Marathon 2013 (mile 11ish-mile 18)

As you already know it was somewhat warm and I was not having a happy thoughts kind of day.  Smiling cause I'm at Disney but my brain is just not in the mood for this course change and weather.  I apologize for this being so negative, but I wanted it to accurately reflect my feelings during the race.  Most of the time I love running but this day was just not the day.

Anyways, Animal Kingdom and the road there did not disappoint in terms of characters and things to help keep you interested.  I love how at this part in the race you find clumps of characters instead of just one.  I also enjoy how they often try to use a parade float or something else as a prop for nifty backgrounds-you won't typically get this in the parks when you wait for a character.  I suppose if one was so inclined they could get some great autographs on the course.

 They had this "couple" asking for directions and asking why we were all going the same direction.  Meanwhile there was a bored "teenager" in the camping parade.  You can hear them for about a half mile saying things like, "ooh, that guys shorts are nice, I bet he is nice and could give us directions."  "Does anyone know when this parade will be over?"

 Only the coolest thing ever!  I have always wanted to come and see it decorated over and above for Christmas along with parades and such.  Just a little taste of the awesomeness that Disney Christmas has to offer.  Please take me for a week Manfriend!

 All this and we still haven't entered Animal Kingdom yet.  They also handed out wet sponges so people could squeeze the cool water over their heads or wipe off their arms/legs/faces.  Jiminy Cricket was the "entrance" to Animal Kingdom.  It was the Conservation Station train stop.

 Taking a quick look back as I wait to see some characters.  Yep, that 2 minutes you wait for characters means about 100 people pass you.  It also gives you a chance to check out some costumes and possibly notice trends in running outfits (like sparkle skirts or compression leg sleeves).  I noticed a lot of people with the leg sleeves a few years ago and figured there had to be something to them.  I bought a pair and they work great for me.  I haven't run in them but after racing hard I wear them around and they really help me to not feel as sore and recover quicker.  Also, I've worn them to fly and notice that my ankles don't swell as much.

 After Safari Minnie and Daisy I entered Dino-land at Animal Kingdom.  The song playing was Riding with the King by BBKing.  I thought of my Papa Bear because he likes lizards and dinosaur type things--he's part lizard in case you are wondering.  That was just the little boost I needed at the time.

After exiting Animal Kingdom I busted out my phone and texted and ran again.  Time was not a factor today.  I apologized for the slow go and realized that I was only at mile 14, ugh.  Usually I leave AK and it is about mile 16/17.  I skipped the "grave" site where they have undertakers with shovels and you can lie down next to a tombstone.  I wouldn't have gotten up.
Trekking on down the "boring stretch" that was made more boring this year en route to the mile 20 extravaganza.  The highway to get to Wide World of Sports was nice and 3 lanes wide allowing me to stretch my legs and pick up the pace a bit.  I started to get into a groove and then BAM, single lane road going into Wide World of Sports.  Narrow and crowded meant unhappy and watching all the people leaving (already ran past mile 20) meant more unhappy me.  I had to look at the thousands of people for almost 3 miles (it wasn't any more pleasant on the way out seeing all the people heading in and knowing their frustration at seeing all of us).

Marathon 2013 (start through about mile 10)

So the 3am bus on day two was just as difficult as expected.  I feel that waking up on the second day is the hardest part.  I once again grabbed my cereal and ate on the bus to the staging area.  Here is my mom wearing the hoodie I made her.  It wasn't super chilly like we expected (from years past) but it was just chilly enough that I wore a snuggie to keep warm at the start. That bag in her hand if full of break and freeze packs in addition to her backpack carrying crocs, an extra pair of sneakers and socks plus my candies and some soda...among other items she may need (rain poncho, long sleeve t-for me, hot hands, sunglasses...)It's her Mary Poppins bag.

 Same Mickey red carpet entrance and lined up port-a-potty area prior to walking to the corrals.  Great fireworks at the start again and I also met up with Miss Kelly--but further up in the corral since we were a little "crowded" feeling yesterday and couldn't find a running groove that was comfy with all the people near us.

I skipped the characters that I saw the day before, knowing it was going to be a slow day for me (slowest on record for a marathon for me).  It was crowded on the course and didn't thin out at all how I am used to by about mile 17 when you exit Animal Kingdom.  I suppose the course change for the 20th is to blame for that.  More on my disappointment with the mile 20 spectacular they kept telling us about.

 Shortly before Magic Kingdom I met up with my Momma and stuffed myself full of half a bottle of Coca Cola, shoved ice down the front and back of my outfit, cold wash clothed my skin and told her (super early for me to have been this miserable) that I was so sorry it was going to be a long day.

 When I exited the Magic Kingdom I had my picture taken with Lilo.  She was missing the day before when I stopped to take a picture.  She grabbed my wand from me and shook it before giving it back.

 Here is my mom waiting for me at about mile 7.  I couldn't miss her with those LED Lights wrapped around her neck.  You can tell it is getting warm and she hasn't had time to take off her sweatshirt.  I must have apologized to her what seemed like a million times for having to wait so long and that it was going to just be a long day.  She could wait for me back at the hotel if she wanted.  Momma would have none of that.

 She gave me a bottle of Coca-Cola, packages of candy in baggies for my pockets and 5 break and freeze packs to stuff wherever for later.  I changed my socks and shoes at this point (like it much better when it is mile 13ish) and headed off to the increasing temperatures of the day.

New for the 20 year celebration we were allowed to run on the Richard Petty Speedway.  This was really cool and I enjoyed it.  They had music from the movie Cars playing.  We got to run on the "inside" track while they had all sorts of cool cars parked on the banked outer track.

It was a very steep down hill/uphill to enter the race track then a sharp turn onto the track.  It was my favorite part of the day--the part where the sun is just kind of up and everything starts to have that warm glow.  

my wand snuck in the left a little bit :)

Upon exiting the track I broke one of my freeze packs and started to cool down.  It was going to be a long day and I just felt "off."  Talking to others after the race they just were negative about it as well throughout the race, mile markers and course being different they just were "off" as well with their mental game.  

Cracking me up... the accordion club.  I've never seen them before on the course.  We usually get some cheerleaders and high school bands.  They had the biggest grins on their faces when I stopped to snap their photo.  Here is where the course heads towards Animal Kingdom via a back road.  (and it stinks...seriously- it is where they have the sewage treatment facility).

Half Marathon 2013 (mile 8-the end)

After checking in with my mom I continued on my merry way towards the finish.  Of course I stopped to take some photos.  Pirates were out heading into the Magic Kingdom, but the line was long and it was kind of dark so I skipped it, knowing I'd see them on the way back to EPCOT.  In the line for Pirates I was near the front and Kelly came running up.  I gave her a little bit of my pez and fruit slice gummies.  

After the Pirates it was on to some banked highway ramps (ouch for all parties running).  Those banked highway ramps are brutal, sending your foot into odd parts of your sneaker and pressure on tendons in your knees you don't want to feel tweaking.

Fortunately they have some of the Green Army men shouting encouragement at you to get up that last hill.  We are a tough group of runners!  After this point it is a guessing game as to which characters you may encounter.  Sometimes there is a bus full of characters at the turn around, other times it is random ones in the park.  A few years ago it was Off Kilter (bagpipe band) playing outside EPCOT, last year some Team In Training people in banana outfits.  This year...

Just before heading into the park I had to take a photo of these people and their signs. I liked the snot one.

In EPCOT (nifty contrast of what I see and what my mom views from the Monorail earlier in the day on the way to the finish grand stand).  I am only "aware" of those around me and not how huge the race really is.  She gets to see the endless stream of finishers ahead of me and see the trail of runners on the highway from the monorail as it heads from ticket and transportation to EPCOT.  I catch glimpses of it from the highway ramps but it is not as spectacular as I imagine it would be seeing it from the monorail.

Of course one of my favorite parts (actually almost all of the race is my favorite) is the area just behind the scenes at EPCOT before rounding the corner and seeing the finish area and grandstands is the choir, singing for the runners.

I have the best support crew in my Momma.  We've got the finish area down to a science.  She watches me cross the line and as gracefully as possible sprints out of the grandstand area to spot me across the barriers.  Here is where the fun begins.  I somehow manage to get my sneakers off and catch a pair of crocs from her and toss her my sneakers.  She doesn't complain about the icky sneakers either.

Here comes the priceless moment that happens every time (and often more than once) I am still waiting to walk through baggage to the family reunion area and get some food.  "Did you run in those?" pointing to my croc wearing feet.  "I wish crocs made running shoes.  No, my mom tossed them over the fence to me. Congrats on finishing!"  

Look at all the Donald Duck 1/2 marathon bling sparkling in the sunlight.

Half Marathon 2013 (until about mile 8)

Start off by saying my worst half-marathon time wise, EVER! But we should all look this good leaving for the 3am bus to the start. I always get funny looks as I step onto the bus with my cup of cereal (Frosted Flakes).  My mom enjoys the looks on the second day when spouses might be trading off spectator duties and whisper, "there's that girl again today."

Back to the half marathon.  Maybe it was the corral I was in or that I just didn't really care how I ran for the half that it was so bad.  I enjoyed running and chatting with Kelly though.  I met up with her in the start corral.  Barely off the bus runners were met by a couple of these lovely banners warning us about the heat.  

Entering the staging area where they have baggage check and port-a-potties lining the perimeter was the usual red carpet entrance with new Mouse Ears.  I sat next to the gate waiting for it to be opened allowing us to head towards our corrals.

The race started with the usual fireworks, with the largest display just behind our corral.   Kelly and I hung out with each other chatting on our run until I met up with my mom for a check in about mile 3.

 

 I drank half a bottle of Diet Coke my mom had with her (tasted so good) and poured a cup of ice down the front of my dress in addition to wiping the sweat off my face and neck with an ice cold wash cloth.

When I caught back up to Kelly after her about mile 3 check in with her man Dan I pulled out some ice for her to cool down as well.  We decided to run together until we got out of Magic Kingdom and had our about mile 7 check in.  Meanwhile my mom headed over to her mile 7ish check point and hung out with the one and only Genie.  What a lucky Momma!

 While she was waiting for me to exit Magic Kingdom I texted her from one of the character lines to let her know they were kind of long and it would be a while.  Yep, I texted while running a race and I did several times during the marathon as well to check in with her since the runner tracking texting doesn't always work the best.  Here is a photo collage of the events from mile 3 til mile 7ish.

 

Last characters in Magic Kingdom that we stopped for.  We skipped Beast and Donald/Daisy Duck as Princess and Prince.  Lovely day for Marry Poppins and Bert to be out and about.

 I saw this sign and did a u-turn in the wet grass to go back and take a picture.  I love Dumbo and they do have FastPass for the attraction now so it helped to make my day.

 I met up with my mom to check in again and she snapped a picture of me with Genie.  While waiting for my photo with him I munched on my candy and told my mom about who I saw at Magic Kingdom.   I probably also complained about being hot and the lines to see the characters, which I never really had an issue with before.

The adventure continues...