Well... I guess it is my turn. My story will hopefully be an inspirational one... or at the very least.. a message on what NOT to do when you want to do a Race!

I signed up for the Minnie after signing up for and NOT doing the past 2 Half Marathon's in Disney...Yes..sad but true... well, I have to give myself credit for actually heading down this past January and well....watching it! LOL!! I just never started to train. I would lurk on this board and have grand illusiions of starting to train... and then doing... you guessed it.. absolutely nothing! Yes, I would go out and purchase a Fabulous walking/running/training wardrobe... I have stunning matching sets.... and kept promising myself to go out and get the perfect sneakers.... I even ordered the Garmin everyone has been talking about... (that is still in it's box!) I DID however, get myself to lose 40 lbs... and then gain back 10 which I have now lost again... and I am on the track to losing the remaining 40 that I still need to. So, I figure, that's progress.. BUT you all didn't come here to read about this.. where does the Minnie fit in you want to know... Well, I will tell you... After watching the 1/2 and full this past January, I was very inspired... I came home with new found hope for myself... and while surfing the boards one night came across the Minnie info.... Hmmm... a 5K? I could do that... So, I immediately signed up and the rest is history... I kept promising myself to start training.. but May rolled around and I hadn't done a lick of it... not one walk or run... I happen to be very active, I dance and perform on a regular basis... so, I figured I would NOT let this one go by. I would still do the walk.. even if I was the last one to cross the finish line!!! So, I arrive in Florida late Thursday evening pick up my rental car (I ended up with a Pacifica - this is important for later!) and head down to Downtown Disney to pick up my renewed AP....I then head over to POP to get my room, hit the food court and then hit the bed! I am up early the next morning and I hit the MK first... Then over to the EXPO.. my very first one! I was VERY excited! Sure.. I have ABSOLUTELY no training whatsoever.. but now that I knew a 5K wasnt' 5 Miles but 3.whatever I was really sure I would have no problem (Now come on... I am sure I am not the ONLY one who made that mistake!



Upon entering the EXPO, I was surprised at the lack of activity... it seemed... empty .. I found where I needed to sign in... and then I asked about volunteering for the 15K.... I figured since I was here, I might as well support the "real" runners too! That is where I met Art! He was one of the volunteers and he was just a hoot! He stayed with me until the coordinator showed up to sign me up. I noticed the 2 times they needed volunteers to show up... one was at 4:30 am and the other was 5:30 am... UGH! I, of course, picked that latter! LOL!! I then went downstairs, as instructed, to pick up my goody bag and my shirt... well, when I got dowstairs, they informed me that I needed to go back upstairs because they forgot to have me sign something.. so, off I went.. then back down again... gee.. I think I just did my 5K That was a LONG walk!! Anyway, when I got back downstairs, I was told that they were not handing out the shirts for the 5k until the end of the race... No biggie (or so we thought!) I got my goodie bag and strolled around the expo, purchasing my obligatory Hat and pin... didn't get much else other than that... while I was walking.. I did notice a booth where people were making what looked like crowns... being alone, I was a bit intimidated, and I stood back and didn't participate... little did I know that this booth would become VERY important to me later on!

So, I left the EXPO with my little goody bag.. and excitement in my step! I am a bit tired, so I decide to head back to POP and hit the pool... I spent the rest of the day there... then I hit the outlets and Downtown Disney and back to POP to settle in for an early wake up call.

So, at 5:00 am the phone rings and for a minute or two I contemplate hanging up and just going back to sleep... I mean... really... do I REALLY want to do this after all??? And the answer is YES.. I NEED to do this... so, Up I go.. into the shower to wake myself up... and I get dressed, put on my bodyglide.. affix my number.... figure out the chip thingie.... and head on out. I am surprised by the darkness and fog when I open the door to my room... and am also surprised by the sense I pride I feel in myself that I am actually doing this. I pull into the parking lot on the West Side and follow the herd.. okay.. well the small group of folks heading in the general direction of the music... As soon as I get there I see Minnie, with no line and whip out my camera...



Wow.. now it's official! Can you see how excited I am? Okay.. so, I had NO clue what to do... so, I just wandered around for a bit... .I did see someone with a DIS shirt on... and I said Hi... sorry.. I don't remember who it was.. my mind was racing.... I didn't know if I should drink water.. or not.. eat a bananna now or later... pee.. don't pee... I really was at a loss... So.. I just sort of watched what others were doing and followed their lead... Here are some shots I took while waiting...maybe you can see yourself in these!











They started getting the crowd ready... and I jumped in line for a porta potty... and then they sang the Anthem and called the 1 milers to their start... I managed to grab this pic of them on their way .. sorry it's so far away.. it all happened so fast!



It was then I noticed everyone heading over to the start line for the 5k and I joined in.



When I got to the waiting area I noticed yet another DIs'er.. turned out to be Perfectmatch and her Husband! It was great to meet you both! They were the first friendly faces and voices that I spoke to that day... both were very encouraging and inspirational! I am only sorry that I never got to the EOS meet to chat further!! Well.. it was what seemed like a mere few minutes before Minnie began the countdown and we were off... well... I started walking with everyone and I was amazed... it was such a once in a lifetime moment... seeing so many people of different ages, shapes, sizes all joining in to do the same task... I really don't remember much more than that for the first few moments of the race... I found myself chatting with several different people along the way.. and soon fell into pace with a group of 3 ladies as we hit the turn into SSR.. my Home resort One of them was a 1 year cancer survivor and the other had walked the 1/2 in January and was also planning on doing the 15k the next day, along with her daughter... they were great and adopted me into their little group.... they were all wearing those crowns that I had seen folks making at the expo and they explained that it was for a group called Team Tiara... I was intrigued and promised myself that I would look them up to get some more info.... here's a pic of my new friends!




well, before I knew it, the beginning cramps I was feeling in my legs were gone and I was sailing along with these ladies... we would walk a bit.. and then run for a bit... this went on for sometime and next thing I knew we were passing the 2 mile marker! Wow.. that was fast!

Here are some pics from the course

You can see the runners heading into the finish line from this bridge.. but we still had a bit to go to get there...



This was a golf cart we saw along the way....




As we passed the 2 mile marker, we came across another lady who appeared to be struggling... we started talking to her and encouraging her to keep going... we slowed our pace down to stay with her... she was so inspiring to me..... we were heading to the 3 mile mark and there was a hill with a gentleman standing on it shouting out encouragement to us... it was then I realized the he was our new friend's husband... she looked like all she wanted to do was fall down.. but we all just kept on telling her that she could do it... I think helping her kept me from focusing on myself and I didn't even think that I may be tired... All of a sudden there it was.. the finish line... We all grabbed hands and crossed the finish together... wow... how great was that.. I was so proud of Trish.. my new friend...that it didn't dawn on me until later when I was alone.. that I too had accomplished something.... I wasn't even tired... I was elated! I went over to get my t-shirt.. and yes.. I was one of the lucky few to actually get one... and I did notice they were giving out more than one to some folks... I only have one... But.. if someone REALLY wants one that didn't get it.. I would be happy to let you have mine! (I too agree that the volunteer shirts were WAY cooler than the actual race shirts!) I wandered around for a bit.. and then went back to have my pic taken with my medal... it was during this post race time that the seeds of doing the 15K also started to enter into my mind....



This isn't my end of race pic.. but it was Later that day.. and I am wearing my medal! LOL!!

Kathy