1 Down, 11 to go. This was my first half marathon ever, so I had no idea what to expect. I had been training for the race, even ran a 12 mile mud run in November with my best buddy Dave, but I had not run 13 miles without stopping. That being said, I was unbelievably excited for this race. Waking up at 3:30am-4am to go run, I was not excited for. But getting on the bus to go over to Epcot for the start of the race immediately wakes you up. There are so many people, many of whom are dressed up in something disney related, reminds you that its supposed to be fun and that's what it's about.
I ran the Buzz and Woody 5k on Friday, just to get my legs under me and because I just really like Disney World. When you grow up in Florida, it becomes a staple in your upbringing. The 5k runs you through Epcot center...you pretty much "run around the world" Disney style with the Disney characters cheering you on, it was really fun. There is something about Disney World that turns me into a 6 year old.
Kathy and I signed up to run this race together to start the challenge off together. We walked the mile trek to the starting corrals, but we eventually got there. There was so much positive energy and fun there, that it was infectious. You start the race running towards the Magic Kingdom, run through the Magic Kingdom, loop back and finish running under Spaceship Earth in Epcot. I got to see Stitch (from Lilo & Stitch) and high-fived Eeyore, my two favorite Disney characters, so that really made the race great.
(Pre-race - She is clearly more perky than I am at this point.)
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| How early is it? (5am) |
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| She is very excited for the first race. |
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| Marching to the Race |
In terms of the running, I had it in my mind to run a smooth easy pace that I trained so I don't kill myself. Kathy and I started together, but we agreed that we would separate as soon as necessary. Kathy quickly was ready to take off at a quicker pace so we waved goodbye and went on about our race. I stayed pretty consistent, but at the 10 mile mark I was feeling pretty good, so I decided to push the pace a little.
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Halfway Point at
Cinderella's Castle |
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| Last mile through Epcot |
Roughly around the 11 mile mark I caught a glipse of Kathy (her pink shorts and blonde hair stood out even from a quarter mile away) and I stepped it up more in hopes I could catch her so we could finish together. I finally was able to catch her in Epcot with about a half mile left in the race. We finished the race together, hands raised; definitely was the right way to kick off the challenge.
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| Finishing Together |
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| Happy Medalists |
Before the race started, something special was set up. A married couple ran the Half marathon together the year before, but this year he was stationed in Iraq as an active member of the Air Force. So with the assistance of the military and the Disney organizers, the husband organized a half marathon at his base with the start to synchronize with the start of the Disney half; it was set up so he and his wife could still run together even though they are half a world apart...they even had their Garmin watches set to each other's pace so they could feel like they were running side by side. It was a really moving situation and it was heartwarming to see both the military and race organizers make this happen.
The National Anthem always gets me fired up for a game or race, but with the men and women of our military in Iraq listening in, it took on an even more special meeting. By the way, if you think running a half marathon is tough, try running it in a desert in the afternoon...now that's tough.Adam (Kathy's boyfriend) was there as our moral support and his hustle going through the park was fantastic. Having done it with my mom to cheer my dad on when I was little when he ran the Disney Marathon, I know it is tough to get to the spots in time....even with how slow I run, lol.
The post-race celebration in the Magic Kingdom on Sunday was great too....who doesn't love Space Mountain and the fudge sold on Main Street?
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| Stitch! |
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| Main Street |
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| The Medal |
