Walt Disney World Marathon - RunMarathon

So, we crossed the startline and started at a manageable but fluid pace. We did a lot of people dodging for the first mile. It was pretty dark, but we could see lot of people on the side of the road. The course during that first section, loops back past itself and we saw some of the lead runners around mile four when we had just started. A rather cool feeling because we saw the 6 time winner fly by on his way toward his win. We ran back around towards the park, passed the first mile and crossed through the car parking pay area which was really cool and approached the first water station. Turns out our housemates were just outside that water station and went nuts when they saw us. They were all real troopers wrapped up in blankets and winter jackets trying to stay warm. We then headed up the main path to EPCOT and the front gate. Spaceship Earth was glowing beautifully and we got to run underneath it as they blasted Olympic music through the park. We ran past the Christmas Tree in the main area just before the countries and passed mile two at that point. Continued on past Mexico and a country or two more and then left through a backstage exit to head out of the park. Just outside that side exit there was a Disney cast member yelling at us to run around her because she had a huge patch of black ice behind her. Thought about making a brief bathroom stop just after this point, but Joan, Sarah, Sue, and I decided it wasn't necessary and the line was crazy so we kept running and came around back past the start to mile 4 and up our first overpass to head to the main highway. We hit another water stop around there, took in more fluids and kept going. The light was just starting to break and we could tell it was starting to become a great day. It was just before this overpass that we started our 3:2 and began our walking breaks. We passed mile 5 before the overpass and were talking to some of the people around us and met a couple of fun people. Crossed over the overpass over the big main highway and got a couple of really cool picture of the people down below about a half a mile ahead of us. We also heard a marching band at that point and got excited to hear more of them. Ran down the circular onramp, passed mile 6, and kept going. By the way, the mile signs were sponsered by Sharpie and I took pictures of most of them, which will be really cool to scrapbook. Took a walking break around this point and everyone but me had some kind of nutrition. I at this point realized I had lost one of my GU bottles and that the other one was frozen :( Made some quick decisions and decided to start pushing more poweraid and less water to make up for the calories. At this point we came up on our first marching band and they had their cheerleaders who were very eager to give high fives. The band was good and put a bounce in my step. I was starting to get a bit warm at this point. I had shead the mylar at the start and the garbage bag around mile 2 but decided at this point to just push my sleeves up and wait to take the sweatshirt off. A little bit farther down the road we came on a giant hot air balloon shaped like Spaceship Earth at EPCOT... very cool looking. It was fun watching the monorail fly by and soon we got to mile 7. I did a little happy dance to realize that I only had just over 19 to go! We then ran past the car parking gates of the Magic Kingdom which meant we were approaching the transit center and the next place we would see our cheer squad. We made our first potty stop here and Sue gave me one of her GUs since mine was frozen, then we all headed back off. It was around this point that we realized the water getting thrown from water cups was freezing to the pavement and making it very icy... Crazy for FL!! Approached mile 8 and this is where Joan started to have some cramping problems. This was also a very cool spot on the course because we got close to where the course path got near each other and we could see the people who were well on their way to Animal Kingdom and long done with Magic Kingdom, the place we were now heading. Walked a little extra through the next water station so that she could get plenty of powerade and then ran through the transit area, spotted our friends and stopped for just a few seconds to say hi to them. Continued on past a DJ playing Black Eyed Peas and up a side path towards the Contemporary Resort. Got a good view of the new building and had to pass under the channel connecting one lake to the next and back up the other side. My stupid GU bottle refused to stay in the holder so at that point I started to hold it myself with that in one hand and my camera in the other. On the flat land on the other side, we spotted Magic Kingdom and our second park on this journey. Went in a back entrance, through some back area and right into the park on main street where the Christmas Tree sat right in front of us and with a single right turn, Cindy's Castle straight up ahead. There were some people lining the whole street and when we got close to the castle we stopped for some pictures before continuing on to Tomorrowland. I had major goosebumps running through this park. Buzz Lightyear was waiting in Tomorrowland, but his line was too long and some characters from Alice in Wonderland were over by the spinning teacups. We then ran behind the scenes to Cinderella's castle and got heralded by two trumpeters above us on the castle. We ran through the castle and down the front path. Sue took my picture in front of the castle and I grabbed another picture before we continued on to Frontier land and mile 11. It was there we headed out a back entrance and came across a pirates' ship with a bunch of pirates. Cpt Jack Sparrow looked just like Johnny Depp!! It was awesome so I took a couple of pictures and we continued on our way. After we got out of the park area and started heading back down the lake, we came across a bunch of signs with really cool sayings from Sharpie and it was amusing reads for the next mile or so. There was also a really cool Disney singer guy singing Sweet Caroline, which caused everyone to start singing. We shortly came up to the golf course and saw Mickey and Donald playing golf and taking pictures with people. Then our cheer squad showed up just after there and we yelled and cheered for them. Not too much after that we hit mile 13 and approached the half way point. They had ASI cameras over the top so we put on a little show for our pictures. This was the point that Joan started getting really bad cramps again and we slowed down to get some pain stuff, some more nutrition and some more water. We also briefly stopped to stretch at this point which was good. This part of the course is slow because the only thing going on is a bunch of trees and thinking about Animal Kingdom coming up down the road. They did have a piano guy and a zoo guy with a crock on the side of the road entertaining us. Joan started having really bad problems and pretty much told us she was going to have to walk it in from this point so we reluctantly left her, but didn't get far before we got to another aid station with bananas and other goodies which was much needed. Slowed down to eat the banana and continued on our way. We came across some reindeer, Prancer and Dasher to be exact (got some cool pictures of them) and just kept on going. We were still doing 3:2 and that was going well. Joan was somewhere behind us. Came across mile 14 and they had the greatest side entertainment going on. There was a guy dressed like hillbilly holding a big map and he was telling us that the first guy went the wrong way and that we need to turn around and all go the other way. His wife was dressed the same with a suitcase and she was yelling at us to never ever get married! They were great! Just after that we turned a corner, came across an awesome DJ and two hot air ballooons in the middle of a field. Watched them for a while and then hit another aid station. Just shortly after that we came across the Disney greenhouses with all kinds of buildings and lots of trees and it smelled really bad. It was around here that we made a potty stop and I had my worst experience ever with potties!! It was gross!! Joan passed us at this point, but things were still not good with her. She was run walking but it wasn't much running. Hit the aid station and they handed me a mocha GU... not good... didn't take it. Headed in the back gates to Animal Kingdom and came across one of their parade cars with Rafeki from the Lion King and some goats... like real goats and then some of the Jungle Book characters farther up. Actually entered the park at this time and the paths are cobblestone and up and down and left and right. It was really starting to hurt and my legs were not handling Sarah and Sue's pace as well as before. Passed Everest and would see people using park bathrooms which is pretty smart when you think about it. Cast members were blocking people from crossing our paths which was very nice. We passed mile 17 and a huge dinosaur which scared me good :( Then we exited the park, passed some more characters and continued down the road towards the final turn around. I knew that this next stretch was going to be hard because we had a long boring section ahead of us. We passed mile 18 just outside the park and came across a special statue thing in the middle of the road. Turns out that this year is an important year. 2500 years ago, Phidippides ran from Marathon to Athens to make his big announcement, and this believe it or not is the big celebration of this happening 2500 years ago. These statues and characters were in honor of him... totally cool! Right around this point was mile 19 and we started to climb an overpass. On the otherside was a McDonalds and it really made me want some McD's. Also at the top, there were some of the performers playing around on a trampoline which was a lot of fun. Down the overpass and this point I knew my legs were done if I tried to keep up this pace. I told Sue and Sarah to go ahead, that I would be fine but that I needed to slow down. We hit another aid station at this point and I grabbed two strawberry GU's and a banana and some more powerade. I then stopped at the med tent and got some biofreeze for my knee that was starting to ache from my IT band. The gel was what I needed along with the banana and I walked up the overpass and started my 1:1 stopping to take pictures at mile 20! I looked at my watch at this point to realize I had 2:30 hours to run 6 miles. There was a great band here along with the walls I had written on earlier that week at the expo. This just brightened my mood so much because I realized that I was really truly going to make it at this point. I could easily walk 6 miles in 2:30. There was a DJ at the turn around down the road blasting music and that just bounced my step so much. I got to the turn around... fought tears because I realized it was all heading back to the finish at this point. That was the furthest point on the course. When heading back, I was watching the others, some looking really bad and others pretty good and passed Joan going the other way. We high fived and kept moving. I thought she looked really good... turns out later I found out that was not the case. Pased mile 21 and started up another onramp. I started talking to a nice lady around here and continued walking for a bit until I hit the other onramp down the highway. This was mile 22 and we headed up past the Swan hotel and in a back entrance of Hollywood Studios. I was back doing the 1:1 and feeling okay. My knee was really bugging me but if I watched how I ran, it didn't matter so much. I came across a new bride and groom at this point and congratulated them as we passed behind Tower of Terror. We then passed a sign for Hollywood Studios welcoming us in the back entrance into the backstage ride. They had raisins at this point and they were so good! My mood really picked up at this point and I decided to live it up good, not that I wasn't already. We passed a cool looking plane and ran through the tunnel showing some of the workers working on costumes and then we came on mile 23. I ran past but realized that Mike W from Monsters Inc didn't have a huge line for pictures and I had yet to get a charcter picture so I turned around and got my picture taken with him. It is hard to believe looking at me that I was at mile 23 but the sign behind us proves otherwise. At this point as I was running/walking past, my smile kept on getting bigger and people would call my name from my bib and it would make me smile more and then they would call my name in return and it kept going on like this. We ran down the backstage area with the New York skyline and past a few other rides and resturants towards the back of the big hat in the middle of the park. I took a picture down the street and then turned around to take one of the big magicians hat. We finally headed out a back entrance and ran into Chip and Dale and they only had one person in line so I got in line and it is by far my favorite picture from the whole day... They were wonderful. It was wonderful! Left the park, past the big Christmas tree and along some paths by a river towards the hotels in the area. We ran past a boardwalk and past mile 24. People were still calling my name and I was still all smiles. We started to loop around the lake and I looked up towards the opposite side to spot the Eiffle Tower. It took a second glance, but when I did I started to cry. I knew at this point that EPCOT was just around the corner (since I had pretty much lost all prespective towards distance at this point) and I was just so overwhelmed by the feelings deep inside to know I was almost there. We finally crossed over the river and headed in a back entrance into the countries in EPCOT and I started crying yet again, especially when the volunteers announced this was the last aid station until the finish :) I started into the countries, just absorbing the feelings, passed mile 25 and took as many pictures as I wanted. I just kept going, watching the countries, which I knew in order go by. I finally passed Mexico and headed back towards the center of the park to the Christmas tree and turned towards Spaceship Earth. The crowds were nuts and I was just taking it all in until I got really close to the base of Earth and stopped to take a picture. One spectator yelled at me to keep going, but I yelled back that this was my first marathon and I wanted to take all the pictures I could. She laughed and cheered me on. We turned a corner and exited through another backstage exit and came across mile 26 and a wonderful choir standing there singing. The tears started to flood at this point... tears and smiles... my heart felt whole again. I turned two more corners and found crowds cheering like 4 or 5 people deep. I stopped to take a picture of the finish just after I started running my friends were off to the left and started screaming for me. I was still crying but smiling so big. I slowed down so I could cross the line by myself and slapped Donald's hand before raising my hands up to the sky and celebrating. I had finished my first marathon and it was WONDERFUL!!

Try not to loose my GU bottle so early on in the race... granted I had a second and there was plenty the rest of the race. Do more training, but geez, I think I did pretty well anyways for my first one.
There is not much I would do differently. For my first marathon, I had a wonderful time and I think I did great!

When I crossed that line, the tears were still there but I was all smiles. It was an amazing feeling. I walked past medical and turned the corner to get my finisher's Mickey medal and my mylar blanket. The tears had stopped at this point and I was just so excited to be a finisher!! I continued my walk, grabbed a bottle of poweraid and waited in line to get my official picture taken, which was easier said then done since the sheet behind me fell downand I had to switch lines while they fixed it, but the picture turned out amazing! Then I grabbed a Diet Coke which just about made me want to cry again with joy and walked through the food tent getting a few things before heading over to where we were all meeting. As I was standing there waiting for my friends, the DJ in the reunion area played the Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling". If you have read my Ironman report or know me, you know that song was my theme for Ironman 2009 WI and since DNFing at that race, I haven't been able to listen to that song. And here it was playing when I had just gotten finished. I cried a bit thinking about how ironic it was and realized that this was a sign that old wounds were healed and it was time to start kicking it up toward IM 2011. I only had to wait a few minutes before Judy and Alicia came over with hugs, my warm clothing and questions as to where Joan was. I told them I knew she was behind me, but I wasn't sure where. They took my picture and then Alicia and I filmed my week in 3 words clip for Good Morning America on the weekend (It wasn't on this weekend 1/16; maybe next!) and then I checked my phone to find a wonderful message from my family and I called them back and cried with them. Joan finally crossed the line and Sue and Sarah came back from the med tent and we all talked for a few minutes before walking a very slow long walk to our cars to head back and celebrate our victory! Everyone in our group successful, even though painfully, finished our races. Two half marathoners, one of which was a first timer, three full marathoner, two of which were first timers, one which was me, and one Goofy finisher! What an amazing group!


More training would have helped. However, this was my first marathon and my sole goal for the race was to finish and finish well. After the disappointment of Ironman in September, I needed this race to get me back on feet, which is exactly what it did.


This is an amazing race. The trip was filled with problems and trials, but when it came down to the race, it was amazing. I needed this race so badly after Ironman and it did exactly what it was suppose to do. Disney puts on such a good race, nothing like I have ever experienced. Next time I will stay onsite. I am really hoping Jan of 2012 will be my next trip to do this race. For that race, I will be doing the Goofy and probably adding in the 5K, which they informally call the Dopey. I CAN'T wait to do it again!!! I LOVE THIS RACE... the Disney magic is amazing and made my heart whole again!