WDW Marathon weekend

*******I did it********

Run 26.2 miles ~ check

The entire weekend couldn't have been more perfect. Gorgeous weather, fun travelling companions, and I managed to cross that finish line without any issues.

I had a leisurely day on Saturday, allowing my body to rest while getting mentally prepped for the big day. After picking up my race bib at the expo I met the family for lunch at Emeril's in Universal. The WDW Marathon Expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex {photo snapped right at opening so no crowds}.
An early dinner at our condo. My pre-marathon meal consisted of pasta, garlic bread, pizza, salad and beer. Carb loading was sure fun!

My gear ~ out and ready for the 2:45am wake up call!
Lights were out at 8:30pm on Saturday night, but my heart was beating so hard {major anxiety} I couldn't fall asleep until around 11pm. Here I am dressed and ready to roll at 3:20am. Hopeful that I have some adrenalin and juice left in me after all the worry and lack of sleep to actually move my legs back and forth for 26 miles! (That's one of several gu's peeking out of my top)
Hubby dropped me at the starting point at Epcot around 3:50am. We were directed to the starting chutes around 4:20am, where we waited...
....and waited~in the chilly temps under the full moon.

Just like I said in this post, I shivered and fidgeted the whole time. Sitting on the pavement from 4:20 to 5:45ish, meditating, breathing, and making small talk with those sitting nearby.
Each wave was introduced with fireworks and major hoopla from the Disney crew.
My wave {F}, was moved into starting position at 6am.
Here I am just before the fireworks send off at 6:05am. I took one of hubby's beat up old LS white tees to wear during this time, only to be stripped off and thrown in the pile with other discarded clothing at mile 6. We ran through Epcot, then over to Magic Kingdom. This photo was snapped at around 730am at mile 11 or so.

I felt incredible during the first half of the marathon. 13 miles I can handle pretty well in just over 2 hours time. The weather was perfect for running and it was such fun getting to run through Magic Kingdom before it opened to the public.
The run from Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom was only 4 miles or so and it wasn't too bad. Entering into Animal Kingdom was my favorite. Disney cast members were standing at the entrance with a variety of rare birds, owls, and animals. I arrived just before 9am so there were lots of park visitors there to cheers us on AND I got to sneak a quick picture with Minnie Mouse (first pic in post) without having to wait.

Here I am in front of Mount Everest {another item on my bucket list} at about mile 16.

The stretch from Animal Kingdom to MGM Studios was the hardest. The bright sun was beating down and we were running on the highway for most of this 5 mile stretch. Once we hit MGM Studios we were at 22 miles, so only 4 to go!

This is me leaving MGM Studios.

The final 4 miles were tough, but thanks to a nice friend I met on the course {hey Kim from Greeley, Co!}, we helped each other keep running and cross that finish line, no walking peeps!

Crossing the finish line at 5 hours 11 mins and a big YAHOO! ☺

I truly didn't care about my time and figured I would finish right at the 5 hour mark, including the 4 potty stops and pictures in each park.

While the family made their way to me through the crowds, I sat happily on the ground and stretched, drank water, and texted the world that I had made it~ whew, what an experience.

We actually spent the remainder of the day hopping around between Magic Kingdom and Epcot. While the group rode rides, I mostly sat and rested my legs while people watching.

Our intentions were to stay for fireworks at Epcot that night but by 8pm we {ME} were so wiped out we had to get back and go to bed.

We were scheduled to fly home on Monday but due to severe storms and flooding in Houston we stayed through Tuesday.

The girls were SO excited to unpack our bags and head back out to the parks for an additional day of fun. We spent the day at Universal Orlando.

My legs were sore the first couple of days but getting out and walking felt good. I did schedule a sports therapy massage at a spa here in Houston this weekend so that will be nice.

The grand finale to our extended weekend in Orlando was poncho seating at the Blue Man Group show.

Such fun!

All in all, this was our best Orlando trip yet!

My final marathon thoughts are this;

for those of you who aspire to run {or walk} a full marathon someday, YOU CAN DO IT! With consistent training and the right mindset it is achievable. Going the path of running the half marathon first is the best bet. You see all walks of life out there running, all ages, all sizes, every physical condition you can imagine. It is such an interesting test on preparing your body for something that only your mind can really make happen.

I'm going to give my body (and mind) a break for awhile, but will stick with running two half marathons per year {Napa in July for sure}. I'm not sure if I'll run another full marathon again, but at least now I know I can do it.

Thanks to everyone for cheering me on last weekend. Now it's my turn to give back so I'll be up bright and early on Sunday to volunteer at the Houston Marathon. If you happen to be running, I'll be handing out water at the table right in front of West U Elementary on University Blvd.

Big hugs~

Tricia