Friday, January 8, 2010

I awoke, numb. I am a sleeper. I learned in the last 9 months that I am not a wake up a 5 or 6 and go for a run happy to start my day type of runner. I AM A RUNNING DIVA! I like to run between 9:30am and 11:30am, I like, my coffe, my eggs, my water, my stretching, my shoes just so.

So, let me get this right, I am supposed to tour the parks all day, go to sleep at 8 or so and awake at 2:30 am and leave my room to go run 13.1 miles with the stress of keeping a pace of under 16 minute miles or face being swept by buses and lifelong humiliation? Ummmmmmm, run, can I run for the airport? Can I escape to Miami? I began to be mad at Mickey that day and Donald and all Disney characters, why did sweep buses have to exist? Why did there have to be a time limit? It is not fair, it is evil, it is mean. I hated Disney for doing this, then Pooh gave me a hug, I don't hate Disney, who can hate Disney?

Ok so, ate my last meal at Teppan Edo, has a glass of wine at dinner to relax joked with our nice dinner table sharers about running tomorrow while they stared at me like I belong in the crazy house, maybe I do. Got back to the room at 7:30, put on my running clothes to sleep in, packed my fuel belt with electrolyte mixture and guu gel packs, had my ipod, my number, my layers and layers of clothes, called for a 2am wake up call, set the alarm for a 2:15am buzz put my running sneakers by the door and numbly tried to go to sleep.

I knew it was going to be 28 and sleeting and then freezing rain in the am so I did not expect my husband and four kids to come out to cheer me on, this was my race, my battle. I did not know if I would finish, I told him not to come to the finish because if I got swept, it would be too painful to know he was there waiting for me and I did not want to dissapoint my kids.

I went to sleep and awoke every hour on the hour untill 2am. I headed out the door in a daze and walked in the cold, in the dark to the bus stop. The bus arrived at 2:45am and I boarded, blinking at the LCD display that read 2:45am January 9, 2010. I waited slowly as one at a time bleary eyed runners appeared and boarded the bus intil 3am when the bus promptly departed for Epcot. The bus was playing an eerie mix of music from the monkees to the black eyed peas, I briefly considered whether this soundtrack was meant to be my life flashing before my eyes.

I was surprised when the bus dropped us a mile from the tents, ok this is a nice warmup up in the freezing cold at 3:15am, not!

Got to the race retreat, a heated haven with bagels and coffee, tvs, music and leather couches at 3:35am and met my team co-captains and Deb Wills. We hung out and I annoyingly talked of sweep buses. Race retreat is worth the extra money! Private potties, computers, charcters, private baggage claim, one of the best decisions I made. We went out at 4:45am to meet our other teamates, pose for pics and begin the 1 mile trek in the dark, in the cold to the starting corrals.

So Disney, I have to walk two miles before the start of the 1/2 marathon? Seriously?

I get to the corral G, the last corral and work my way to the front and then the magic starts. You see a video screen with Mickey, Goofy and Minnie in running gear doing exercises, how can you not smile? Music is playing, and suddenly you see fireworks as the first wave starts, not just any fireworks, amazing fireworks. Suddenly the adreneline kicks in. I am going to do this, I can do this. Surrounded by 17 thousand runners, I am excited , I can do this!

I watch the next wave start and more fireworks, and then the next wave and suddenly, it is my turn. My wave starts and I walk another mile to the start! I go gangbusers, in the dark, in the dark, in the cold and the dark and the sleet, dodging over tossed sweatshirts in the road, tossed plastic bags and mittens and gloves and snow and rain and sleet and if that is not enough suddenly I am dodging a sea of walkers. I am suddenly weaving in and out of a labyrinth of walkers trying to run and keep my pace. I am swearing and wondering what the heck are all of these walkers doing ahead of me. suddenly, I am running on the grass, and all I hear in my head is GO FOR THE DUCK!