ENCORE: The Walt Disney World Half Marathon January 7th, 2006
After the disappointing discovery that the WDW half was closed (just as I got up the gumption to try it!) I focused my attention on the Gasparilla half, which is in February. Then a girlfriend's happy news meant that she had an entry to the half that would go unused :), until she offered it to me!! So our families (her husband, who is also a runner but was sitting out this 1/2 as well, their daughter, along with my children and husband) made plans to spend the weekend in Orlando together.
We got a rough start on Friday, and omen-girl (me) was getting worried. We were supposed to leave at 12:30 but stuff kept popping up and preventing me from getting out of the house. I told my friend (and this is Pollyanna-ish, I know) that we must be being protected from something because so many roadblocks were getting thrown up for us!! We got to Orlando in 1:36 without speeding which is great time (and much better than last year's four hour road trip!)!! We headed to the Expo and made the mistake of complaining about the crowds/line. Ha! When we left, the line to packet pick-up had QUADRUPLED. We had no right to complain earlier...
The half marathon was moved to Saturday and the full was on Sunday. We got up at 4am and I was suprised to not be at all nervous. For large races of any size, there are corrals at the start, usually labeled with alphabetical letters. The elite are in corral A, and in order to be corralled in A you have to submit proof of time from a previous sanctioned race. B-H are based on the per-mile projection you yourself turn in with your registration. My friend likes to start in the back of the pack, so I was corralled in E. There was this guy who decided to strike up a conversation with me (old guy) who was making me want to snooze again and then somewhere in the conversation he said something along the lines of "slow runners like us". Well. I do think I credit him with how well I ended up doing. :)
It took me 13 minutes to cross the start, which is how crowded it was. Unfortunately, it was also narrow, and since I was corralled back with slower-than-me runners, I was doing a lot of two-stepping to get in with people of my pace. I got to the Magic Kingdom in about an hour. I ran down main street, desperately looking for my family, and then suddenly there they were ------- minus CHUCK! I said, "Where's your dad?" and they yelled, "the bathroom!" and I said, "Shut UP!" the woman beside them said, "All I've been hearing about is their mommy and then here you are and he isn't!" I said, "Well then, I'll wait!" and I did. I lost about 5 minutes waiting for him but I had been going so slow at that point I didn't care. When he got back and snapped a few pictures I said, "The course is narrow and I'm too far back. I'm doing a 10-11 mile but I know I'll finish easy." He checked his watch, nodded and said he'd see me at the finish line.
Right outside the MK was the 6.5 mile mark. I remember hearing, "You're half way through!" and thinking, "No way, that was easy!" and deciding to step it up. The route was low on crowd support and entertainment, so I started thinking about putting on my headphones and listening to my iPod. I felt really good, so I called Chuck on my cell and said, "I've made up a lot of time, get ready." He said, "I'm heading for the finish line now!" and I laughed and said, "Good, me too!" Then I put on my headphones and settled in for the ride.
Quickly, it seemed, the mile markers came up 8, 9, 10 -- at ten I thought, I have nothing to lose at this point; I know I'm going to make it well within the 3:30 cut-off, and if I get too fast or two winded I can slow down and walk. So I started picking up more and more speed, going faster and faster, up the overpass and into Epcot, and suddenly there was mile 12! I thought, Well heck, I know I don't have to run for any longer than 10 more minutes, let's make it shorter - and I don't remember much else. Chuck said I just flew over the finish, that he was hollaring my name but he never saw my face look so intense while racing, and that I obviously heard nothing. I usually approach a finish line gasping and memorizing my time; I had no idea what'd I'd run and I ran straight through the finish. The volunteers pamper you at the finish; they were handing out those mylar blankets and bringing water and Propel. I didn't want any of it, I don't know why. I think they only explanation is that "zone" they talk about. The bad part is that once you leave the "zone" all you need your creature comforts back, so by the time I left the finish area, I was cold, starving and thirsty. As I was negotiating out to the family reunion tents, Chuck called and shouted, "Holy &#*!, you were cruising! You came in 15 minutes sooner than the earliest I expected you! I got off the monorail, walked over and whoa - there you were!" He was so proud of me I started to cry. It's one thing to feel so wonderful and know you did the absolute best you could do and still feel great, it's another to have your very best friend be truly happy for you and proud of you.
So I collected Donald and off we went . The momentum of that morning just carried me through the weekend. Chuck is going to run Disney with me next year, which thrills me to pieces. I have another 1/2 in February and I am going to lose 20 pounds and actually train for this one, and see where it takes me.
We got a rough start on Friday, and omen-girl (me) was getting worried. We were supposed to leave at 12:30 but stuff kept popping up and preventing me from getting out of the house. I told my friend (and this is Pollyanna-ish, I know) that we must be being protected from something because so many roadblocks were getting thrown up for us!! We got to Orlando in 1:36 without speeding which is great time (and much better than last year's four hour road trip!)!! We headed to the Expo and made the mistake of complaining about the crowds/line. Ha! When we left, the line to packet pick-up had QUADRUPLED. We had no right to complain earlier...
The half marathon was moved to Saturday and the full was on Sunday. We got up at 4am and I was suprised to not be at all nervous. For large races of any size, there are corrals at the start, usually labeled with alphabetical letters. The elite are in corral A, and in order to be corralled in A you have to submit proof of time from a previous sanctioned race. B-H are based on the per-mile projection you yourself turn in with your registration. My friend likes to start in the back of the pack, so I was corralled in E. There was this guy who decided to strike up a conversation with me (old guy) who was making me want to snooze again and then somewhere in the conversation he said something along the lines of "slow runners like us". Well. I do think I credit him with how well I ended up doing. :)
It took me 13 minutes to cross the start, which is how crowded it was. Unfortunately, it was also narrow, and since I was corralled back with slower-than-me runners, I was doing a lot of two-stepping to get in with people of my pace. I got to the Magic Kingdom in about an hour. I ran down main street, desperately looking for my family, and then suddenly there they were ------- minus CHUCK! I said, "Where's your dad?" and they yelled, "the bathroom!" and I said, "Shut UP!" the woman beside them said, "All I've been hearing about is their mommy and then here you are and he isn't!" I said, "Well then, I'll wait!" and I did. I lost about 5 minutes waiting for him but I had been going so slow at that point I didn't care. When he got back and snapped a few pictures I said, "The course is narrow and I'm too far back. I'm doing a 10-11 mile but I know I'll finish easy." He checked his watch, nodded and said he'd see me at the finish line.
Right outside the MK was the 6.5 mile mark. I remember hearing, "You're half way through!" and thinking, "No way, that was easy!" and deciding to step it up. The route was low on crowd support and entertainment, so I started thinking about putting on my headphones and listening to my iPod. I felt really good, so I called Chuck on my cell and said, "I've made up a lot of time, get ready." He said, "I'm heading for the finish line now!" and I laughed and said, "Good, me too!" Then I put on my headphones and settled in for the ride.
Quickly, it seemed, the mile markers came up 8, 9, 10 -- at ten I thought, I have nothing to lose at this point; I know I'm going to make it well within the 3:30 cut-off, and if I get too fast or two winded I can slow down and walk. So I started picking up more and more speed, going faster and faster, up the overpass and into Epcot, and suddenly there was mile 12! I thought, Well heck, I know I don't have to run for any longer than 10 more minutes, let's make it shorter - and I don't remember much else. Chuck said I just flew over the finish, that he was hollaring my name but he never saw my face look so intense while racing, and that I obviously heard nothing. I usually approach a finish line gasping and memorizing my time; I had no idea what'd I'd run and I ran straight through the finish. The volunteers pamper you at the finish; they were handing out those mylar blankets and bringing water and Propel. I didn't want any of it, I don't know why. I think they only explanation is that "zone" they talk about. The bad part is that once you leave the "zone" all you need your creature comforts back, so by the time I left the finish area, I was cold, starving and thirsty. As I was negotiating out to the family reunion tents, Chuck called and shouted, "Holy &#*!, you were cruising! You came in 15 minutes sooner than the earliest I expected you! I got off the monorail, walked over and whoa - there you were!" He was so proud of me I started to cry. It's one thing to feel so wonderful and know you did the absolute best you could do and still feel great, it's another to have your very best friend be truly happy for you and proud of you.
So I collected Donald and off we went . The momentum of that morning just carried me through the weekend. Chuck is going to run Disney with me next year, which thrills me to pieces. I have another 1/2 in February and I am going to lose 20 pounds and actually train for this one, and see where it takes me.
posted by Sarah Kathryn at 1/22/2006 11:43:00 AM
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