Goofy's Race & a Half

Alarm goes off at 330am.  That's not a wake up call.
That's getting up in the middle of the night, on a chilly Florida morning, to don your tank top, shorts and Disney-inspired running costume to get to the starting line for the first of two races.

All I have to say about that first morning is, thank GOD my Dad was there!
I'd seen a picture of his costume, but it was glorious in person!
(Also, very easily recognized, as he got many more shout outs on the race course than I did!
Anna costumes were a dime a dozen.  Who knew?!)

We went out to the bus stop to catch our own personal bus to the race.
At 4:15am, there weren't many on the bus, and in actual fact, we hadn't realized that athletes were advised to be on a bus before 4am.
Whoops.

Still, there was loads of time to check my bag, stand in line at a port-a-potty, not knowing that 100ft further there were no lines, and finally, walk the mile to our corral.

Every.  Single.  Corral.  All 16 of them, got fireworks.

Well done, Disney.  Well done.

Being in a corral more near the back than the front, we waited almost an hour to cross the start line, and then ran juuuuuuuuuust faster than walking pace for the first few miles, because the hoards of walkers were thick.

No biggie, because the intention was to take it easy anyways, to save my legs for the marathon.
(Thanks for running a snails pace with me Dad!)

We saw loads of characters, stopped to take selfies, a bathroom break or two, and before long we were at the finish line.
It was the slowest half marathon I had ever done.
Also, the easiest.
And most fun.
Annnnnnd, most emotional.

Most memorable moment?
Running behind the scenes of Disney and turning a corner to see the castle, lit up with white lights, right before us as we ran down Mainstreet USA.
I know, it'll come as no surprise, but I cried.

Along the race, there were many marching bands, who must have been up at 2am to be out, and ready to play for us.  Amazing doesn't even begin to describe it!

Enthused spectators, many, many posters and cheers from fellow runners made it one of the greatest races I've ever done.
And I never came close to a PB.
Because this one wasn't about time.
It was about endurance.

Near the end, there was a full Gospel choir.
Gold robes and all!

It was a perfect day.

And then, quite quickly, the day turned from half marathon celebrations, into marathon prep and before I knew it, I was getting on another bus, this time at 355am, to head to the start line of the marathon.

I don't think I've ever felt so focused, as I was on that morning, two weeks ago.

But I had to pee.
Bad.
The race had already started though!
WHAT DO IT DO?!?!?!

I took a chance.
I went to the port-a-potties and stood in line.
I also got to the start line with plenty of time to spare.
Thank you, corral L.  Thank you.

I started the race similarly to the day before, bobbing and weaving in between walkers.
For the most part, the first half had a lot of the same bands, characters and signs as the day before.
And to be perfectly honest, the first half was a bit of a blur.

As soon as I took the first few steps past 21.1km, I felt that my own personal race had only just started.
Those steps felt like they were transporting me from ordinary, to extraordinary.

Those steps felt like the warrior in me came alive, and where my months and months of training were going to begin carrying me.

I had run a very, very consistent pace during the first half, because I wasn't sure how I'd feel.
But once I got to that point, I realized I had a ton of gas left in my tank, and so I picked up the pace.
Slightly.

I knew we were going to run through the Wide World of Sports, but I did NOT know that we would run on the same track my kids had run their race on just three days before.
I did NOT know that I would begin to hear the song and then subsequently see a giant inflated Baymax, both from Big Hero 6, en route to the Wide World of Sports.
I was sobbing so hard I had to pull to the side because I was starting to hyperventilate.

Why is that significant?
Audrey's favorite movie, at the current moment, fleeting as it might be, is Big Hero 6.
And that song?
It's called Immortals.

To say that I felt immortal that day, about sums it up.

I totally felt immortal.
Until one of my blisters burst around mile 21.
Gross, right?

Well, as gross as it was, it came nowhere near the shooting pain it caused me.
I knew I had blisters, but I was on such a high I really didn't notice much.
Until then.
I stopped.
Dead in my tracks.
Then, I altered my gait a little bit and carried on.

To say that a marathon is twice as hard as a half, is about as accurate as saying having two kids is twice as hard as one.
It's not twice as hard.  It's 100x harder.
And running a marathon has little to do with physical endurance and much to do with overcoming your mind.
Your body can be trained to do almost anything.
It's overcoming your inner thoughts of, "why the f*ck are we doing this, again?!?!", at mile 4.

My goal had been to finish.
My time goal had been 5:30 or better.
My watch, said I ran 42.2km in 4:58, but Disney's clock logged me at 5:00:39.

I smashed my PB by 9min, but that :39 is what motivates me to register for another marathon.

There was a ton of emotion over those two days.
When that stranger put the medal around my neck after the race, I cried.
I must have had constant tears for a few minutes, as I gathered my water, powerade and banana, as a man came and put his arm around me and said, "good job."
And when I saw my family for the first time after the marathon, I burst into full tears.
Two weeks post race, and when I hear some of those songs and think about some of the moments, I still well up.

As soon as the races were over, I felt relief and also sadness.
What now?

It was a huge, huge accomplishment, and yet just one day later I had to stifle myself from thinking and saying that it was, "no big deal."

I struggle with acceptance of accolades, and I'm trying my hardest to simply say, thank you.

I did it.
I did it.

And I will treasure these memories forever.
Both the ones I've shared here, and the secret ones I'll keep for myself.

Now, judge not, but here are the photos from the races!

The last two are the only ones from the marathon.
I was focused, remember?

Fireworks.
For everyone!

 

First characters, Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbosa.
Also, first realization that I can't take selfies to save my life...
 

In front of the castle.
Un.  Real.

 

Wreck it Ralph & Vanellope.
I'll admit that we took some pics, simply so we wouldn't forget who we'd seen.
We're old.

Mickey and Goofy.
Two namesakes of the races

Jack Skellington and Sally.
And our eyes.
Dad has never seen this movie!
C'mon!  Jack sKELLINGTON!
 



They guys from Aladdin!
And probably the best selfie I took all day!

The start line of the 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon.

The reason I almost need medical aid...
Darn kids!
 



ThangYa. ThangYa Vurry Much!

I made a goal for myself.
I made this goal back in 2013.

Run the Goofy Race & a Half.
I deferred this goal because running a half and a full marathon at 24ish weeks pregnant would have been stupid.

Fast forward to 2014.
Goal back on track after third baby arrives in May.

This goal was big.  It was lofty.  It seemed, at times, like something I really couldn't do, but being an eternal optimist, I figured training for it was at least good for me, so why not carry on?
And then, the goal was becoming imagined.
It was changing from a goal, into a dream.
Into something much bigger than I ever thought it was.

A few months before the race, after flights and hotels were booked, I went for a training run with my Dad.
He asked me, if there was any doubt in my mind if I could do it.
I responded, reflexively, no.
I knew then I could do it, even though only a month before I wasn't sure at all.

The rest of this post may read something like an acceptance speech.
And in many ways, it is.

I want to start at the beginning.
My family.
Since I started running, in high school, they have been behind me 100%.
They have been at many of my races, and often I have run alongside my Dad and brother.
These guys might not know it, but they carried me through my first marathon.
I wouldn't have completed if not for them.
My Mom has been my greatest supporter, in all of my endeavors, be them athletic or weight loss related. 
They are so supportive, that 6 weeks before this race, they secretly decided to come.
My Dad, last minute, and with the half marathon being sold out for months, registered with a charity, so he could run with me.
He also had a costume hand made to run alongside my Anna.
Prince Charming.
Don't worry.  Ya'll will get to see it!
(The tears are falling on my laptop currently.  They have been freely flowing for a couple of weeks now...)
A few days before we left for Florida, they surprised me by letting me know they were coming.

Ugly tears.  Blubbering, sobbing, air-sucking tears came. 
I still can't find the words to express my gratitude.

My husband.
He has known that I'm a runner from the day we met, and he knows me well enough to know when I actually need to tie up my sneakers.
When I told him I wanted to do the Goofy race, like any other goal I've set, he said, OK.
And I knew that he would pick up the slack that training for a marathon leaves behind.
He would rearrange his schedule and put his own goals aside, so that I could achieve mine.
And one day, I'll return the favor.

Audrey, Ellie & Sterling.
These guys are the biggest reason I run.
Lifelong challenges with my weight have lead me to a place where I know that running can erase some of life's stresses at the same time that it's making me healthier, and also happier.
I'm a better Mom because I run.

BMS Bootcamps.
I've exercised my entire life, but I've had lousy eating habits, and I wasn't doing quality exercise.
These guys taught me how to maximize my time spent working out, and how to eat right.
They built my base so that the two pregnancies I had during my time training with them, amounted to relatively easy birth experiences, and quick recoveries.
They built my base.
So that I could dream big, lofty dreams.
I gained confidence.
I discovered the kind of training I was going to need to smash my goals, and although I don't regularly work out with BMS anymore, I still participate in the nutrition challenges, and I have met some of the greatest trainers I've ever had there.
If you are feeling lost, or are new to exercising, I highly recommend you check them out!
There is something for every level of fitness and you will meet some fantastic people who want the best outcomes for you!
www.bmsbootcamps.com

Spark Sport Conditioning.
This is where I've leapt from after leaving BMS.
It's here that I'm seeing that I have no limits.
I'm pushing harder than I ever have and I've seen the most noticeable changes in my running performance.
I've learned where I need to scale myself when approaching long distance training runs or races, and where I can add 5 or 10 more pounds and risk dropping my bar.
I've learned how much my body can lift.
And lemme tell you,  It.  Is.  Amazing.
I have new goals to get at, and I know with these guys, I will annihilate them.

I'm probably leaving people out, but this is post one about the marathon weekend.
I'll save the deets about the race as well as my poorly taken selfies of my Dad and I running the half.

For now, I'll just try to contain my emotions...