Can ya'll stand another report here? Kind of long, sorry!

2007 Half

1. It was hot and humid.

2. I wasn’t nervous before the event. I was surprisingly calm….until the race was about to begin. I started getting nervous because…..

3. It was HOT and HUMID. I had not trained in this kind of weather. I melt in the heat. Thank God it was cloudy. I don’t know how the marathoner’s did it.

4. Miles 1-4 were uneventful and good. Mile 5 - I started feeling nauseated. Not sure why. I was afraid it might be the heat. My friend, Cindy, who walked/ran with me the whole way, thought it might have been from the all PowerAde I drank before the race.

5. Took a bathroom break in the MK. Cindy wanted to take my pic with all the characters. However, I didn’t want to waste time. I’m not as fast as she is. I did manage to run backwards in MK so she could get a pic of me with the castle in the background. By the way, she was just too darn bubbly the whole way. How dare she have all this fun while I’m in pain. (In reality, I could not have finished without her being there).

6. Ate half a banana as we were leaving MK. Started feeling sick again around mile 7. Mile 8 was better.

7. Mile 9 – blisters were forming on both feet in the exact same spot … inner foot. I didn’t know what to do for them at this point.

8. Mile 10 – harder to reach than a few weeks earlier when I did 10 miles. I think it was due to the HEAT and HUMIDITY.

9. Mile 11 – I couldn’t run at all any more. My feet were hurting. I had been doing the walk 3 run 1 intervals. Was looking forward to the water stop only to find out there was no more water at this stop.

10. Mile 12 – tried to run but couldn’t for more than a few seconds at a time. Feet were on fire….I could smell the smoke….and it wasn’t due to speed.

11. Mile 13 – aren’t we there yet? Ha! Tried to run over finish line but I think I could have walked faster.

12. Crossed the finish line, got the medal (there were still some at this point), and headed to VIP tent to collapse.

13. I wanted to take off my shoes and let my feet breathe but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get my shoes back on. Besides, I was sure the people in the tent wouldn’t appreciate the site.

14. VIP tent……grrrrrrrrrrr. Before the race, the lines to our “private” porta potties were twice as long as the regular lines. Grrrrrrrr. After the race, I saw massage therapists giving massages. I signed up. By my calculations, I should be able to get that 10-minute massage 2 ½ hours later. I didn’t wait around. Also, all the drinks and food are the same provided to everyone else. No iced-down drinks either. Oh, there were some chairs and a few tables. I didn’t think it was worth the $50. If the weather would have been cold, then maybe it would have been worth the bucks, maybe.

15. DH fiasco/miscommunication. I didn’t take my cell phone as I didn’t want it weighing me down. Cindy had hers. My DH, Steve, didn’t have his either – Cindy’s boyfriend, Fred, had his and Steve was with Fred. Before the race, I told Steve to meet us at the “W” tent so we could meet up with other WISHers. Cindy later told me that the boys were going to meet us at the “M” tent – by her last name. I told Cindy to tell Fred to tell Steve the change in plans. You can see where this is going. At the end of the race, I told Cindy that I have to go lay down in the VIP tent…my feet were hurting. Could she please tell Steve to meet me there? Ten minutes after lying down, I emerge from the VIP tent. No Steve. I went to the “M” tent, the “W” test…just in case. No Steve. I walked around some more. Feet were still hurting. I think some of you saw me wandering around. Went back and forth from VIP to “W” to “M”. Saw several upset WISHers – no more medals. Still no Steve. One hour later, after the crowds had greatly thinned, I finally saw him – waiting in front of the “W” tent – not the family tent but the tent to drop off the personal belongings before the race. He was not a happy camper (more worried than mad) and my feet were still hurting. Cindy and Fred were long gone at this point. Skipped the massage (still another hour and ½ away before my name would be called), went back to the hotel and took an ice bath. Steve never got the message to meet me at the “M” tent or VIP.

16. Couldn’t walk very well later that night. I ended up having 6 blisters. The next day was better. Thankfully, I packed a lot of moleskin. It was a life saver. Looking back, a change in socks halfway through the run would have helped.

17. On Sunday, cheered on WISHers around the course. Ended up cheering in Epcot – right before mile 26. Later that night, still dressed in the same garb from that morning (and looking quite ragged and scary), we headed to Pleasure Island to check out the results. I saw Goofyguy1958, Mike. He did the Goofy challenge - and at lightening speeds, I might add. Mike was disappointed that he had not seen any other WISHers. Hopefully, he found some in PI. He also said that his wife might try for the half next year. That will be quite an accomplishment after her car accident this year. We're rooting for her, Mike!

18. Monday, went to MK. Our group (6 of us) was chosen to be grand marshals at one of the parades. I think it’s because we all had our medals on. This was fun.

19. All in all, I really had a good time – not so much during the race – but with all the events surrounding the race. Thanks to all the spectators and WISHers cheering us on. Your support really helped!!!!!

20. During the run, I swore that I would not do this again. I’ve since changed my mind. I’m going for the special Mickey. I have a year to train. I think I can do it.