WDW Half 2014

Wow, what a weekend! This was our first experience with a rundisney race and it was awesome! Disney knows how to organize large groups of people and that was especially evident in all they did for the runners this past week. The trip is about 8 hours which is a long drive, but money wise it made more sense for us to drive rather than fly. Our crew of me, my husband our daughter and Allyson our babysitter left Thursday night after work and drove to Tallahassee, then headed to Orlando Fri morning. We arrived about 2:30 Friday and headed straight to the expo. The amount of organization and volunteer support was immediately evident. We quickly found our numbers and shirts, then we shopped a little :) We each got "I Did It" shirts and I found a new Brooks run happy shirt and got a deal on 4 pairs of my favorite balega socks! After we were done we went to check in at Port Orleans Riverside. We stayed there in September and loved it and once again it was the perfect choice for us. After getting settled in we went to Downtown Disney by ferry for dinner at Portobello. I had my traditional pre-race meal of pasta and Mike had salmon, veggies and potatoes. Once we were back in the room I laid out our race outfits along with everything we would need the next morning. I wore a new pink shirt with a Minnie silhouette and Mike had a Mr. Incredible shirt. Setting an alarm for 2:30 am seemed crazy, but I was really worried about lines as we waited for shuttles the next morning so I wanted to leave the room by 3:30. Luckily we were in bed by 9 and I was asleep before 10. I actually slept pretty well which is unusual for me the night before a race!


2:30 is early no matter how excited you are! We got up and quietly got ready so we wouldn't disturb Allyson and Mary Elizabeth. However we were really still excited! We made it to the shuttle with plenty of time and we were on our way! When I heard it was a 20 min walk to the start I didn't really believe it, but no joke, it was easily 20 min! We dropped our gear bag and made a porta-potty stop (who there were a lot!). We then began the trek to the corrals. Neither of us is very patient in a large crowd, so we went "off-road" part of the way and passed the crowds. After another porta-potty stop we headed to corral H. Mike was assigned to E, but we decided to run together and just have fun! Two important lessons for next year will be to take food to the start and take another porta-potty break right before the 1st corral releases. Once again the organization of this race was amazing!! The corrals were sent off in regular intervals with all of the hoopla of the first :) When it was our turn I was so excited! It is a strange feeling to wait so many months on a race, then when you arrive at the start the feeling is almost overwhelming. Mike and I settled into an easy pace and found a good spot to run. The first few miles were uneventful but it quickly became evident that the humidity was stifling and that another potty break was needed! We stopped at the second porta-potty area and had our first water break. After we set of again I also had some GU because my stomache was growling, my protein bar was long gone! We stopped for our first photo op at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. I think at this point we both decided this race was for the experience, not for time. There is a moment when you realize that you are approaching the Magic Kingdom and the realization is amazing! I wanted to run faster and slower at the same time! Seeing Tomorrowland off to the right and cruisong into the park and down Main Street was MAGICAL!! We stopped for photos on Main Street, then again behind the castle and again for a photo in front. As we headed out of the Magic Kingdom we stopped again to take a picture of Cinderella and Prince Charming. I am somewhat of a Stitch fan so I decided the only time I was willing to stand in a line would be for Stitch and it wasn't long before we saw him!! That photo op was our first time to really stop and stand in a character line, but it was worth it! The next character line was for Pirates of the Caribean. Mike wanted to stop there and I was happy to oblige. As we neared the last portion of the race I knew there were some hils/inclines coming but nothing was as bad as I had expected. After the BTC Statue to Statue 15K, no hill compares! Nearing the end of the race as we approached Epcot the crowd support was AMAZING! The support from spectators and volunteers throughout the course cannot be matched by any race series in my opinion. As we neared the finish line I could see Mickey and wanted a photo, but Mike was in the zone. Our finish was somewhat discombobulated, but we got our photo :) At the Savannah Rock and Roll I got a terrible headache almost immediately and once again it hit me. As we got food and drinks I concentrated on hydrating and getting nourishment. ME and Allyson were supposed to meet us at the finish but Allyson woke up sick with a fever and so we headed to the room to check on her and pick up ME before heading to the parks. It was an amazing race experience and I cannot wait to conquer Dopey in 2015!

Another post to come about our days in the parks!