The start was cold, I was all sorts of layered up not sure what to expect when the sun came up. The start was also very lonely. My running partner was corralled in a different location so I found my mind wandering to home and pretending that this was just another long run in the cold, minus the Running Chicks. I tied and retied my sneak, jumped around to keep warm and checked my MP3 to make sure it was going to work. Finally, Goofy, Minnie and Mickey made their way to the stage to send us off.
Mile 1: 9:56 Lots of weaving in and out but it went by very quickly, I couldn't believe it when I saw the mile marker. I started to gain some confidence that I could actually do this!
Mile 2: 9:30 Still feeling confident and I was really enjoying the mix of music I had compiled just for this race.
Mile 3: 11:41 Time for a potty break- no lines, no waiting I was in and out in a flash which was very pleasing.
Mile 4-5: 19:34 I was in such a daze I forgot to split in between, I was just cruising and bebopping in my own little race.
Mile 6: 9:19 I can't believe I am maintaining this pace still!! This is the distance of my last "long" run 2 weeks ago!!
Mile 7-8: 19:50 I remember that I brought my camera phone in my jacket pocket- yes jacket, it's freezing!! Forget to time the split. I'm starting to get excited to see my fans at mile 9!!
Mile 9: 13:26 Spot my fans and do a quick change. I was starting to get warm but still cold enough for my coat. So I took my shirt off reattached my bib to my coat and away I went.
Mile 10: 9:18 At this point I'm running on the adrenaline from seeing my big supporters. This is also my favorite part of the marathon. You run down Main St., around Tommorowland, and through Cindy's Castle.
Mile 11: 9:42 I remember starting to feel tired but I knew I was almost to the Half Marathon mark.
Mile 12: 10:02 I spot my husbands military friend in front of Shades of Green and stop to chat for a minute- always nice to see familiar faces.
Mile 13: 9:46 PHEW, made it to the HALF- keep going!!
Mile 14: 10:23, Mile 15: 9:09, Mile 16: 10:41, Mile 17: 12:37- I started to lose my pacing and was taking pictures along the way had another potty break, the parks had the bathrooms open so it was in and out and actually didn't stink to high heaven. It took a bit to get back into a groove. I also didn't realize that after Mile 17 my watch memory was full and stopped recording my splits- OH BOTHER! It's also a tough part of the course as you go through the back side of Animal Kingdom- nothing like inhaling the smells of animal poop!
Mile 18- 20: Mile 18 was a bit more pleasant as we rounded by the new Mt Everest ride. I also knew I was getting close to the mile 20-21 turn around spot where my fans would be waiting. I was done with the sweet gummy worms and ready for the salt.
Mile 20-21: I came up to the cheering section strong and took a minute to stop and stretch out, eat some Goldfish and get an encouraging hug from my darling daughter and a "GO GET 'EM" kiss from the hubby.
Mile 22-25: Over to MGM with some encouragement from the soldiers from Toy Story and then through the costume design area and then the Hershey Kiss table- just what I needed to follow up on the salty Goldfish. At this point I remember thinking this was like a running buffet, I hadn't stopped eating for 2 hours! Before heading into Epcot for the final mile we ran over the beautiful Boardwalk got some great views and fan support to push the last mile.
Mile 26: The last mile brought us throught the World Showcase. I tried to focus on my form, by this time my back was starting to give up on me (*more ab work needed*) and my feet were in shuffle mode. I also decided to give up the head phones and let the cheers of the crowd pull me in. As I rounded the corner and had the Finish in site I couldn't help but pump my arms, smile wide and think in a flash all I accomplished- I finished the 26.2, I took 10 minutes off my time from last year- and the best part was that my husband was on the other side of the line for the first time!!
Special Thanks to the Race Crew:
John- Thanks for the ride and convincing me to sign up one more year
Mom- for being such a great "coach"
Hubby- for being there, you were my motivation
Maggie- for being my #1 fan
Geoffrey- for being such a great navigator to get the crew to each location
To the Running Chicks:
thanks for getting up early in the cold, I love your company on and off the road.