hockeygirl
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2005
ok...sorry this is sooooo...long but here it is RACE DAY!!!!
Sunday, January 13th – THE BIG DAY!!!
I woke up before my alarm went off since I was tossing and turning all night. I got out of bed at about 2:30am and started to get ready. I started to get really nervous at this point. It was so hard to believe that the race was finally here!! I had been waiting over a year for this and the day had finally come!! I got dressed made sure I had everything and headed down to the POP food court to buy a bagel. I got my bagel and then got on the bus a little after 3am to head over to EPCOT. When I got there, it was a ghost town, there was hardly any people around. So much for having to get on a bus at 3….something I learned for next time!! I had brought two garbage bags with me just in case it started to rain or the ground was wet. So, I sat there resting and taking it easy for awhile while I ate my bagel. My mind was all over the place, I was so excited to finally get to do the marathon, but I was so scared that my knees were going to bother me, or I wasn’t going to be able to finish. Around 4am, I saw some of the WISH team and went over to say hi to them. I met Ken, and a few others, it was nice to put some more faces with names, and it helped get my mind off the race. Around 4:30, they opened up the gates and we started to head down to the starting line…YIKES!!!!! This is when I started to get REALLY NERVOUS!!!! Since we were standing right by the gates, we were the first ones down at the corrals. I was in corral D, which was the first corral on the red course. Before heading into the corral, I went to the bathroom one last time before the race. I then went into the corral and since I was so early, I was able to get a spot right in the front!! I sat there with WISHer Ken, it was so nice talking to him before the race and he helped keep my mind off the race a bit! We were right next to the stage and we were close enough to see the people who were there as the emcee’s. As the race got closer, the elite runners and wheelchair athletes started to arrive and it was fun watching them warm-up and get ready for the race. After the national anthem, off went the wheelchair athletes, and I knew I only had about 5 minutes before my journey was to begin!!
At this point, I about broke down in tears thinking about the last year! I just kept telling myself over and over that I could do this and nothing was going to keep me from finishing!!! Out came Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald, and they counted down from 15 to 0….the fireworks went off, and off I went!!!!
My plan before the race was that I was going to jog for 3 minutes then walk for 2 minutes for at least the first half…well I abandoned that plan right away…I am not sure why, but I just did. I felt great, my body felt great, and I mentally felt awesome!!! Off we went on the red course, at the first water stop in the parking lot of EPCOT, we saw the first WISH team group volunteering…this was great!! The encouragement throughout the race from the WISH team was amazing, and something I could not have made it without!!! We entered EPCOT, and I decided to stop for a bathroom break right by Spaceship Earth since there was no line. After that I knew I was in for the long haul. Everything was going great until about mile 3.4 when the two courses merged…it was just WAYYYYYY….. too crowded. People were weaving in and out of people, my feet got stepped on several times, and I nearly fell on my face a few times almost getting knocked over. I was so happy when we got back out onto EPCOT center Dr near the start again, as it thinned out a bit and it was easier to run. I saw Gregg around mile 4 near the water stop, and I knew he would be heading to the TTC to see me next.
We continued on and started the trek towards the MK. The overpass and cloverleaf ramp down onto World Dr. were killer….first of all the overpasses are hills and the exit ramps are all banked which was not easy to run on! As I entered the MK parking lot, I called Gregg on my cell phone to let him know that I would be coming soon, so he knew to look for me. When I got the TTC around mile 9, Gregg was there, and I stopped by him to use the towel I had him bring to dry off a little bit. He took a few pictures of me and I was back out on my way! He was worried about me at that point, but I still felt great…no pain whatsoever!!!! After I left, Gregg headed over to the Polynesian while I headed towards the MK.
As we entered the MK, I started to get all choked up….I was fighting back tears! I didn’t want to start crying because I knew I would start hyperventilating if I did so I was fighting it. As I turned the corner and headed up Main St. I was so excited!!! What a sight…..the street is lined with spectators cheering for everyone, it was the coolest thing ever. At this point, WISHer Denny went by me and we passed each other back and forth for about 6 or 7 miles. We headed around Tommorowland, and into Fantasyland, where I stopped for my first couple of character pictures.
We left MK and headed past the Grand Floridian and Polynesian, where I saw Gregg again. I knew I wouldn’t see him again until the finish so I stopped one more time. He was awesome! His encouragment was great and he never doubted that I could do this!! I left him and headed off on what proved to be the hardest part of the race for me. I had jogged the whole way till I got to about mile 14, I had only walked through the water stops. This stretch of the course between the MK and AK is not really scenic at all. At about mile 14, I decided to walk a bit, I just needed a break from jogging. The balls of my feet were starting to hurt, but everything else still felt pretty good. Around mile 15 or 16 (I think), I heard my name from behind and there came Scott and Amy! I was so happy to see them, as I needed a little boost. I kept up with them as we headed toward AK, but after awhile, I had to slow down a little bit, and off they went. It was fun to run with them for a little bit.
AK seems like a blur to me, I don’t remember much from that section, as it seemed to go by so quickly. I saw a WISHer in AK near Dinosaur who was walking as his knee was bothering him. I hope he made it to the end, I am pretty sure he was in quite a bit of pain. We headed out to the parking lot of AK and around near the front gate, and it was so awesome to see all the spectators. There was a WISH scream team who provided some much needed encouragement, as I knew I would be heading out onto another tough section of the course. Before leaving the AK parking lot, I stopped to get a picture with Mickey!!
The stretch between AK and MGM was tough, as there is nothing!! I was trudging along alternating between jogging and walking, with no particular pattern at all. I was talking to the people around me a little bit to keep my mind off of things. Along this section, I somehow caught back up with Amy and Scott, but they got going again and that was the last I saw them until the finish. I stopped for another picture and the next thing I knew I was to the out and back section!!
Along that out and back section, I saw Anne and another WISHer who were handing out wet wash cloths, this was awesome! I was wishing I hadn’t thrown away that sponge they had given us in the AK, so the wash cloth felt great!! I kept it with me until just before the end so I could cool off at ever water stop.
Once I got into MGM, it started to hit me that I was really almost there!!!! I started to get really excited, and I tried to run a little more each mile. I stopped one last time to go to the bathroom in MGM and then knew I was on my way to the finish. MGM went by really quick too, but there was a lot of people cheering in there so that was pretty cool. We exited the front of MGM and started heading to YC/BC. I felt like I started to pick up my pace at this point, although my split times don’t really show that, so I am not sure what happened there, I guess it was just the adrenaline carrying me! I called Gregg one more time and told him that I was at Mile 24 and I would be to the finish soon, he was so excited and told me how proud he was of me, which of course made me start crying, just what I needed at mile 24!! I saw another WISH scream team around mile 24.5, I think it was Angie and Krista, and some others. Again, they were cheering everyone on, it was AWESOME!!!
As I entered EPCOT again, I knew I only had a little over a mile to go. I actually got to see the medal a little before that, and I said to myself…’that medal is awesome’…there was no turning back now, I HAD to get to the end!! I got my last cup of water and headed out into the World Showcase. I jogged most of the way around the world showcase. I called Gregg when I got by the American Adventure and told him I would be there very soon. When I got to China, there was no more walking, I jogged the rest of the way. When I turned the corner to head towards Spaceship Earth, I picked up the pace a little bit. We passed Spaceship Earth and beared right and there was the chior that everyone talked about. Unfortunately, I kind of had them tuned out because I was so excited about getting to the finish. I don’t even remember hearing if they were singing. I came out of the exit and turned the corner and there was the finish!!!!!! It seemed so far away, and I tried with every ounce of energy to speed up but I just couldn’t. I jogged over the finish line and just broke down in tears. Official chip time was 5:28:30. I couldn’t believe I finished and I was so happy that I broke 5:30. At this point, all I wanted was the medal…we headed up further and got the silver blanket, then they cut of the chip and we finally got our medals!!!!! They are awesome!!!
I continued on and there was Scott and Amy near the Goofy finishers area. They had finished a few minutes before me. We talked for a few minutes, then I headed off to find Gregg! I found him and I started crying yet again, as I was so proud of myself and I knew he was so proud of me! We took a few pictures, went to the med tent to get some ice for my knees then we headed back to the hotel.
NEXT UP: Post race and Animal Kingdom
Sunday, January 13th – THE BIG DAY!!!
I woke up before my alarm went off since I was tossing and turning all night. I got out of bed at about 2:30am and started to get ready. I started to get really nervous at this point. It was so hard to believe that the race was finally here!! I had been waiting over a year for this and the day had finally come!! I got dressed made sure I had everything and headed down to the POP food court to buy a bagel. I got my bagel and then got on the bus a little after 3am to head over to EPCOT. When I got there, it was a ghost town, there was hardly any people around. So much for having to get on a bus at 3….something I learned for next time!! I had brought two garbage bags with me just in case it started to rain or the ground was wet. So, I sat there resting and taking it easy for awhile while I ate my bagel. My mind was all over the place, I was so excited to finally get to do the marathon, but I was so scared that my knees were going to bother me, or I wasn’t going to be able to finish. Around 4am, I saw some of the WISH team and went over to say hi to them. I met Ken, and a few others, it was nice to put some more faces with names, and it helped get my mind off the race. Around 4:30, they opened up the gates and we started to head down to the starting line…YIKES!!!!! This is when I started to get REALLY NERVOUS!!!! Since we were standing right by the gates, we were the first ones down at the corrals. I was in corral D, which was the first corral on the red course. Before heading into the corral, I went to the bathroom one last time before the race. I then went into the corral and since I was so early, I was able to get a spot right in the front!! I sat there with WISHer Ken, it was so nice talking to him before the race and he helped keep my mind off the race a bit! We were right next to the stage and we were close enough to see the people who were there as the emcee’s. As the race got closer, the elite runners and wheelchair athletes started to arrive and it was fun watching them warm-up and get ready for the race. After the national anthem, off went the wheelchair athletes, and I knew I only had about 5 minutes before my journey was to begin!!
At this point, I about broke down in tears thinking about the last year! I just kept telling myself over and over that I could do this and nothing was going to keep me from finishing!!! Out came Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald, and they counted down from 15 to 0….the fireworks went off, and off I went!!!!
My plan before the race was that I was going to jog for 3 minutes then walk for 2 minutes for at least the first half…well I abandoned that plan right away…I am not sure why, but I just did. I felt great, my body felt great, and I mentally felt awesome!!! Off we went on the red course, at the first water stop in the parking lot of EPCOT, we saw the first WISH team group volunteering…this was great!! The encouragement throughout the race from the WISH team was amazing, and something I could not have made it without!!! We entered EPCOT, and I decided to stop for a bathroom break right by Spaceship Earth since there was no line. After that I knew I was in for the long haul. Everything was going great until about mile 3.4 when the two courses merged…it was just WAYYYYYY….. too crowded. People were weaving in and out of people, my feet got stepped on several times, and I nearly fell on my face a few times almost getting knocked over. I was so happy when we got back out onto EPCOT center Dr near the start again, as it thinned out a bit and it was easier to run. I saw Gregg around mile 4 near the water stop, and I knew he would be heading to the TTC to see me next.
We continued on and started the trek towards the MK. The overpass and cloverleaf ramp down onto World Dr. were killer….first of all the overpasses are hills and the exit ramps are all banked which was not easy to run on! As I entered the MK parking lot, I called Gregg on my cell phone to let him know that I would be coming soon, so he knew to look for me. When I got the TTC around mile 9, Gregg was there, and I stopped by him to use the towel I had him bring to dry off a little bit. He took a few pictures of me and I was back out on my way! He was worried about me at that point, but I still felt great…no pain whatsoever!!!! After I left, Gregg headed over to the Polynesian while I headed towards the MK.
As we entered the MK, I started to get all choked up….I was fighting back tears! I didn’t want to start crying because I knew I would start hyperventilating if I did so I was fighting it. As I turned the corner and headed up Main St. I was so excited!!! What a sight…..the street is lined with spectators cheering for everyone, it was the coolest thing ever. At this point, WISHer Denny went by me and we passed each other back and forth for about 6 or 7 miles. We headed around Tommorowland, and into Fantasyland, where I stopped for my first couple of character pictures.
We left MK and headed past the Grand Floridian and Polynesian, where I saw Gregg again. I knew I wouldn’t see him again until the finish so I stopped one more time. He was awesome! His encouragment was great and he never doubted that I could do this!! I left him and headed off on what proved to be the hardest part of the race for me. I had jogged the whole way till I got to about mile 14, I had only walked through the water stops. This stretch of the course between the MK and AK is not really scenic at all. At about mile 14, I decided to walk a bit, I just needed a break from jogging. The balls of my feet were starting to hurt, but everything else still felt pretty good. Around mile 15 or 16 (I think), I heard my name from behind and there came Scott and Amy! I was so happy to see them, as I needed a little boost. I kept up with them as we headed toward AK, but after awhile, I had to slow down a little bit, and off they went. It was fun to run with them for a little bit.
AK seems like a blur to me, I don’t remember much from that section, as it seemed to go by so quickly. I saw a WISHer in AK near Dinosaur who was walking as his knee was bothering him. I hope he made it to the end, I am pretty sure he was in quite a bit of pain. We headed out to the parking lot of AK and around near the front gate, and it was so awesome to see all the spectators. There was a WISH scream team who provided some much needed encouragement, as I knew I would be heading out onto another tough section of the course. Before leaving the AK parking lot, I stopped to get a picture with Mickey!!
The stretch between AK and MGM was tough, as there is nothing!! I was trudging along alternating between jogging and walking, with no particular pattern at all. I was talking to the people around me a little bit to keep my mind off of things. Along this section, I somehow caught back up with Amy and Scott, but they got going again and that was the last I saw them until the finish. I stopped for another picture and the next thing I knew I was to the out and back section!!
Along that out and back section, I saw Anne and another WISHer who were handing out wet wash cloths, this was awesome! I was wishing I hadn’t thrown away that sponge they had given us in the AK, so the wash cloth felt great!! I kept it with me until just before the end so I could cool off at ever water stop.
Once I got into MGM, it started to hit me that I was really almost there!!!! I started to get really excited, and I tried to run a little more each mile. I stopped one last time to go to the bathroom in MGM and then knew I was on my way to the finish. MGM went by really quick too, but there was a lot of people cheering in there so that was pretty cool. We exited the front of MGM and started heading to YC/BC. I felt like I started to pick up my pace at this point, although my split times don’t really show that, so I am not sure what happened there, I guess it was just the adrenaline carrying me! I called Gregg one more time and told him that I was at Mile 24 and I would be to the finish soon, he was so excited and told me how proud he was of me, which of course made me start crying, just what I needed at mile 24!! I saw another WISH scream team around mile 24.5, I think it was Angie and Krista, and some others. Again, they were cheering everyone on, it was AWESOME!!!
As I entered EPCOT again, I knew I only had a little over a mile to go. I actually got to see the medal a little before that, and I said to myself…’that medal is awesome’…there was no turning back now, I HAD to get to the end!! I got my last cup of water and headed out into the World Showcase. I jogged most of the way around the world showcase. I called Gregg when I got by the American Adventure and told him I would be there very soon. When I got to China, there was no more walking, I jogged the rest of the way. When I turned the corner to head towards Spaceship Earth, I picked up the pace a little bit. We passed Spaceship Earth and beared right and there was the chior that everyone talked about. Unfortunately, I kind of had them tuned out because I was so excited about getting to the finish. I don’t even remember hearing if they were singing. I came out of the exit and turned the corner and there was the finish!!!!!! It seemed so far away, and I tried with every ounce of energy to speed up but I just couldn’t. I jogged over the finish line and just broke down in tears. Official chip time was 5:28:30. I couldn’t believe I finished and I was so happy that I broke 5:30. At this point, all I wanted was the medal…we headed up further and got the silver blanket, then they cut of the chip and we finally got our medals!!!!! They are awesome!!!
I continued on and there was Scott and Amy near the Goofy finishers area. They had finished a few minutes before me. We talked for a few minutes, then I headed off to find Gregg! I found him and I started crying yet again, as I was so proud of myself and I knew he was so proud of me! We took a few pictures, went to the med tent to get some ice for my knees then we headed back to the hotel.
NEXT UP: Post race and Animal Kingdom
HI LAURIE!!! Such a pleasure to meet you guys! And wow...it was awesome to see you so much on the marathon course. You did an incredible job, I'm so proud of you. You're a fighter girl!!! So goofy next year???? 
your way for things to work out. If not '09, then '10 it is!
Get married Marathon Weekend at WDW and run the Goofy on your honeymoon!
The only bad part of the parade was listening the same song over and over and over while riding around the AK. When I got off that float, I didn't want to hear that song ever again! 
