Disney Marathon

Well Fellow Penguins - I was go glad to meet all of you at Disney - it made the race (the total event) a wonderful experience. I arrived Friday am - and met up with my fellow Disney Connector Roomie - Laura at the airport. We headed to All Star Music, checked in and left the luggage. Once we finally found the right bus to get on to go to the Expo (the front desk guy told us the wrong place to wait) we headed that way for packet pickup. Picked up the packet and T-shirt - and then went and spent WAY TOO MUCH MONEY - but what fun is an EXPO if you can't shop???? I now own 4 Disney marathon shirts - including the official race shirt.

Met some of the Disney connectors for dinner at Downtown Disney at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant - but did not have time to get to the Penguin/Dead encounter. We did a great deal of shopping at Downtown Disney - and I managed to get most of the Disney type stuff I wanted there - before I hit the parks - so less to drag around. Smart thinking Laura.

Saturday morning we woke up early and got early admission to the Magic Kingdom - we had a hit list of the things we wanted to do - and we had them all done by 1pm. I was impressed!!! We headed back to the hotel to hook up with my Maryland Running buddy - Cheryl - who arrived that morning. We relaxed for awhile and then headed out to the pasta dinner - 5:45 seating. It was great to meet all of the Penguins at the dinner (the pink hats helped immensely)! Back to the room by 9 and in bed for an early wake up call.

I was completely amazed that I slept most of the night (which was just the opposite of Marine Corps). Woke up , got all the running clothes on - short sleeve shirt, black tights - shoes with ~150 miles on them, gloves, my wind jacket, my marathon bracelet, dark pink cancer survivor hat (subbing for the penguin hat that is too small for my head) fanny pack and water bottle. Forgot to pack the sun screen - of course, it was 34 degrees when I was getting dressed and the last thing that crossed my mind was sun screen. Headed for the bus at 4AM and got right on. Met up with both the connectors and the Penguins. Headed for the holding area and then stood, waited and turned three shades of blue. Hooked up with Mark for the pre-race walk to the start - sounds like you had a great race Mark!!! Loaded into the corral - and waited for the start. Found all the Penguins again and watched Mickey and the fireworks start us off in the cold, pre-dawn Florida morning.

Cheryl and I agreed to to 2/2's for the course - just like Marine Corps. We started out at the perfect pace - 14:30. We were impressed - since for marine corps - we started way too fast. Had a blast running through Epcot and Mickey world (Magic kingdom) took a bunch of character pictures - and got Mickey confetti thrown at us when we entered into the kingdom. I was so happy to be there - the sun was shining brightly (do you see where I am going about the sunscreen??) and I was a very happy person. After leaving the park, it started. The shoes DIED at mile 12!!! It hurt to run - so I walked the last 14 miles, just 1/2 a mile in front of the SAG wagon (talk about stress). Had Cheryl not been with me - I would have quit at the half and come home with a Donald instead of a Mickey. I made my first visit to the post-race medical tent - courtesy of two extremely LARGE blisters on the inside heel of both feet and in the ball of each foot. I had to cancel my planned spa appt cause I could not walk. The doc at the medical tent told me it was cause I walked... so I could either have had stress fractures due to dead shoes - or blisters. I will take blisters any day. Most of you have heard from others about the NO MANS LAND between MK and AK - one things I found particularly ironic was the choice of music played at the different water stops. Each had a theme. The one right after the 1/2 left was the Disney villains - Jafar, Capt. Hook and Ursula - and the music was "Poor Unfortunate Souls". Another one was the Pocahontas water stop - song "Just around the River bend" - and just around the bend in the road - was the Disney sewage plant!!!! Went through Animal Kingdom - really no highlights here - I was in the Bite Me Zone by then - and still had 8 miles to go.... Then back on the road to the Wide World of Sports, and to MGM. Ran the main street of MGM - followed by the back lot - over to the Boardwalk (which is lovely - and I am sure had I been enjoying myself, I would have loved it). Over to EPCOT - (focus on the big silver ball - eye on the prize) - through the Showcase of Nations. I didn't see the Penguins - but I am told you saw me - I was so in the get me out of here mode and in so much pain - al I wanted was to be finished. I was never so happy to see Mexico in all my life - I would have killed for a Margarita. Under Spaceship earth - and across the finish. 7:04 (again!).

Spent the next two days playing in the parks. Cheryl and I played in MGM (with me in a wheelchair) - then we headed for EPCOT for lunch with the Penguins. Then Cheryl and I hooked up with Ward and Sherry and played in all the countries of EPCOT (ok most of them) and most of the stops in Future World. Cheryl left Tues am and I hooked up with Ward and Sherry for a morning in AK before heading to the airport for an afternoon flight home.

Now to recover and prepare for the half in Austin in 5 weeks and OKC in 4 months.

Saw this on the course - think it should be my new mantra:
"The pain is only temporary - the glory is forever"

I hope everyone had a good race or at least a good time with the Penguins - I know I did.