Race Report :: Walt Disney World Marathon

After the half marathon on Saturday my plan was stay off my feet for the rest of the day. When I arrived home I had thawed out a little bit, but I was still cold. Mr. H. had brewed a pot of coffee and I had a great big cup.

My shower also has a sauna in it. I turned the sauna on and jumped in the shower. Once I was cleaned up and warmed up I put on my pajamas, threw my running clothes in the washer and laid down in bed. I tried to nap, but had a hard time sleeping. I finally fell asleep and after about 45 minutes I jumped up. I was sure I had thrown my iPod in the washer. Thankfully, I had not.

I could not get back to sleep, but I decided to remain off my feet and I lazed around until the late afternoon.

At 4:45 PM we headed out for my favorite pre-marathon meal, sushi. While we were at dinner, I missed a phone call from Marathon Chris. She called to say that her husband was most likely not joining her in the morning and she had an extra spot for the runner's retreat.

As soon as we got home from dinner, I got my things ready for Sunday morning. Then I headed to bed. It was a little later than I had hoped, and the sleep came easy.

My alarm rang at 2:15 AM. I got up, got dressed and hit the road before 3:00 AM. Chris and I talked on the phone and made arrangements to meet up. The runner's retreat was awesome. Separate bag check, private bathrooms, warm beverages and the promise of food after the race.

When we left the retreat we met up with a few Twitter peeps. And we all headed to our starting corrals. Chris and I waited in the corral and right before the race started we wished each other luck. We were off. Chris was targeting a very specific goal and she was off. I wasn't really sure what to expect from myself for the race. My coach had said to move with the crowd. To have the crowd set the pace and not to rush forward. I took his advice and ran comfortably and didn't jockey for position or try to pass people.

By the third mile I had shed all of my toss away clothes except my gloves. I was warming up, even though it was cold out. I was shocked to find ice on the road at the water stops. All the way through the half way point. The ice in the water and the on the ground was much freakier to me than the sleet from Saturday. I was careful with my footing and just kept moving forward.

I was keeping a comfortable pace and I was feeling really good. On the loop around that headed back past the starting area I decided to toss my gloves. My hands were starting to get too warm. I should have hung on to them for a little while longer. I got cold later in the race and cursed tossing the gloves.

At mile eight I was thinking about the 5th anniversary Goofy medal and I realized that this was my 5th marathon. What a wonderful way to commemorate the occasion!

I was feeling good and I just kept going. Through the Transportation and Ticket Center, along the road that led us to the Magic Kingdom, down Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, through Cinderella's Castle, Liberty Square, Frontieerland and then to the backstage area.

The course continues along a service road and it gets a little crowded but I was enjoying myself. Along this stretch of the road the Central Florida Accordion Club braved the cold and came out to keep us entertained. It was a lot of fun to hear them and I really appreciated their enthusiasm.

Did I mention I was feeling good? We moved on to the road that would take us to Animal Kingdom. It was still cold, I missed my gloves but I continued on. I did see runners stop to pick up discarded clothing to help warm themselves up. This road is shady and it was a little breezy.

I passed over a timing sensor along this stretch of road. There was a DJ calling names of people as they crossed. I found out after the race the BostonCardioVet was right behind me and heard my name called.

I was feeling amazing! This stretch of road, while nothing to write home about, was one of my favorite parts of the race. I was running consistently and had thoughts of a possible PR or close to it.

I entered Animal Kingdom and I was still feeling pretty good. I was still running strongly and it was turning into such a good day.

As I got through Animal Kingdom I started to feel things tighten up and I was beginning to slow down a little bit, but I kept moving forward.

Somewhere around mile 18 I heard someone cheer for me. My name was on the front of my shirt and throughout the race people had been cheering for me by name. And then the person said "Are you Maddy from Twitter?" I said yes, but I was wondering if they were really talking about me. There were 16,000+ finishers. Could this be someone I knew?

The person caught up to me. It was Alett, a.k.a @petfxr. We ran together for a while, chatting and running. Alett pealed off the course for a stop at the porta-potties. It was so nice to meet her in person and I enjoyed the company.

I had just started to notice an issue with my little toe on my right foot. It felt like the seam on my sock was in the wrong spot. I stopped to tug on it, but it didn't help. I untied my shoe and looked at my sock and saw what looked to be blood. There was a medical tent ahead and I ran up to it and asked for a band-aid. I took my shoe and sock off and I was sure that the nail being in place was short-lived. A volunteer bandaged me up and I was on my way. In and out in less than two minutes. The band-aid was a huge help and I was able to keep moving forward. The pain was gone.

I made my way through the out and back around mile 21 and 22. This is often called the cruelest part of the course, but I really didn't mind it this time. I was still running, slower mind you, but I was still running.

And just like that I was on my way to Hollywood Studios. Just like last year, my friend Jim was waiting to welcome runners to the Chocolate stop. He jogged along side me, gave me a hug and sent me on my way.

I was getting closer! I was still feeling good. I was slower, but I was still feeling pretty good.

I refused to stop running and I kept going through Hollywood Studios and along the route to the Boardwalk.

I entered Epcot knowing the end was coming soon. I was almost done. As I passed through the World Showcase, I was still running. Slow, but I was going. Near Norway I saw My friend Morgan who had come out to cheer on several of her running friends. I knew I couldn't stop but I waved and kept at it.

I was so close. Keep moving forward, keep moving forward, keep moving forward. Spaceship Earth, keep moving forward. The Gospel Choir, keep moving forward. The 26 mile marker, keep moving forward.

The Finish Line! 5:26:35

My Best Case Scenario Goal was to finish the race somewhere between 5:30 and 5:45. I finished well ahead of my goal and I was so happy. It was the confidence boost I needed as I take this training and put it to work for me for the North Carolina Marathon on March 20th.

I claimed my medals and headed to the retreat where I met up with Chris, put on some dry clothes and ate! What a nice treat that was!

This was not a PR for me, but it was one of the most enjoyable marathons I have ever run. With the exception of walking a few steps through some of the icy water stops, I took no walk breaks, tried to keep a consistent pace and I ran my race. I was so thrilled with this race!

I can't wait to see what happens in North Carolina!