up on time. I was out of bed by 3:05 and ready to go by 3:50. I thought my hubs would be dropping me off at the starting line and coming back to see me finish, but some of the family decided to wake up to wish me luck and then some went with us to watch me start, see me a couple places along the way, and see me finish.
As we drove into Epcot on Sunday morning, I said my goodbyes, hopped out of the van, and made my way to the starting area. It was crowded and it took quite a while to arrive at my corral. I settled in to wait for the starting gun and found a few people to talk to. One man warned us of the curves in the roads as you were taking the on and off ramps on the highways. Now this is something I warn others about!! A few minutes before the start, the Anthem was sung, Mickey roused up the crowd and fireworks went off. It was time to run.....after I waited about 20 minutes for my corral's turn.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
The Last Days
I sit to type with lots of different thoughts going through my head. Of course, the upcoming race has gone through my head many times throughout the week, but surprisingly, I have not been dwelling on it. It's part of my nature that things just don't sink in until they are about to happen or have happened. Don't get me wrong, I get stressed out easily, but it's usually from actual events, not from thinking about upcoming events.
A friend who recently ran a marathon told me that the week before her race was an emotional roller coaster for her and I feared that I would be the same way. So far this week has been pretty relaxing. The boys went back to school today (hallelujah) and I have spent my afternoons doing a few chores around the house and doing little else.
My mind has wandered to the race daily, and I worry a little about my time, and my legs, and the ungodly hour that I have to get up that morning. The most recurring thought in my head is what it will be like at the finish line. All kinds of emotions go through my head from tears of joy, to tears of pain, the thrill of finishing and even the disappointment of taking too long. I've been good about my eating habits the past couple of weeks and hope that I am getting enough fuel and water into my body.
But mostly, I am excited!! The kids are so ready to go to Disney for the first time and I know that it will be even better than what they are expecting. I am excited to be able to say that I am a marathon runner no matter how hard it is. I am excited to spend time with my family, especially my little nephew who is coming along and I am excited to go back to a normal schedule (whatever that means) after my race.
For now, my emotions are under control but the next couple of days could change that completely. We get to Orlando tomorrow and then it may ALL sink in. I appreciate all your prayers and support friends. It means the world to me and I will think of you all as I am running on Sunday. (I will have plenty of time)
A friend who recently ran a marathon told me that the week before her race was an emotional roller coaster for her and I feared that I would be the same way. So far this week has been pretty relaxing. The boys went back to school today (hallelujah) and I have spent my afternoons doing a few chores around the house and doing little else.
My mind has wandered to the race daily, and I worry a little about my time, and my legs, and the ungodly hour that I have to get up that morning. The most recurring thought in my head is what it will be like at the finish line. All kinds of emotions go through my head from tears of joy, to tears of pain, the thrill of finishing and even the disappointment of taking too long. I've been good about my eating habits the past couple of weeks and hope that I am getting enough fuel and water into my body.
But mostly, I am excited!! The kids are so ready to go to Disney for the first time and I know that it will be even better than what they are expecting. I am excited to be able to say that I am a marathon runner no matter how hard it is. I am excited to spend time with my family, especially my little nephew who is coming along and I am excited to go back to a normal schedule (whatever that means) after my race.
For now, my emotions are under control but the next couple of days could change that completely. We get to Orlando tomorrow and then it may ALL sink in. I appreciate all your prayers and support friends. It means the world to me and I will think of you all as I am running on Sunday. (I will have plenty of time)
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