Tired! We had to be at our start corral at 5.30 a.m.! This is probably around 4.45 a.m.! Notice all the layers on in Florida! So cold at the start of the race. I had on my calf running tights, running tights, shorts, a tank top, a long sleeve running shirt and my running jacket. I also had on my brand new toboggan with a PONYTAIL HOLE!!!!! Yipee! We found it at the expo the day before! No, I did not run in my Uggs! It is race tradition to wear them before I run! They make my foot feel great! Notice the lack of enthusiasm...this was the look from the inside...I was so tired! But really, this is how I felt!
So excited to be running in Disney World! The race started at Epcot and ran down to the Magic Kingdom, thru the Princess Castle, around Magic Kingdom and to the back of Magic Kingdom and then back to Epcot! I had a blast! Minus the early wake up call and the waiting to run, I loved it! So, I had to be in my corral at 5.30 a.m. I didn't start running until 6.30 or 7 a.m.! I ended up being in the last corral, since I had never run a half before and didn't have a clue as to how long it would take me to run! Well, minus Strawberry, but I had signed up for the race well before Strawberry. After I got started, I had a lot of dodging to do! So many women that were walking or jogging, a.k.a. they woke up this morning and thought it sounded like a fun and cool thing to do so their plan was to just kinda shuffle their feet a long and call it running, but were going to die before they got to the end because, hello, it's 13.1 miles to the finish line! For the first six miles I ran all around people, through people. off the beaten path to finally get into my actual run pace and settle in for the my second half marathon! Along the way, their were tons of characters! They made the run so much fun! Running into the Magic Kingdom was, well, magical! There were so many people yelling and cheering as you rounded into the Magic Kingdom, totally got tears in my eyes! Then, when I ran through the Princess Castle, I got all tearful again! The trumpets were announcing my arrival! I started feeling it in my hip around mile 10...pain! This is the moment I realized that I would not be running the full marathon in Nashville! My body is just not ready yet...one day though, one day! I grabbed BioFreeze at every medical station and rubbed it on my hip! That did the trick! Mile 11-12 was not easy! I had to run up the off ramp of the interstate on to a bridge...it was during the hardest part of that hill that Disney had set up their little green army men to yell and encourage us to "Soliders, do not give up! This is your mission, get it done!" I laughed out loud!!!! I finished in 2 hours and set my very own PR!!!!! The only bad part is I couldn't find Carter when I got done! Soooo many people! We had arranged a meeting place and I was there...he just wasn't! I freaked out! I borrowed another woman's cell phone to use, but Carter didn't answer. Maybe thirty minutes later, I finally saw Carter and burst into tears! I was so tired and freaked out by being with so many people and seeing him was just what I needed! He just didn't see me with all of the thousands of people! We have since learned that I do take my phone with me and I call at mile ten so that he knows when to expect me!!!! This is me after the race!
So happy! Cannot wait for next year! I am actually going to run in Disney again in October! Carter and I went back to the hotel for a little nap and for me to take a shower! Then, loaded up and hit the road! We actually drove all the way home that day! My body was hurting!!!! I usually ice and heat for the rest of the day, but that's not doable in a car! We made it back to Knoxville late evening and had already planned to take the next day off of work! We needed that day of recovery! Disney has probably been my funniest race! Next year, I'll take pictures a long the way! I would suggest this race to anyone!!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment