Well, if you can't tell by the date of the blog post, this is the Sunday of the 2014 WDW Marathon Weekend!! These past two days have been simply MAGICAL! Pun intended!!
Let's go with a recap of the whole experience of this event!
I left North Carolina with the "Polar Vortex" coming in, and it was 2 degrees when I started the car. Two. Degrees. Granted, it only went up to 34 in Florida by the time I arrived, but still...better than 2!
 |
| Florida. The Disney State. :) |
Arrival to POP Century resort was very exciting. I've never stayed at this resort and to do something new in life, I guess it's only fitting that I keep with the theme by staying somewhere new!! I am staying by Lady and the Tramp, on the ground floor (needed after the way my feet felt yesterday...more on that later!!), and it's all by myself (Amanda couldn't come, she's teaching :-[ ).
 |
| WDW Pop Century, where we celebrate decades (I was in the 50's style room!) |
|
|
|
Next came the Runners Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports! First thing, waiting in line for the New Balance runDisney shoes. Of course, this line was just to get a number so you could be seen for the shoes at their booth on the convention floor. This took from 9:45 - 12 noon just to get through the line to get my number. I was number 0741. Had a while to wait, so I got my bib numbers and my shirts, and did some shopping.
 |
| WDW Runners Expo! Crazy big, lots of money spent by so many people!! (Not me, minus the shoes!) |
Met Jeff Galloway and had him autograph my race program, and we even talked about my racing journey using his method. He not only listened to me like an old friend, he offered such great encouragement and advice!
 |
| Me with Jeff Galloway!! Not everyday you can talk to the person who helped you get into running sans injuries!! |
So, after a long wait, my number came up at the New Balance booth! I got myself a pair of their Goofy style shoes, and bought Amanda a pair of the Minnie Mouse style shoes! They're limited edition, and I must admit, they're nice!!!
 |
| Top to Bottom: Minnie, Cinderella, Goofy, Sorcerer Mickey! |
So, after getting the shoes, it was time to sleep and enjoy the next day in the parks! Went to Hollywood Studios and rode a few rides, but didn't tax my legs since I had two days of races coming up. The reason I chose Hollywood Studios is that it's smaller and I can do what I wanted in less time! Plus, single rider lines get you through nice and quick!!
 |
| Hollywood Studios! I can remember when that hat wasn't there!! (Apparently, I'm old...:-p ) |
Once I got back to the hotel room, I made sure to take full advantage of the other bed not being used in the room to lay out all of my running related material. I got my clothes ready, my gels packed in my new running pouch (which, btw, truly was amazing to have. I don't usually run with new things on a race day, but this was perfect!), and my bib laid out with the pins, all ready to go bright and early at 1:30 in the MORNING! Oy!!
 |
| I didn't end up using that water bottle, they provided plenty of water stops!! |
So, after I was ready with everything, I made sure to catch the first shuttle out to the staging areas (all of the races started and ended around Epcot). There was a really fun DJ there with music playing, but to be honest I was so nervous about my first 10K to enjoy it! I was "in the zone" so to speak. They staged me in the last corral, and there were SO many people there to run this Inaugural 10K!! 10,000 people!!! 7,000 of which were part of the inaugural Dopey's Challenge!!
 |
| Every corral got fireworks, so exciting!! |
The course took us outside Epcot, and we didn't even enter the park until after the first 5K! On my way in, I got to see characters on the side of the road, and even stopped abruptly to salute one of the military men from Toy Story!
 |
| I saluted, because I am pretty sure I wasn't game for pushups!!! |
The course took us into World Showcase, and through the boardwalk, then down and out Epcot to the Finish! As quickly as it started, my first 10K, and WDW's first 10K was over!! Such a successful race!!
 |
| My first piece of runDisney bling!! Plus, it's the very first 10K Medal for WDW Marathon Weekend!! |
The day followed with a trip to Epcot (short trip, gotta keep the legs fresh) and then back to the hotel to get everything ready to do it all again in the morning!!
 |
| Doesn't this look like the same picture?!?! Everything but the bib it seems! |
The Half Marathon was even more intense than the 10K! Over 20,000 runners!!! I wasn't in the last corral, and that helped me to ensure that I finished! I even got to talk to the announcers at the start line (he called us the penultimate corral, and said he'd be shocked if we knew what it meant...i told him and he was like "20,000 runners, and i have the one guy that knows the answer!"). So, off to another race!!
 |
| Bigger fireworks for a longer race!!! |
The course took us up through to and through the Magic Kingdom, back down and through Epcot! 13.1 miles. Such a crazy awesome race! I'll remember running through Cinderella's castle, seeing "Santa" (another runner that looked and dressed like Santa) being pulled from the race by the costumed Disney Reindeer so they could get their picture with him, the guy running with a sousaphone on, and actually FINISHING my first Half-Marathon!!!
 |
| Half-Marathon, in the books!!! Could barely walk back to the hotel room, let alone for the rest of the day!! |
So there you have it! 19.3 miles. 2 days. Months of training culminating in successful finishes!! I am so happy about my accomplishments and I still cannot believe that I did it! I'm so thrilled, and these were terrific races to have for my 2013 new years resolution!! What better place to do so than in the place where dreams come true!!
 |
| King of the castle, king of the castle! I have some medals, I have some medals!! |
"There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow...Shining at the end of every day! There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow...and tomorrow is just a day away! Man has a dream, and that's a start. He follows his dream, with mind and heart. And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream come true for you and me!! So there's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow. Shining at the end of every day! There's a great, big, beautiful tomorrow...just a dream away!!!"
-D
