DisneyRunning.Com

2003 Walt Disney World Marathon Report: John Green

Summary:

Marathon #1 Done and dusted.
Goal Time: Sub-4:00:00
Ideal Day Time: Sub-3:30:00
Wouldn't-it-be-cool-if Time: 3:15:59 (BQ)
Official Time: 3:32:56
Chip Time: 3:32:01
OA Place: 501/9404 official finishers
AG Place: 100/955 M 35-39

The really long, boring version (just remember that you were warned):

Since others have already posted their race reports, I won't bother going over the whole get up at 3 am part or talk about the weather. Suffice it to say that I was thankful that I listened to the many people who recommended that I take some throwaway clothing with me to wear to the start. As I stood in the corral waiting for the race to start, I wondered about how the day was going to unfold and whether or not I would have what it takes to go a distance that I had never covered before. As the countdown began and the sky was lit up with the opening fireworks, I quickly shed the last of my throwaway clothes and walked/shuffled off into the cold. However, once we were able to start running I was quite comfortable in shorts and a singlet for the entire race. Must be my thick Canadian blood.

I was fortunate enough to be slotted into corral B and thus had far fewer runners in front of me to contend with than my wife and the rest of the 'Disney Gang' that I trained with who were all back in corral D. Even so, the first mile took a leisurely 9:40. As we looped out and then back into the Epcot parking lot, the mass of runners in front of me slowly broke first into large clumps which would, in turn, subdivide into smaller clusters as more and more runners found their regular pace and either pulled away from a the front of a group or dropped off of the back. I used the increasing number of gaps to slowly increase my pace and work my way forward into the throngs of corral A seeded runners, dropping my pace to just under an 8 min mile. This early stage also brought one of the highlights of the run as we entered a fully lit up Epcot with lights burning not only overhead but also underfoot as we crossed over sidewalk tiles glowing with hundreds of embedded lights.

Mile three carried us back out of Epcot onto the myriad of highways that link the theme parks before merging with the half marathon runners.. Even with the added traffic I was able to move from gap to gap and drop my pace into the 7:45ish range.

The next 15 miles were pretty much a blur as I maintained a fairly steady pace and took my regularly scheduled walk breaks every 15 minutes (yes, I'll admit it, I'm a Gallowalker). The highways led us away from Epcot and over to the Magic Kingdom while occasionally giving us a glimpse of the mass of runners behind us as we looped down an exit ramp and under an overpass swarming with runners. Here and there, shouts would echo out of the darkness as friends spotted each other and shouted their greetings and encouragement. On we ran.

After skirting Typhoon Lagoon and the Contemporary resort, we entered the Magic Kingdom and wound our way through the streets past rides that were fully lit up and operational but eerily devoid of any riders. Through the arch of Cinderella's castle I went, loping past a wedding party waiting for it's main players to show up. Then it was back out through the side door and onto the neverending highways.

As I ran past the turn off to the half marathon finish I briefly entertained the notion that a Donald Duck medal would be just as good as a Mickey and why not just hang a quick left and end this madness. A quick glance at my watch showed that I'd finish with a time of 1:39ish. Not to shabby but not a PB. Well that settles it... no point in stopping if I'm not even going to set a PB. The desire to finish what I'd started triumphed over the desire to avoid any more pain and onward I ran. Speaking to a volunteer that we met in the Animal Kingdom the next day, I discovered that many, many others lost that particular internal argument and called it a day.

Mile 17 weaved it's way through the Animal Kingdom and also slowed my pace back down to an 8:14 perhaps as a warning that the wheels were starting to fall off. But I toughed it out and polished mile 18 (now back out onto the highways) off in 7:29. That was to be my last sub-8 mile for the rest of the race.

Shortly after mile 19 the course takes a 3 mile out and back that doglegs around the Wide World of Sports complex. It was here approximately 500 metres past the mile 19 water station with its glistening rows of portapotties that my bowels first decided to bring themselves to my attention and warn me that they needed a stop and they'd need it soon. So here was my dilemma: Do I go back to the mile 19 marker half a kilometre behind me, cross the course and use the portapotties that I can see at the 21 mile mark up ahead or tough it out and hope there are some at the 20 mile mark? Just as I had made up my mind to cross the course I spotted the 20 mile marker around the corner. Even with the partly cloudy skies above my head that line of crappers seemed to glow. I hit the mile marker, veered off the course and straight into one of the nastiest smelling plastic enclosures I've ever been in. Boy was I happy to be there! Remembering a classic Bob Mina race report, I remembered to take a split just as the door slammed shut: I was at 2:34:13 with 6.2 miles to go.

I burst out of the loo with what felt like a renewed vigor but things were never the same after that forced pit stop. I don't know if it was the sitting down that let my legs tighten up or a bad nutrition plan or the coldish conditions but mile 21 went by in a pedestrian 10:57 (with extenuating circumstances) and then 22 got me back up to a blistering 8:36. But I could feel my legs getting heavier and heavier with every step and I knew that I wasn't going to see a sub-8 minute mile again.

Just short of the 23 mile mark we entered MGM Studios wherein I was greeted by Maleficent who simply sneered at me and asked, "You can run faster than that, can't you?". Bitch. ;-) Now at this point, Bob Mina would have had a great quip to shoot back at her. All I could manage was, "Ugh!" Eloquent; concise... neanderthal.

By now I was no longer running 15 & 1s. By 22 miles I was down to 14:30 & 1:30, by mile 23 I was down to "make it to the next mile marker and you can have a walk break" and by mile 24 I was down to "make it to that garbage can and you can...". As such, I saw my pace over those three miles drop into the 9:30 range but by mile 25 as we entered the Boardwalk and started to run around the lake that would bring us back into Epcot for the final time I knew I was going to make it. I knew that any chance of a sub 3:30 were quashed by my pitstop 5 miles ago and I could feel my hamstrings starting to quiver with every step as they threatened to cross over the line into full blown cramping. "Just let me finish first, then you can cripple me, " was the deal I offered my hamstrings and thankfully the cramps stayed away. The final 1.2 miles were spend cajoling those around me to not give up and run in with me and, in turn, being cajoled by those around me who reminded me that, "dammit! You made us start running again so there's no damn way we're letting you stop early!" If the guy in the purple Team In Training singlet whose name I'll probably never know is reading this; Thanks! You brought me to the finish line, man.

Everything after the finish line is a blur of hundreds of volunteers grabbing me and wrapping me in mylar and clipping off my chip and hanging a medal around my neck and feeding me and handing me Powerade and gently and kindly herding me in the directions I needed to go. They were the epitome of a well-oiled, fully functioning machine and are truly the unsung heros of the event. I made it a point to thank every one of the volunteers I came in contact with and I can only hope that in some small way they ended their very long day feeling appreciated.

All in all the day goes down as both my greatest accomplishment to date and the most pain I have ever felt that didn't involve massive amounts of blood loss. I finished the day barely able to move with legs that screamed anytime I tried to walk on anything other than a perfectly flat surface. It was a helluva day and will be a tough act to follow. I suspect that no marathon I run after this will ever be a special or memorable as this one was. But I hope I'm wrong.

If you are still reading this then you are a greater glutton for punishment than I but I thank you for sticking it out. For those few who might be interested here is the raw data of my run: