Another Dopey (Goofy + 5K) checking in....adding a full marathon yesterday making
me truly Dumbo!
We arrived in Orlando at 2 am late January 1st/early January 2nd after a missed
flight, but then catching up to our connection because it was delayed. It was very
stressful, and made me more grateful than ever for the Hyatt at the airport.
We left on the 2nd for the Disney cruise and arrived at WDW on the 5th. Went over
to the expo on the 5th at about 6 pm, and it was a madhouse. I thought it opened
at 5, but I was wrong and I think all of the locals got off work and came by.
Finally got all of my things together, went to the Fun Run pick up, and was glad to
be out of there!
Friday we were in the parks, with my sister and her family, and I missed the encounter
and Kris' surprise visit. :( We left the parks early and I had planned on an early
bed time, but who knew how hard it would be to get some pasta? Ended up with room
service (which was backed up), and I think got to bed at 9 pm.
On Saturday I got to the D tent and got to see friendly faces, some old and a few new.
Off to the corrals, which included a new, LONGER walk. The start of the half, from
corral E, which was sadly missing Mark Druckenmiller after being manhandled by a
volunteer on a power trip , took 15 minutes to cross the start, which felt like
putting 16,000 people on a bike path. Disney really needs to rethink this. They
have announced the split format again for next year so I hope they treat this as
a 1st year event and do a lot of fine tuning, both in the start and the transportation
from Saturday.
I had absolutely no plan going into this, but my coach's plan for me was to run
the half so I would at least get one good run out of this whole melee, and then run
the 1st half of the full Sunday, and then survive the 2nd half. He even said I
should add my Saturday half and Sunday 1st half, and call that my marathon time
(I like his thinking a lot better than my actual marathon chip time). :)
I started with Ellen and Eileen and then left them in search of some "open
road". I never know what race day holds, but was feeling good and decided
to run with it. Just after crossing the mats at mile 10 in PR time for me (out
of any run ever, race or training), I decided I would pull over for a bathroom
break and to shed some clothes and gloves, which I now regret since I ended up
running a new half PR by almost 5 minutes, and I wish I had that break time back! I
think if I did not have the full on Sunday, and the congested start, I really could
have had a great run.
Next was the Fun Run, which I walked with my sister. Saw the beer buyers in the
act :), and admired the skill in not spilling. The kids races were next, which
was a huge cluster. They were so late and so disorganized this year!!! Everything
was "off", and made for grumpy, impatient kids that they corralled over
an hour earlier.
We switched hotels to the Contemporary, which I did not find that impressive (but
was $200 less than the Polynesian's availability). The front desk recommended room
service for pasta, so I had to wait 20 minutes to get a menu since there was not
one in the room, and then another hour for food. It was not my day. My husband
got the kids food from the food court, and the buns were moldy. All I wanted was
to sleep, especially after being up since 3 already. I was glad to get to sleep
in past 4 thanks to the monorail.
Sunday I woke up feeling pretty good, and was on the monorail line, which means by
the time I get to the D tent at after 5 am, no one is there anymore. :( Got to my
corral, and I was looking for Ellen, and while I did not find her, I found the
injured Tom entering C, and was happy to spend my waiting time catching up with him.
Mile 1 felt fine and I thought things would go along well. I was going with the
plan on running the first half as best I could to build a comfortable "lead"
against the "sweep". At miles 4-5, my back started hurting, and I was
really starting to doubt things if I was going to have to endure that for the next
20+ miles. Took some Tylenol at the med tent and hoped it would kick in. At mile
6+, I had slowed a lot (was at 1:30) and as I was at the bottom of the ramp coming
down from the overpass, even though they had to be a good 15 minutes behind me, I
could see the sweep vehicles, and that was way too close for me. Adrenaline kicked
in, and somehow I managed to run a few 12 minute miles so that I could not see the
end of the pack and felt better. :)
Saw my husband at miles 10 and 13 (he deserves a medal for putting up with me and
lugging 2 kids around all weekend). I slathered on the biofreeze all over my back
at mile 10, and after I crossed the mats at mile 13, I told my husband I was backing
down on my pace, and I would see him at mile 18.
At mile 16, I became good Samaritan runner (as I always seem to do in one form or
another), and hooked up with a woman who was struggling and did not think she would
finish the goofy. I lost time by walking with her but welcomed the conversation.
She was not doing any calculations, but as I had all the numbers constantly running
in my head, she said she was sticking with me until the end! Saw my family at mile
18, and told them I would see them at the fish line.
Saw Ellen coming into the turn after I had turned at WWS, and slowed hoping to meet
up with her, but did not until Epcot. At mile 24, I took one last gel to see me
through, had a surge of energy, and picked up the pace, and took off towards finishing.
I left the woman I had been with but knew she was fine and had plenty of time to
finish by that point. I ran into Ellen at Epcot, who had passed me at some point,
and continued on with her. Saw my sister and her family, and headed for the choir.
After 42 miles, I still had some finishing kick left so I sprinted for the finish
line, and called it a day. Got the Mickey medal but was only concerned about the
Goofy. :) Spent the rest of the day in Epcot and MK.
Went to Monday morning's encounter, and was glad to see everyone one last time and
to start making Disneyland September plans. I felt pretty good except for one phantom
pain I have never experienced. On my right lower leg, I had a really sore spot, on
the front, lower part of the shin that was really exacerbated by pointing or flexing
my foot. Driving a car didn't feel so great either. I chalked it up to a Goofy pain
and spent Monday at Animal Kingdom (no dry seat for me either- I was soaked for hours
and never did dry before our flight home) before returning home.
I got home and took plenty of ibuprofen and/or celebrex all week, and lots of ice,
determined to run the full marathon yesterday. I saw my coach on Wednesday and he
looked at it and said, "We'll hope it is not a stress fracture," and gave
me a look to which I responded, "I *am* running it". So, he ordered me
to stay off it as much as possible, ice 3 times a day at least, and see how it goes.
The pain was subsiding, and by Friday/Saturday, it was almost not noticeable.
Now for the Dumbo....
So, yesterday was race day. It was a different experience. The corrals were empty,
no one checked numbers, I could not even hear the anthem or the start and it only
took me 2.5 minutes to cross the start. The course was wide open, never any
bottlenecking, but there were only 11,000 on the full course, and 21,000 on the half.
They gave us a lot of the road, which I was not expecting I guess. I have never
seen salt pushed so hard, they were giving out salt packages in the corrals and at
every med tent and telling people to eat them ("just like tequila, only no
tequila", they said). It was a warm day in that the start was in the mid 50's
and it did reach 70, but the desert sun is harsh, and there was not much shade on
the course. I am sunburned once again and have tan lines from my shorts. The last
8 miles were windy, and the course and wind changed directions many times over the
last 8 miles.
This course is FLAT (sans one very small overpass, smaller than Disney). I have
never been on a flatter course, and I would not choose it again. I like the reward
of a downhill. :) I think the Rock n Roll title is a huge gimmick- the bands were
few and far between and not much of a distraction/entertainment (especially when
you run by them in a few seconds), and I heard that from many people.
I ran the first 7 miles on PR pace for me, knowing I would see my husband and kids
at 7. My leg was hurting pretty badly. I asked him for Tylenol but he had left
it in the car and said he would get it to me at 11. I took a bathroom break and
headed on, slowing down some as the pain increased, not knowing how bad/how long
I could take it. I saw him at mile 11, living for the promise of relief, and he
brings me a bottle of Tylenol PM!! I literally started crying right there. He said
he'd get to me at the next stop. I stopped at a med tent looking for some biofreeze
and they told me the race was not offering anything topical. Is this usual? I was
shocked (and told them so), but took 2 Tylenol and was on my way. Crossed the half
mats and looked for some exit where maybe I could get a half medal instead, but there
was no such opportunity. The half and full are 2 distinctly separate courses, and
the full is a 26 mile "line" heading through 3 cities, so stopping at
the half would have left me stranded. Around mile 14, I ran into a woman I trained
with 2 years ago and have not seen, but she gave me a ben gay relief patch, which
I stuck to the sore spot on my leg, and got some relief from that.
Saw my husband at mile 15, and he had bought some regular Tylenol at the closest
7-11, so I took 2 more since I was only allowed 2 at the med tent. I figured I
should be good to go now, but was still in some pretty good pain. It hurt more w
hen I walked, so I was running, but at a pathetically slow pace.
Saw my coach at mile 18, who told me I was crazy and had better plan on some time
off effective immediately upon crossing the finish line. Saw my husband at miles
19, 22, 24, and 26. My kids were high fiving runners on the course as they would
wait for me (since my pace just kept getting worse) and many people came up and
made mention after the race. :) I guess there is a bonus to a race at home- they
got to 8 places on the course. I wish I had people who would have run with me here
or there, that would have made the day complete!
So, as Kris reported, I finished, and not fast or well. My lower calf is sore to
the touch and bruised, but is not anywhere as bad as it was Monday after Goofy so
hopefully I did not backpedal too much. My legs feel fine and I have no pain
whatsoever. I am resting now but have a burning desire to get out for a run, I
have no idea why (because I can't , TOM?). I am signed up for the Penguin Distance
Classic here in Arizona on March 12 and DL on September 17th, but that is all I have
on tap. I try to do 2 fulls a year, and I have already met that for 2006!
I think that's it!
Julie Miwa
