Sunday, Feb 21:
When my alarm went off this morning at about 3:15 I woke up ready to go! (The beauty of being in bed at 8:00 pm!). Without having to rush around I got all my clothes on, put my iPod and headphones and some shot blocks and a power bar gel in my bag and ate the first part of my breakfast. I decided I would try something new, usually I eat an English muffin with sunflower seed butter and a sliced banana before I run, but I always end up at the corral with my stomach growling before the race even starts. So I thought this time I would try eating the English muffin first, then the banana about an hour before the race starts. I also packed some pretzels in a baggy to eat on the way to the corral!
We grabbed our coffee out of the fridge, I made sure I had packed everything I thought I needed in my bag (I always bring more than I need), and started walking to the bus. It was kind of chilly out and I was glad I had layered some sweatpants and a sweatshirt over my race outfit. I was also really glad it wasn't going to be hot or muggy during the race…definitely a good sign for the day! On our way to the bus we started seeing other people making their way there in costumes and stuff. When we got there there was a small line forming but once the bus that was loading was full, another was already waiting behind it and pulled up right away! Another good sign and kept my anxiety and nervousness at bay a little bit. Now, I hinted earlier that I had had an issue with the bus when I ran the 1/2 back in January (hence the anxiety). Back during that trip we were staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge and what should have been a quick 10-15 min drive over to the start of the race ended up being….wait for it…..AN HOUR!!! Our bus driver, instead of following every single car and bus on the road going to Epcot, somehow took a wrong turn and started driving to Magic Kingdom! When we got there and he started to turn around, the roads were starting to close because obviously the race would be coming that way. So he started trying to find a different way back to Epcot and it was just awful! People on our bus were trying to come up and give him directions from their phones, a guy came up and yelled at him, everyone was getting all worked up, including me! Everyone sitting around me was joking because they were in later corrals, but I was in A so I was freaking out that I wasn't going to make it in time. Needless to say that little experience did not contribute positively to my race that day!
Anyways, NO bus diversions this time and we made it to the start with plenty of time! My mom and I walked to the back of the staging area again and I stretched and hung out and ate my banana. I got through the lines for the rest rooms, decided it was probably time to head to my corral, said goodbye, and checked my bag and started the walk. Of course I had my little bag of pretzels so I just walked calmly and ate!
I got to my corral at the perfect time, they were winding down the pre-race interviews and getting ready for the National Anthem. For this race it was sung by Miss America, which when they announced it i thought " is that really her? do they maybe mean someone else!?", but yes, it was her! And her voice was amazing! Not too long after they started the wheelchairs and it was almost time for corral A! I wasn't too sure how I would do in this race…obviously I always hope to do well but after I didn't do as well as I had hoped and trained for in January, my confidence had kind of faded a little bit. I had also been in immediate care just a week before with what they told me was pharyngitis (my throat hurt so bad that I couldn't speak!). So between January and this race I had kind of just done whatever training I wanted. They started our corral and I decided I was just going to try and have fun and maybe redeem myself! I also was going to make sure I stayed relaxed and not go out too fast like I did in Jan! (first 3 miles were under 7:00…big time oops).
So off we went!! I didn't start my iPod right away because I like hearing the fireworks and everyone cheering right at the start! I also like listening for the fireworks of the corrals behind me because it kind of motivates me that they might catch me! The first few miles kind of flew by, I could see the leaders way out ahead of us but was surprised that they were still in my sights for so long. We passed by a few bands who were extremely energetic for us (prob because we were the first people they got to see go by), went through the first water station, passed by the stilt guys and dj, and saw everything set up on the other side of the road for when we'd be returning. Unlike the January race where I had wished I was already almost done, I just kept going and enjoyed myself!(what a difference your mindset makes!). We headed towards Magic Kingdom and saw more photo ops set up (the hot air balloon, the place where all the "men of disney" would be), but no one was out yet! I guess they assume everyone at the start of the race is going to be serious about it lol.
All of a sudden we were running through the ticket booths and entering the Magic Kingdom parking lot, where the support from the cast members is always amazing! They get up as early as us just to cheer for us, and THEN have to work… so appreciative of that! We passed through another water station (still had not stopped…I try not to because running after attempting to drink it makes my stomach upset), went by the Nightmare before Christmas set-up, ran by Aladdin, Abu and the Magic Carpet, and got to the 5k mark which is right behind the old race track. I had been calculating my pace at each mile marker and I was still feeling pretty good so I just kept going at my current pace. I also try to guess in my head what my time is at each 5k chunk we pass over and then check it on my phone when I'm done (thank you runner tracking!). We looped through the parking lot and the TTC where the number of people cheering was starting to get bigger and bigger. We went down and up that giant hill by the DJ (who was yelling "you are running UNDER WATER!!!"…which we really were), and then onto miles 4-6 which are Magic Kingdom miles!! No one was really around me up to this point in the race, just a few here and there, which I was nervous about because maybe I had gone out too fast again, but running down Main Street with all that room was amazing! Everyone was focused on us and super loud! I always stop my iPod here because I like to just take in the excitement. My mom was waiting for me here (one of the only places she goes to to watch besides the finish) and snapped this pic of me as I ran by.
Back in January this was the point where I started to back off but this time I still felt really good! I was so excited that I picked up the pace through Tomorrowland and on through Fantasyland( where no characters were even out yet!), on through the castle where Anna, Elsa and Kristoff were commentating from up above, and then through to the other side. These are a few of my favorite pictures because when else will there ever be no one around me at this point in the race?! It doesn't happen very often!
Said goodbye to the crowds as I went over the bridge and through Frontierland where someone was FINALLY out (Woody) and he blew me a kiss as I ran by! Went out behind Splash Mountain where they had the parade float photo op ready to go, but I kept on running! Through another water station and then over the 10k timing mats. This is the point in the race that gets kind of boring…if you start early enough it is still dark out and you are running down a back road with no people around and really no lights either! There is a row of motivational quotes to run by so that is a little helpful, but being a little past halfway through the race it's a tough place to get through. We pass by another DJ, along the roads to the outside of the Grand Floridian and the Poly, where there a few groups of people cheering but I think it is a lesser-known place to view the race. Mary Poppins and the penguin were out at their usual place along this stretch, as well as a bunch of guys in tuxes and a girl in a wedding dress (by the wedding pavilion), who I think shouted something at me as I ran by but I was very into my music at this point to decipher what it was!
I was very shocked at this point in the race (about miles 7-9) that I still felt as well as I did. I was still pretty consistent with my pace, felt like I had gas left in the tank, and my body was still holding up pretty well. I glanced over to the other side of the road and it was SO CROWDED!! Lines for those photo ops I had passed by earlier were insane and it looked like every last bit of space available was being taken up by someone…I would have loved to see what that looked like from the monorail. I was really glad to be on my side of the road haha. Soon we passed through the fuel station which meant we had reached the 15k (9.3 miles for those of you keeping track
). I didn't take anything again (I prefer the Powerbar brand of gels and even though I always carry my own with me i rarely actually eat it), and on through the water station that follows it. Around this time I started to get excited, only about a 5k left and I was still feeling pretty good!. I started to try and pick people off before we got to the last few miles of up and down hills. After mile 10 we round the curve (longest curve ever by the way….feels like it is about 2 miles long!) where the Green Army man is at the top. I always stop my iPod here too because I love listening to what he says to everyone…its hilarious. I've seen people stop and do pushups in front of him. After that big hill I started to get really tired, but there was only a few miles to go so I tried to hold onto my pace as best I could! I had been calculating in my head at the past few mile markers on what my time was going to be and if I kept things up I was going to be really close to my goal time!
After the mile 11 marker I finally had to stop for some water because my stomach was starting to feel really upset (later I would kick myself for walking through the water station because if I hadn't I would've run a best time!). I tried to pick it back up to what I had been running before I stopped but my legs were starting to be difficult! I rounded the set of cones just before you run over the Epcot overpass and it felt like that hardest thing i'd ever done! Up and over that over pass (the last hill we would encounter…thank god!) and there was mile 12! I was trying to still hold on just 1 more mile despite the fatigue my legs were currently experiencing. The last mile takes you into Epcot, past starbucks (torture!), out to where the World Showcase walkway begins, and then back towards the front of the park. Even though that might seem like a short little jaunt it seemed like it would never end! All the cast members out cheering at this point in the race are so motivating, I would almost feel like I was letting them down if I stopped to walk haha. Out past Spaceship Earth, past the Gospel choir (love them!!) and finally the finish line was in sight! I tried to get my legs to pick up with whatever energy I had left… I saw the clock and knew I wouldn't quite get that best time but I was pretty darn close (ended up being about :20 seconds off) so I just enjoyed the finish! Heard them announce my name, hit Goofy with a high 5, and ran across!
My official time ended up being 1:36:50, which was good enough for the 43rd overall woman and 11th in my age group! My goal is to get a 1:35 or under so i was realllllllly close! I saw my mom as soon as I finished and waved, I went through and got all my medals, pictures, drinks and snacks, and started slowly walking toward the tent where my bag was checked. Those volunteers in that tent were seriously the best, they had a "lookout", standing just outside the tent who would yell "someones coming!", and when I walked into the tent they all started cheering and clapping! Seriously if I had gone my worst possible time I think they would have made me forget about it…they made me feel so good! I walked out and met up with my mom, I tried to bend over to get stuff out of my bag (like a sweatshirt, put down my iPod so i could take a drink, just normal stuff) but i was already becoming immobile haha. I couldn't pass up the opportunity for short princess wait times so I hobbled over to the picture area and made the rounds! I love these pics of Mulan and I…just looks like 2 old friends chatting it up!
After a picture with all 4 of my weekend medals with the Princess weekend backdrop I was starting to get pretty cold and shaky so we moved as "quickly" as possible over to our bus and luckily there was one there waiting! We didn't even have to wait for it to fill up all the way before we could leave for the hotel. Once we got back we walked through the food court to grab a hot beverage (can you guess what it was….yup, coffee!) I still had all 4 medals on so i was kind of clanking around as I walked haha, its also funny to get the crazy looks of everyone who JUST woke up and I already ran a race and came back! We were going to get breakfast a little later so we didn't grab any food. We slowly walked back to our room which proved to be extremely difficult for me back i was trying to control the medals around my neck, hold my space blanket around me that I got after the race, carry my bag and hold my phone. It must have been quite the sight to see!
We stopped for a picture in front of the giant Ariel and then immediately up to the room! I was so happy about how I had done there was no way I was going to fall asleep for a nap at this point. Unlike in January, this race was a complete 180 for everything - the weather was perfect; not muggy or hot, my stomach and body held on for the whole race, there was no anxiety-stimulating situation to throw off my mental state, and I just had fun! Those are the best kind of races! I was extremely grateful that I was able to redeem myself!
Coming up - Breakfast at the Poly, donuts and champagne, and return to Magic Kingdom
Stay tuned for a weekend of running, eating, a few first timer participants and more!
