The Tastiest 13.1 Miles

Well friends, It came and passed.  I ran.  I ate.  I drank.  It was the tastiest 13.1 miles I have ever run!  Because many of you have followed me on this adventure to a heart healthier lifestyle via the journey of learning to love running, here are the dirty details of this past weekend's Racecation.  First off, let's define Racecation.  Basically, it's that period of time that you are away from home and work and it's "conveniently" planned around a huge race, but you still just call it your vacation so all of your non-running friends don't think you're completely insane.   
After arriving to Orlando, we dropped off our things at Port Orleans Riverside Resort and caught event transportation to the runDisney Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.  I had never been there, so I was really excited to adventure to a new area of Disney World.  Needless to say, it was huuuuge!

Jeff Galloway, creator of the 'Run-Walk' training method.

We spent over four hours at the Expo getting running tips from the experts, including Jeff Galloway!  So many nutrition and health representatives.  There were free samples and free running tips from some of the biggest names in running.  Some of the highlights included having Jeff Galloway sign my "Marathons for Women" book, purchasing my very first New Balance 860 runDisney Minnie Mouse shoes, and purchasing my sparkle skirt, as you will see in many of my pictures from Mickey's Jingle Jungle 5K. 

After the Expo, we went over to the Polynesian Resort and had a carb-loaded dinner at O'hana.  Seriously, I felt ill afterwards, but I knew that come 11:30pm the next day, my body would thank me.  Mickey's Jingle Jungle 5K required us to catch event transportation by 0500 on Saturday morning for a start time of 0700.  It was a long, cold morning, but when we finally go to mile 2, we found this guy!  What a great race through Disney's Animal Kingdom with all of the critters along the way, including Chip 'n Dale, King Louie, Baloo, Rafiki, and Pluto.  Not to mention, we ran around the Tree of Life at dawn.  I think seeing this and Mt. Everest with the morning sunshine was great.  I'm not so sure the real live animals appreciated thousands of sweaty beasts running through their kingdom, but oh well, I suppose.

After the race, we had a lunch with Donald and his friends at the Tusker House Restaurant and then made our way back to Port Orleans Riverside to "rest" before the big run later that night.  I showered and had about four hours of sleep before I needed to get up for another round of carb-loading and getting gussied up for what was sure to be the tastiest half-marathon around.  I caught the event transportation bus by 745pm for a 1000pm race start.  When I got to the ESPN Wide World of Sports (Starting Line) there were over 12,000 other runners there.  I was a little overwhelmed, but played some Mutual Kumquat to reduce my anxiety.  Highlights of this leg of the journey?  Seeing 12,000 people learn the moves to 'What Does the Fox Say' and meeting this lady!  We're adorable!

The race itself was great!  Each corral had their own set of fireworks and bubbles from the Champagne bottles at the start line.  I chose not to stop for characters, but to save my time for emergency bathroom breaks (thank goodness, because I waited to pee for three minutes at mile four!) and for the Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights (also thank goodness, because I waited there for about six minutes soaking it all in!)  I did, however, pass King Louie, Baloo, The Penguins from 'Toy Story', Dancing Hippos from 'Fantasia', and a few others before we made it to Disney's Animal Kingdom (mi. 3).  We ran the same course in Disney's Animal Kingdom as we had earlier that morning, but this time we exited through Dinoland and were on our way to Disney's Hollywood Studios.  We passed Captain Jack Sparrow and his ship outside Disney's Animal Kingdom first.  I was going strong through the 10K point when we saw the Dancing Hippos again.  Every mile or so there was a water/powerade stop.  Out of necessity, I slowed my pace down to get one of each, but powered through each stop, never stopping completely.  We ran into Disney's Hollywood Studios underneath the towering shadow of the 'Tower of Terror', after getting our Mocha and Raspberry Cliff gels.  I know they say, "don't try anything new on race day", but this gel is what got me to the finish line.  We came around the turn and there it was!  Hollywood Studio's Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights.  It brought back a lot of really great memories, but also many painful memories.  The painful memories fueled my last 5K of the run, along with the Mocha Cliff gel.  But I couldn't help myself, I had to stay around and watch one round of the sparkling lights before running through the Costuming Tunnel on the Backlot Tour to 60's music with a disco ball!

The last three miles took me through Disney's Boardwalk Resorts and entering through EPCOT's Future World.  I don't remember the last two miles well, but I do remember one woman yelling at me not to give up and push through the pain.  Literally we were 'screaming' at each other to push through our weakness.  It was fantastic!  While we may have missed Jeff Galloway cheering for us with his beer in his hand and the stunning laser show welcoming us into EPCOT's finish line, we overcame the last mile or so of pure weakness and fatigue, and finished strong with a complete stranger.  I'll never know her name, but I'll remember the feeling of finishing our first half-marathon together.  I may have missed my time goal, by a stinkin' two minutes (which could have been made up if the line to pee had not been so darn long at mile four!), but I successfully fulfilled my other three goals.  What were they?  Small, simple, precise and to the point.  They were: 1. Finish in the upright position (It was a piece of cake!).  2. Run the entire race.  and 3.  Don't crap my pants, literally.  See!  Goals need only be small and to the point.  And realistic, mind you!

 

The next two days, we spent celebrating!  We visited every park and celebrated Food & Wine, Veteran's Day, and even Christmastime.  Here's a sneak peak of my journey with Dad through Disney, after a half-marathon.  We saw Japanese Drummers, drank expensive wine, enjoyed a hot air balloon ride, and even saw a few fun characters.  We enjoyed a choral concert by the Liberty Singers and also a concert by Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series

EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival.  Eating and drinking our way around the world.

A visit with Ralph and Vanelope.  Ralph tried to steal my medal, but Vanelope intervened!

Celebratory Dinner on top of the Contemporary Resort at the California Grill.  Plenty of Sushi, Wine, and Dessert.  Fantastic venue to celebrate 11 months of very little of all three.

I spent a lot of time at the Japanese Pavilion on this trip.  A diamond in the rough, for sure. 

Crossed off #6 on my 30 before 30 list with a hot air balloon ride over Walt Disney World Resort Property.

Disney's Magic Kingdom Holiday Wishes at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

When you decide to do something, whether it is to lose weight or to run a marathon, or to find courage to be honest, or some other difficult task in your life, chase after it with all you have.  Set your sight on it, and don't let discouraging moments or days consume your gaze.  When it comes down to it, it is a mental game.  I like the quote, "Whether you think you can or can't, you're right".  Find your passion, your bliss, and chase after it.  When I started running I had no idea that I would actually complete a half-marathon; nevertheless sign up for a ridiculous 39.3 mile marathon weekend.  Sure, I shocked everyone around me, but I really shocked myself.  Completing this part of my journey just reminds me of how hard I had worked to get to this point, and what a reward to know that all of the training and hard work put into this journey thus far has results.  Let passion fuel your journey and love surround your journey, but let faith lead your journey.