Trip Report COMPLETED- Chickie RUNS Wonderland...and goes MAD!!!

HouCuseChickie · Jan 29, 2020

Swissmiss said:
I definitely think you’re over analyzing a bit about only using “runners” in your cheering - I doubt that anyone - even if only walking - would have felt slighted. I am sure that everyone was really appreciative to have some support, particularly in the tough conditions. I bet you helped more than one person by being there. .

I'm prone to it, so it wouldn't surprise me if I were over analyzing. Honestly, I had so much fun cheering and it definitely looked like it was well received by a number of people in the race, so I guess that's really what matters.

fizzieee said:
Totally agree!!! If it were me, I would just be happy someone cared enough to stand there and be even a little bit supportive.

Exactly! I remember after the half, all kinds of people were posting about the signs cheering on the "random strangers" and how it really spoke to them. So, I guess there is power in being a random stranger cheering on a bunch of random strangers.

Piglet_the_brave said:
As someone who ran the marathon, I am so grateful for people who cheered us on during it. It was absolutely brutal, and I’m guessing a lot of people like me hadn’t trained in anywhere near those conditions. And sometimes when you’re walking that little bit of encouragement spurs you on to try an extra running bit, I know I walked far more than I planned. I don’t know whether I was a bit spacey, or whether it was too early but I don’t remember any cheerers in AK. I remember looking at my watch and it was about 8.45 when I went through so possibly before park opening.

Your girls look so cute in the photos. I think one of the reasons runDisney races are so emotional is because of the attachment we have because of our family memories.

And FOMO. Does this mean a marathon in the future?

Yeah, I know a lot of people who haven't seen anything like these temps in months and I met a few who said even their summers never even came close to this. I also saw a number of people's videos who would normally run the entire thing who made the wise decision to walk more than normal. I was looking at the time stamps on my pictures and I probably just missed you coming through AK. My last pic with Daisy was at 8:39am, and I'm pretty sure that was before I paid for my meal. So, it was probably closer to 8:50 when I started cheering.

Thanks! It feels like that was all a million years ago. It's certainly true too with the family memories. I think it was the 5k where I got a little misty running over the bridge in France because it was our favorite spot for Illuminations. And if you can pardon my husband's cracked windshield and my poor video skills, this was all I could think of when running this section of the half.

There may be. I'm going to hash out some of my concerns in the conclusion, but I'm still on the fence. It also doesn't help that my body is really protesting winter running, so I've been questioning all of my goals and thoughts since I got back. Not that it gets particularly cold here, but I think my body prefers 70-80 over 40-50.

HouCuseChickie · Jan 30, 2020

I waved good-bye to the marathoners and headed to Pandora.

I've only been in Pandora once, so I got a little turned around. I wound up heading the wrong way, but eventually found the line for FOP. I passed the massive standby line along the way, but thankfully, my FP worked and it was a fairly swift moving FP line today. If you read my Dec 2017 TR, we waited over 35 minutes once we got to the point below, so I really didn't know how this was going to go.

I felt bad because a man a few down from me didn't fit the ride mechanism and had to leave. It breaks my heart because I remember worrying if I'd fit on my first time riding it. His significant other stayed behind and rode, so I am guessing they had a plan just in case this happened. Hopefully, he was able to have some fun on other things. I want to like this ride...I really do, but I can't see 3D very well. I found that if I closed one eye, I could see it a bit better and my left eye was better than my right. That also gave me headaches, so I had to stop.

After that, I went on the safari...since my FP window had opened up.

I know I hit FOP at the very tail end of my window and I'm guessing between the time spent in there and the FP line for the safari, I wasn't all that far out of my window for Everest. I don't recall really waiting for EE, but I do remember it for safari, so that must be where the time was eaten up. Hey, at least I was towards the back of EE.

HouCuseChickie · Jan 30, 2020

I was glad to at least get in one roller coaster this trip. I think this is probably the only one that also doesn't hold any sentimental value...since my first time riding it was by myself. I probably would have openly wept if I tried riding Big Thunder without the kids.

I popped into some shops on my way out, but I was kind of just done. I did see Kevin along the way.

And I had to get some closer tree pics (of the Christmas variety)...

On my way out, I'd also see my first people coming in with marathon, Dopey and Goofy medals. I felt kind of like old news wearing my shirt from the half. Ha!

So, here's my next brush with madness. When I walked to the buses, I read the number for AKL and associated it with being down on the end...which was correct. But my bus stop area was on the left side. My brain saw the bus on the right side that had Animal Kingdom displayed on the front, and somehow I decided that meant AKL vs. AK. So, I hopped on the bus (that I literally ran to catch) and assumed all was good... until we pulled up to Caribbean Beach. I thought maybe we were sharing, but after making a remark about it, the older gentleman across from me confirmed my fears. Of course he had to weigh in on where I was staying after asking where I was trying to get and called me "young lady." Reminded me of when I was in trouble with my grandfather.

So, I took the bus back to AK. In the process, I met a couple with marathon medals who were heading to AK as well. They weren't aware of the cut course. They had a friend who was one of the sweepers, so they hadn't heard anything. Sure enough, after scrolling through their alerts, they saw the info on it as well. Oh well, we parted ways and I found the right bus to AKL.

I grabbed a snack from the store and sat there for a while to charge my phone.

Oh yea...I got this for rounding up to the next dollar when I bought a drink in AK.

I was starting to get serious FOMO again. All kinds of people who ran the marathon were now coming up and taking medal pics at this backdrop they set up in the lobby.

In the middle of this, a woman in costume with her marathon medal was also brought in via wheelchair (not a wheelchair racer), so there was that aspect of it as well. I think I saw her story in one of my FB groups. She legitimately crossed and would not let them sweep her for medical, so a lot of credit to her for pushing. I just hope she didn't hurt herself.

The lobby is so pretty and I needed to get more of a charge on my phone, but it was so pretty outside (to me)...

One last time to soak in the savannas.

I also spoke to this wonderful CM from Namibia while I was out there. I asked her about the animals off of my balcony. I showed her pictures and we discussed behavior, but she wanted to rule out a possibility. I wish for the life of me I could remember what she said they were, but she got an iPad out of a locker and we went through some animal ID pics. She said those striped deer looking animals were so shy that they can only be held in that little area right off of my balcony at AKL. She said that's why they probably approached the area beneath my balcony when I'd been outside for a while and was quiet. I also asked her about the Somali donkeys we saw the last time we stayed at AKL, but she said they no longer had them. Sad...they were a lot of fun to watch.

When I came back in, I also noticed some drumming. I guess this makes up for no drumming at Sanaa.

I was getting pretty close to Tragical Express time, so I grabbed my bags and headed outside to wait. Oh yea...I wound up turning my bell services tag into my temporary luggage tag since the Cheshire Cat failed. I chatted for a bit with a family from Dallas, but then it was time to board the bus.

It wasn't long before I was waving good-bye to Disney.

I wasn't all that sad, but I did see a rainbow along the way to add some cheer.

When we got to the airport, I started chatting with a Dopey runner who was taking a 6 hour flight home after running. We talked about the recovery and how she was worried about cramping up. I suggested if she could get to it, either a foam roller or massage gun and move it into her carry on. Either way, she was super sweet and I hope the flight home wasn't bad.

This was my first time flying Spirit, so I was a little nervous. It's also my first time using ME for an airline where I couldn't check my bags at my resort, so I got a little lost trying to find them. I knew my checked back couldn't exceed 40lbs, which is 10lbs lighter than the norm. I weighed in at 40 on the dot. The rep at the counter didn't share my happiness. My carry on also fit into the sizing bin, so that was good too. I moved on to security...it looked ugly, but I didn't realize how ugly until airport staff treated me like the scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie almost unknowingly cuts the line for Santa. Yeah, the aiprort guy was far from pleasant. So, the line started back here...

They had times listed for the line...I want to say it was a 45-60 minute estimate to get through. UGH! I would at least wind up with a woman and her daughter (from UT, I think) who ran the half. They were super nice and we had a discussion about heat, because Utah does get hot. I was telling her how we were in Moab over the summer and an NPS employee joked about how being from Houston, we were probably pretty comfortable with their temps. She remarked about how they never see this kind of humidity with their heat and how the half was pretty brutal for them. Oh well...it was nice to chat.

The Spirit part of the terminal wasn't awful, but it definitely looked old and there was nothing modern like areas to charge your phone. Oh well, it was how I was getting home. The seats on the plane weren't awful, but I really felt like we were packed in like sardines and a pain that had been growing in my left quad since my final run was starting to get worse. Oh well, nothing I can do. We eventually landed in Houston...a little early actually...so I decided to go to the restroom right after getting off of the plane.

DRAMA ALERT!

Some of you already know this from my post in the Chit Chat, but this is where things go VERY wrong...and as far as I can tell, I did nothing wrong aside from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The bathroom right across from my gate had a line that was about 4-5 women long, so I did what any normal person does and I got behind the last person in line. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has waited in a bathroom line, so I hate to spell this out, but as stalls opened up...people in front of me went in and the line moved forward. And when I was at the front, I went to the next available stall to open up. I loaded in my bags and then backed into the stall to shut the door behind me. That's when this girl gets in my face and starts going off on me about "didn't you see me standing there?!?!?" So, I explain that she wasn't in the line. She tells me she doesn't need to wait in a line and she was standing there. I repeated that she wasn't in the line and was just up at the mirror. I shut the door...she calls me a privileged white *B* and in my exhaustion and shock that this was all happening, I say back to her to learn the effing rules. I mean, it's not rocket science that there's a line for the toilets, so you get into that line to wait if you need to use one. And even after I said that, I was already thinking...should I have said anything or something different? But I was in the moment.

When I finished up, I looked for her, but didn't see her...so I went to wash my hands. After picking up my bags and I starting to head towards the door, this piece of trash came out of nowhere and slammed into my chest/shoulder with her shoulder. That's when I said "that's it, I'm going to security." I probably should have called the police or something like that, but I was tired and it was the first thing that came to mind. I didn't see anyone after leaving the bathroom so I marched up to the employees at the gate I just came from and told them I needed security and had been assaulted in the bathroom. That's when this insane girl came up, pushed me out of the way and tried telling them that I cursed her out and then "Shoulder blocked her" for no reason. Of course, it's the bathroom, so there are no cameras and nobody in there intervened or offered to follow me to help back up my story. I stopped trying to plead my side pretty quickly because I could tell that this girl was coming off like the dirt-bag that she was. The agent to my left started calling in codes and the other right in front of me gave me a very serious look and told me her supervisor was coming to get me to talk to me.

While I don't really think this was her manager or supervisor, he came and got me and started walking me to baggage. He had a lot of questions, which I answered, and he was periodically radioing things back to someone. They were trying to find out if she was staying in Houston or if this was her connection. I still don't know what was going on and who they were talking to or where they were holding crazy girl, but she wasn't with me. They were pretty confident she was just connecting in Houston, but they stayed with me until I was driving away in the ground transportation bus, just in case there was someone on the ground that could be following me. The bus driver also was super helpful...I guess since I was openly upset. I was too flustered to even find my parking card, but I had a pretty good idea of where I parked. He got a nice tip that evening.

I have played this out in my head so many times...what I could have or should have said and done, but you just never know how you're going to respond in the moment. I will say this...it doesn't shock me that she pulled some kind of crazy with someone. She wasn't sitting near me at MCO, but I think everyone could hear her. She was talking on the phone...LOUDLY...the entire time. She was cursing out everyone she was speaking to and talking about blocking them on various parts of social media. It was hard not to listen in, but all I could really tell is that she was losing it over people not bowing down to her and telling her she was right. Gee...sounds like her same entitled attitude with the bathroom. I'd put her in her early to mid 20s and clearly hasn't learned that the world doesn't revolve around her. At the end of the day, I made it home safely, kissed my babies goodnight (they were already in bed) and relaxed.

HouCuseChickie · Jan 30, 2020

CLOSING THOUGHTS...and FUTURE STUFF

I really don't know where to begin. Normally, my wrap up would be all about where we stayed and what we ate, but it was so different this time. But here goes...

Resort- AKL was lovely and I felt they handled race stuff very well. In fact, it was awesome to have no other stops with our buses and no major lines. I'm still bothered with some of the Mousekeeping details, but that could probably happen anywhere. And while I should have been getting in bed earlier and trying to shut out the stress and anxiety, it was a comfy and quiet room for a good night's sleep.
Food- It's very possible the dining element of this got to my stomach and was part of my self sabotage. I have no real complaints about where we dined and what we had, but it's got me thinking to next time and what I need to do differently.
Parks- Magical as always, but hard to enjoy when you're exhausted and probably unwise to enjoy to the degree I did before finishing up running. I know some people who can do full park days and still run Dopey, but I'm not them...and clearly, I need more down time.

So, what about the future? Well, not counting going skiing in NM and possibly some mini run weekends to work on POT, I have three potential trips that are brewing that involve WDW and one of them is run related.

1. July 2020- We have a week-long softball tournament in Panama City Beach, FL. Normally, we'd try and do a separate summer vacation, but with the kids going to new schools next year and summer break ending a bit early to allow for fall and winter breaks, I just don't want vacation butting up against the start of the school year. Plus, this should allow for some mini-racecations to work on proof of time and other training goals. All that being said, my husband wanted to do something more than a beachy softball trip, so we're heading down to WDW for a few days after the end of the tournament and my parents will be driving up to meet us. It's still about a 5.5-6 hour drive, but it's closer than going to south FL to see my parents at their home.

I've already booked Boardwalk under the summer room deal and have a couple of ADRs in place. We're keeping it a surprise for the kids. Yes, I LOVE a surprise, but this is more to keep the other kids on the team from getting jealous. I know some of them are staying at the beach longer and some may be tacking on some other vacation things, but for some, this is their summer vacation. So, the last thing I want is my older one bragging about how we're going to WDW after this and making anyone sad...since I know there are a couple of kids on the team who have never been and would love to go. Initially, I wanted Beach Club, but Boardwalk's prices were significantly better and this will be my room view for the week leading up to WDW, so I'll have plenty of beach time. Which is kind of funny...because I hate the beach and sand (I like going in the water), and part of why Stormalong isn't a huge draw for me. I guess at least we're pretty heat adapted and WDW in July or August isn't all that bad to us...especially after sitting outside for a week of softball games.

2. January 2021- As the date would suggest, I want to go back for Marathon week next year. I'm still really up in the air about what I want to do, but maybe those of you who have done these events or really, anything running or runDisney might have some thoughts. I'm going to try and break it down...really just so I start really examining things.
⦁ I want a new challenge and I want it to involve a full marathon. Initially, I had these ideas of doing a local marathon, then try and get into a world major with a more generous time allowance, and then hit a goal of 'Dopey by 50.' Then I saw how many people ran WDW2020 and said they were one and done. Out of all of those marathon ideas, Disney was the most important...since this is really about fun for me. So, at the risk of being one and done, I've decided Disney needs to be my first...since it may be my last. It gets a bit more complicated though, since I won't "just" be doing the marathon. I swear, Disney is one of the only places where you hear words like "only" and "just" when you're looking at running a marathon.
i. Idea 1- 5k and Marathon- My parents want to run the 5k. After giving my mom some of my old running shoes (that have a lot of life left in them), she's found that running is much more comfortable. This prompted my dad to go get fitted and he's now running again too. My mom is frugal and thought I was probably just being very extra when I talked about this getting fitted business and I should be fine in any old bargain shoes, but after they both started wearing good running shoes, it's made a huge difference. So, I want to do the 5k with my parents and maybe they'd stick around for me to run the marathon.
ii. Idea 2- 5K and Goofy- This would still allow for me to run the 5k with my parents, but possibly give me more of a challenge as well as the potential for being able to run with some friends. The friend who came with me on this trip is considering doing what I just did and we have another coworker who is planning on Dopey. So, that would be potential friends in two races. I think the girl doing Dopey would probably be into making this a fun thing since she's done past challenges on other run weekends, but I'm not sure about my friend. Obviously, she got nervous with the 5k and just went straight through and went back to the resort ahead of me. So, in the end, it's still probably going to feel like a solo journey if I don't find other people who run in well mannered groups. Still, like my training, running is often this solo thing...especially in the training, so like this journey...the lure of running with friends or a group won't be my deciding factor.
***Speaking of said friend- she left this weekend enjoying the Disney part, but hating the running. After several days home reflecting on her 5k bling, she started to think she might want more. So, she's been getting back out there and unlike the 5k training, I think she's doing more outside vs. all treadmill. Even better. Still, she was hating the running. I guess she wound up talking to some other friends who were at marathon weekend that ran the full and found out that they also use Galloway's run/walk/run method. Now I told her about this from the start, but she considered anything that wasn't 100% running to be cheating...a result of her high school athletics coaches. It was like my asthma was the only reason it was OK for me. So, I didn't discuss a lot of my training with her and just figured we were both doing our own thing. Well, now that she's learning that run/walk/run is highly acceptable and is running...she's trying it. She's shaved several minutes off of her pace in just the last week and is finding she feels better after and can go farther. She's also looking at getting fitted for shoes. I know I recommended this early in her training, and I suspect it may be some of the source of her post run pains, but at least she's going to get it done. I don't know if she's actually going to buy from the run shop, since she has a gift card to a sporting goods store, but hopefully she'll like something that's carried at both. I tried to explain how you could try on 30 neutral shoes and they could all feel different as well as how version 15 and version 16 of the same shoe could be extremely different. So, we'll see how this goes.
iii. Idea 3- Dopey- If I'm already running the 5k and full, why not just do them all? It sounds great typed out like this, but it's a huge amount of training and a major challenge. I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I just keep analyzing the "why" to make sure it's for a solid reason. It's definitely not the "only" and "just" statements. In some cases, there's just no better way to say it when you've got four races going on in one weekend. It's also not for the people who responded to what I did with things like "but my friend ran the full marathon." These statements are coming from people who have never done any kind of distance races or training and it's their friend who ran it...not them. And I'm sure their friends had to dig deep at times to pull it all together and would appreciate that I'm really thinking about this. It's not for the bling...I mean, the three extra medals are nice, but I've been looking at WDW medals for a number of years now and every year, the half is my favorite. In fact, I have seen several Dopey runners from this year say that while they are incredibly proud of that marathon medal and the other bling that came with it, from an appearance standpoint, the half was their favorite medal.
So, I think it really is deciding how much of a challenge do I want, and I'm not there yet. I obviously didn't do well with resting, sleep, and waking up each day...but I'm far enough away from it now that I can see the fun to it as well...like each morning, I was part of something bigger. At this point, I just don't know, but I will likely start a dual PTR when registration opens and will reveal my choice at that point. I will tell you this, I already have three solo costume ideas and my friend said that it's a sign to do Dopey...since my fourth costume idea should be something for me and my parents...and possibly my friends, if they come along. If anything, weather is becoming my bigger concern. I know from everyone I've seen and heard that the 2020 marathon was brutal for the vast majority of the participants. I didn't run it, so I have no idea how I would have done with the weather. I just know I don't get real winter where I live and as I get older, what winter we do get seems to be harder on me than the heat. That's not to say I don't sweat and feel gross from it, but I feel like I had far fewer issues and pains with my summer runs. On the day of the marathon, while I wasn't running and would have been wearing far less if I were, I was walking around AK in long sleeves and pants...and I had several people wondering how I wasn't hot. I was quite comfortable, so I guess I really need to figure out this whole hot/cold thing.

I also need to think about food, lodging and parks. I'd be staying on my own this time, which means no friend to help split some costs. I also won't be hitting the parks as much, which is a big savings. Then I need to decide if I want a deluxe villa studio, so I can do some food prep in the room (hey, you can do a lot with a microwave) and make better use of their gym for recovery or a value and make very careful food choices on the quick service plan (a number of runners have told me this is the way they always go). Or do I even bump up to a moderate so I get a hot tub? These decisions are a ways out, but it's all on my mind.

3. February 2021- I was really hoping to go summer of 2021 or possibly winter break of 2022 for 50th anniversary stuff, but my husband put this out there. I know he misses Disney, but at the same time, he gets all critical about how it tends to all feel the same after we get there. I really try and change things up, but he still gets that way. Then again, he gets more like this after the longer trips. It's the short visits that tend to make him want more. So, with us only having two park days for this July 2020 trip, he may truly want to go back in 2021. I see this being a split between Disney and Universal, but we'll see. I will say this...if we do this, I will probably cut certain things on a marathon week trip. Just like this year with marathon and our ski trip, we're talking about trips that would only be a little over 2 weeks apart. Still, maybe this would feel different. I believe 14 is the base age for kids being able to enter and exit a park without an adult (I think 7 is to tour within a park without an adult) and GPS makes it easier for the kids to be tracked.

Well, I've probably rambled on more than needed. Be on the lookout for a PTR at some point in April and if I take enough pictures (I'm bringing the big cameras...there will be pictures), be on the lookout for a New Mexico ski TR in the Chit Chat in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for following along and all of the support along the way! I will do my best to follow along with everyone's TRs as well.

Thanks again!

HouCuseChickie · Jan 30, 2020

Piglet_the_brave said:
I don’t remember any cheerers in AK. I remember looking at my watch and it was about 8.45 when I went through so possibly before park opening.

My dad just texted me something that triggered a memory of this that I forgot. While I was standing and cheering, the macaws that they release at AK park opening flew overhead. I think they made two passes while I was standing there. I know I'd been standing there for a bit when this happened, but with the timing of my breakfast, not horribly long either. So, I must have just missed you.

Swissmiss · Jan 30, 2020

Yikes! That airport story! Glad it ended well.

Thanks for bringing us on your journey. I really identified with a lot you had to say during it, so I’m glad I had the opportunity to follow along.

Spash007 · Jan 30, 2020

HouCuseChickie said:
I was glad to at least get in one roller coaster this trip. I think this is probably the only one that also doesn't hold any sentimental value...since my first time riding it was by myself. I probably would have openly wept if I tried riding Big Thunder without the kids.

I popped into some shops on my way out, but I was kind of just done. I did see Kevin along the way.

And I had to get some closer tree pics (of the Christmas variety)...

On my way out, I'd also see my first people coming in with marathon, Dopey and Goofy medals. I felt kind of like old news wearing my shirt from the half. Ha!

So, here's my next brush with madness. When I walked to the buses, I read the number for AKL and associated it with being down on the end...which was correct. But my bus stop area was on the left side. My brain saw the bus on the right side that had Animal Kingdom displayed on the front, and somehow I decided that meant AKL vs. AK. So, I hopped on the bus (that I literally ran to catch) and assumed all was good... until we pulled up to Caribbean Beach. I thought maybe we were sharing, but after making a remark about it, the older gentleman across from me confirmed my fears. Of course he had to weigh in on where I was staying after asking where I was trying to get and called me "young lady." Reminded me of when I was in trouble with my grandfather.

So, I took the bus back to AK. In the process, I met a couple with marathon medals who were heading to AK as well. They weren't aware of the cut course. They had a friend who was one of the sweepers, so they hadn't heard anything. Sure enough, after scrolling through their alerts, they saw the info on it as well. Oh well, we parted ways and I found the right bus to AKL.

I grabbed a snack from the store and sat there for a while to charge my phone.

Oh yea...I got this for rounding up to the next dollar when I bought a drink in AK.

I was starting to get serious FOMO again. All kinds of people who ran the marathon were now coming up and taking medal pics at this backdrop they set up in the lobby.

In the middle of this, a woman in costume with her marathon medal was also brought in via wheelchair (not a wheelchair racer), so there was that aspect of it as well. I think I saw her story in one of my FB groups. She legitimately crossed and would not let them sweep her for medical, so a lot of credit to her for pushing. I just hope she didn't hurt herself.

The lobby is so pretty and I needed to get more of a charge on my phone, but it was so pretty outside (to me)...

One last time to soak in the savannas.

I also spoke to this wonderful CM from Namibia while I was out there. I asked her about the animals off of my balcony. I showed her pictures and we discussed behavior, but she wanted to rule out a possibility. I wish for the life of me I could remember what she said they were, but she got an iPad out of a locker and we went through some animal ID pics. She said those striped deer looking animals were so shy that they can only be held in that little area right off of my balcony at AKL. She said that's why they probably approached the area beneath my balcony when I'd been outside for a while and was quiet. I also asked her about the Somali donkeys we saw the last time we stayed at AKL, but she said they no longer had them. Sad...they were a lot of fun to watch.

When I came back in, I also noticed some drumming. I guess this makes up for no drumming at Sanaa.

I was getting pretty close to Tragical Express time, so I grabbed my bags and headed outside to wait. Oh yea...I wound up turning my bell services tag into my temporary luggage tag since the Cheshire Cat failed. I chatted for a bit with a family from Dallas, but then it was time to board the bus.

It wasn't long before I was waving good-bye to Disney.

I wasn't all that sad, but I did see a rainbow along the way to add some cheer.

When we got to the airport, I started chatting with a Dopey runner who was taking a 6 hour flight home after running. We talked about the recovery and how she was worried about cramping up. I suggested if she could get to it, either a foam roller or massage gun and move it into her carry on. Either way, she was super sweet and I hope the flight home wasn't bad.

This was my first time flying Spirit, so I was a little nervous. It's also my first time using ME for an airline where I couldn't check my bags at my resort, so I got a little lost trying to find them. I knew my checked back couldn't exceed 40lbs, which is 10lbs lighter than the norm. I weighed in at 40 on the dot. The rep at the counter didn't share my happiness. My carry on also fit into the sizing bin, so that was good too. I moved on to security...it looked ugly, but I didn't realize how ugly until airport staff treated me like the scene in A Christmas Story where Ralphie almost unknowingly cuts the line for Santa. Yeah, the aiprort guy was far from pleasant. So, the line started back here...

They had times listed for the line...I want to say it was a 45-60 minute estimate to get through. UGH! I would at least wind up with a woman and her daughter (from UT, I think) who ran the half. They were super nice and we had a discussion about heat, because Utah does get hot. I was telling her how we were in Moab over the summer and an NPS employee joked about how being from Houston, we were probably pretty comfortable with their temps. She remarked about how they never see this kind of humidity with their heat and how the half was pretty brutal for them. Oh well...it was nice to chat.

The Spirit part of the terminal wasn't awful, but it definitely looked old and there was nothing modern like areas to charge your phone. Oh well, it was how I was getting home. The seats on the plane weren't awful, but I really felt like we were packed in like sardines and a pain that had been growing in my left quad since my final run was starting to get worse. Oh well, nothing I can do. We eventually landed in Houston...a little early actually...so I decided to go to the restroom right after getting off of the plane.

DRAMA ALERT!

Some of you already know this from my post in the Chit Chat, but this is where things go VERY wrong...and as far as I can tell, I did nothing wrong aside from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The bathroom right across from my gate had a line that was about 4-5 women long, so I did what any normal person does and I got behind the last person in line. I'm sure I'm not the only person who has waited in a bathroom line, so I hate to spell this out, but as stalls opened up...people in front of me went in and the line moved forward. And when I was at the front, I went to the next available stall to open up. I loaded in my bags and then backed into the stall to shut the door behind me. That's when this girl gets in my face and starts going off on me about "didn't you see me standing there?!?!?" So, I explain that she wasn't in the line. She tells me she doesn't need to wait in a line and she was standing there. I repeated that she wasn't in the line and was just up at the mirror. I shut the door...she calls me a privileged white *B* and in my exhaustion and shock that this was all happening, I say back to her to learn the effing rules. I mean, it's not rocket science that there's a line for the toilets, so you get into that line to wait if you need to use one. And even after I said that, I was already thinking...should I have said anything or something different? But I was in the moment.

When I finished up, I looked for her, but didn't see her...so I went to wash my hands. After picking up my bags and I starting to head towards the door, this piece of trash came out of nowhere and slammed into my chest/shoulder with her shoulder. That's when I said "that's it, I'm going to security." I probably should have called the police or something like that, but I was tired and it was the first thing that came to mind. I didn't see anyone after leaving the bathroom so I marched up to the employees at the gate I just came from and told them I needed security and had been assaulted in the bathroom. That's when this insane girl came up, pushed me out of the way and tried telling them that I cursed her out and then "Shoulder blocked her" for no reason. Of course, it's the bathroom, so there are no cameras and nobody in there intervened or offered to follow me to help back up my story. I stopped trying to plead my side pretty quickly because I could tell that this girl was coming off like the dirt-bag that she was. The agent to my left started calling in codes and the other right in front of me gave me a very serious look and told me her supervisor was coming to get me to talk to me.

While I don't really think this was her manager or supervisor, he came and got me and started walking me to baggage. He had a lot of questions, which I answered, and he was periodically radioing things back to someone. They were trying to find out if she was staying in Houston or if this was her connection. I still don't know what was going on and who they were talking to or where they were holding crazy girl, but she wasn't with me. They were pretty confident she was just connecting in Houston, but they stayed with me until I was driving away in the ground transportation bus, just in case there was someone on the ground that could be following me. The bus driver also was super helpful...I guess since I was openly upset. I was too flustered to even find my parking card, but I had a pretty good idea of where I parked. He got a nice tip that evening.

I have played this out in my head so many times...what I could have or should have said and done, but you just never know how you're going to respond in the moment. I will say this...it doesn't shock me that she pulled some kind of crazy with someone. She wasn't sitting near me at MCO, but I think everyone could hear her. She was talking on the phone...LOUDLY...the entire time. She was cursing out everyone she was speaking to and talking about blocking them on various parts of social media. It was hard not to listen in, but all I could really tell is that she was losing it over people not bowing down to her and telling her she was right. Gee...sounds like her same entitled attitude with the bathroom. I'd put her in her early to mid 20s and clearly hasn't learned that the world doesn't revolve around her. At the end of the day, I made it home safely, kissed my babies goodnight (they were already in bed) and relaxed.

In the words of Judy Hopps - Sweet cheese and crackers. That is insane and it sounds like you handled that the best you could've. Some people will just go crazy no matter what you do, so if you would've said anything else, who knows what she would've done.

I really enjoyed your TR! I'm (very slowly) picking up running, and one of the longer term goals I have for myself is to do a runDisney event. So I enjoy the stories and pictures to help push me to keep on my goal! I've also noticed though something that gets in my way is that I do get tightness in my chest after running not very long - I never even considered asthma before, so that's something I'll have to bring up at my next doctor's appointment!

Piglet_the_brave · Jan 30, 2020

HouCuseChickie said:
My dad just texted me something that triggered a memory of this that I forgot. While I was standing and cheering, the macaws that they release at AK park opening flew overhead. I think they made two passes while I was standing there. I know I'd been standing there for a bit when this happened, but with the timing of my breakfast, not horribly long either. So, I must have just missed you.

Sad that I missed you, it really must have been by minutes. I know I was looking out at the sides in case my family had managed to get there, but I really don’t remember any spectators other than CMs.

Can I vote for Dopey

. This time last year I had just started training for my first half, the furthest I had run was 10k at that point. And I haven’t been put off, I’ve got another marathon in May and I’ve jumped straight back into training. Possibly one more in October as well. Although I know it’s a very personal decision because it is a big commitment.

I’ve enjoyed following your journey. Are you going to post your training updates over on chitchat as well?

Piglet_the_brave · Jan 30, 2020

Ok, I know Texas is a big place and my knowledge of it is minimal, but are you anywhere near a town/city called Spring? The reason I ask is because a new Parkrun has just started there. Parkrun is a free, timed 5k every Saturday morning, it’s huge in the UK and taking off in many other countries. I have 5 within about 20 miles of me. It’s very sociable and open to all abilities. Even if this one isn’t near, you might want to keep an eye out for others starting.

HouCuseChickie · Jan 30, 2020

Swissmiss said:
Yikes! That airport story! Glad it ended well.

Thanks for bringing us on your journey. I really identified with a lot you had to say during it, so I’m glad I had the opportunity to follow along.

I still can't believe it all happened, but yes...thankful it all ended well.

Thank you for coming along with me and for all of the pointers and helpful information in the training process. It helped so much!!!

HouCuseChickie · Jan 30, 2020

Spash007 said:
In the words of Judy Hopps - Sweet cheese and crackers. That is insane and it sounds like you handled that the best you could've. Some people will just go crazy no matter what you do, so if you would've said anything else, who knows what she would've done.

I really enjoyed your TR! I'm (very slowly) picking up running, and one of the longer term goals I have for myself is to do a runDisney event. So I enjoy the stories and pictures to help push me to keep on my goal! I've also noticed though something that gets in my way is that I do get tightness in my chest after running not very long - I never even considered asthma before, so that's something I'll have to bring up at my next doctor's appointment!

That's such a great Judy Hopps saying. It almost makes me wonder how she would have responded if I said something like that to her. :hilarious:

Thanks! Easing in is good. I think it makes goals more manageable and makes you less susceptible to injury. I think a number of people are plagued by at least a touch of asthma and don't realize it. I've just never had a doctor treating me for it who has said I can run. I'm still kind of scared to push myself. Good luck with your training and goals! There are a lot of really good run groups both on the forums as well as social media. I'm in several on Facebook that have been great. It's just good to have some means of communication with like-minded people with similar goals or helpful experiences. I'm certainly no expert, but feel free to reach out if you have any questions or could use some encouragement. I know...sounds sappy, but it's a long journey, and some runs are better than others.

HouCuseChickie · Jan 30, 2020

Piglet_the_brave said:
Sad that I missed you, it really must have been by minutes. I know I was looking out at the sides in case my family had managed to get there, but I really don’t remember any spectators other than CMs.

Can I vote for Dopey . This time last year I had just started training for my first half, the furthest I had run was 10k at that point. And I haven’t been put off, I’ve got another marathon in May and I’ve jumped straight back into training. Possibly one more in October as well. Although I know it’s a very personal decision because it is a big commitment.

I’ve enjoyed following your journey. Are you going to post your training updates over on chitchat as well?

Piglet_the_brave said:
Ok, I know Texas is a big place and my knowledge of it is minimal, but are you anywhere near a town/city called Spring? The reason I ask is because a new Parkrun has just started there. Parkrun is a free, timed 5k every Saturday morning, it’s huge in the UK and taking off in many other countries. I have 5 within about 20 miles of me. It’s very sociable and open to all abilities. Even if this one isn’t near, you might want to keep an eye out for others starting.

It had to have been close. After the park opened, there was a section up ahead of me that had a lot of people cheering, but the spot I was in was never intended as a cheering zone, so most of the time, it was just me...that security officer...and a volunteer helping people cross.

I am leaning towards Dopey. Half of my brain keeps saying that I've already run three of the four, so why not just add the full? The other half says, but the full is longer than all three of those races combined. Still, if I wanted a challenge, this certainly would be it. I had all of these plans to start working on speed and half marathons before it got super hot here, but I think I'm going to have to push things back a little due to my arthritic knee pain and our ski trip. I may lose some fitness in this, but I still have some halfs I'm looking at in March and April as potential POT attempts. Then again, if I really am better in the heat, I do have some summer options. We'll see, but either way, I will have a pre-trip report going up in this section around the time Marathon week registration goes live, so I should cover all of the training in that.

Texas is big, but I'm only about 25 minutes away from Spring. I think I found the one for the Woodlands (also not too far-about 35 min), but I can't find Spring's. Either way, this might be a really good way to meet people, especially on weekends when I've got lower mileage rest weeks. It's sad because Spring and the Woodlands all have a number of run clubs that would probably be great on the weekends, but I still have nothing local for the weekdays. I even asked my local "Mom's Run" group and nobody had any suggestions. Thanks for this info. I'll definitely need to look into it, and if you have the link for the Spring one, I'd really appreciate if you could send it over. Spring is a little bit easier to get in and out of compared to the Woodlands.

course | The Woodlands Waterway parkrun

www.parkrun.us

ELeigh · Jan 30, 2020

Thanks for sharing. I have zero interest in ever running but I am all about having a goal and accomplishing it. Congrats!

MickeyCB · Jan 30, 2020

I am not a runner, but enjoyed following along in your planning/strategy and adapting that was necessary to accomplish your goals, thanks for sharing!

Swissmiss · Jan 31, 2020

@Spash007 - If you want a “virtual” support group, wander over to the Running subforum here. Several of us are active in the ”what did you do today” thread. I happened to stumble into it when I started running and I have gotten lots of great pointers and support from the other posters in the thread.

Piglet_the_brave · Jan 31, 2020

HouCuseChickie said:
It had to have been close. After the park opened, there was a section up ahead of me that had a lot of people cheering, but the spot I was in was never intended as a cheering zone, so most of the time, it was just me...that security officer...and a volunteer helping people cross.

I am leaning towards Dopey. Half of my brain keeps saying that I've already run three of the four, so why not just add the full? The other half says, but the full is longer than all three of those races combined. Still, if I wanted a challenge, this certainly would be it. I had all of these plans to start working on speed and half marathons before it got super hot here, but I think I'm going to have to push things back a little due to my arthritic knee pain and our ski trip. I may lose some fitness in this, but I still have some halfs I'm looking at in March and April as potential POT attempts. Then again, if I really am better in the heat, I do have some summer options. We'll see, but either way, I will have a pre-trip report going up in this section around the time Marathon week registration goes live, so I should cover all of the training in that.

Texas is big, but I'm only about 25 minutes away from Spring. I think I found the one for the Woodlands (also not too far-about 35 min), but I can't find Spring's. Either way, this might be a really good way to meet people, especially on weekends when I've got lower mileage rest weeks. It's sad because Spring and the Woodlands all have a number of run clubs that would probably be great on the weekends, but I still have nothing local for the weekdays. I even asked my local "Mom's Run" group and nobody had any suggestions. Thanks for this info. I'll definitely need to look into it, and if you have the link for the Spring one, I'd really appreciate if you could send it over. Spring is a little bit easier to get in and out of compared to the Woodlands.

course | The Woodlands Waterway parkrun

www.parkrun.us

That’s the one I meant. I follow uk Parkrun on Twitter, it said Spring and I clicked on the link and it took me to that one, I assumed that Woodlands was the name of a park in Spring because that’s how they’re often named over here. It just started last weekend. It’s worth going to, maybe even to take your girls to, as it’s so friendly and inclusive. If I’ve got a longer run due, I often use it as the first few miles.

HouCuseChickie · Jan 31, 2020

ELeigh said:
Thanks for sharing. I have zero interest in ever running but I am all about having a goal and accomplishing it. Congrats!

Hey, there are those "why am I doing this?" moments where you start questioning running when nobody is chasing you or you're not trying to get the last one of whatever is on sale. Thanks for following along!

MickeyCB said:
I am not a runner, but enjoyed following along in your planning/strategy and adapting that was necessary to accomplish your goals, thanks for sharing!

Thanks for following along! Adaptation is definitely a good word for it! Thanks again

HouCuseChickie · Jan 31, 2020

Piglet_the_brave said:
That’s the one I meant. I follow uk Parkrun on Twitter, it said Spring and I clicked on the link and it took me to that one, I assumed that Woodlands was the name of a park in Spring because that’s how they’re often named over here. It just started last weekend. It’s worth going to, maybe even to take your girls to, as it’s so friendly and inclusive. If I’ve got a longer run due, I often use it as the first few miles.

Woodlands and Spring are very close to each other in the grand scheme of things...pretty much right on top of each other. I could see how they might refer to it as such. It's always different if you live in an area, since you break it down more because you're used to the little nuances and transitions from one area to the next. I definitely plan on checking it out. I was telling my husband about it last night and he liked it as a way to introduce both him and the kids to shorter distance races. The area where they do this is really pretty and was actually a spot I had considered driving to just for a change of scenery on personal runs.

HouCuseChickie · Jan 31, 2020

***MADNESS NOTE- I totally forgot about one of my daily madness issues. For this entire trip, I wore my Garmin watch on my left wrist and my Magic Band on my right. I'm used to having my band on my left, but it just felt like too much on one wrist. I can't tell you how many times I tried to get into the parks, pay, use FPs, open the room door, etc. with my darn watch. I was at HS one day and I must have tried 5x to get in to the park with my darn watch. The CMs kept trying to nicely correct me, but it obviously took a little bit for me to get it.

riverside · Jan 31, 2020

That security line---I have never seen anything like that!! And that woman-- :devilish:

Congratulations on all those runs!! That is really something to be proud of!!

Thanks for sharing your trip!!