Last January, I had the opportunity to travel to Disney World for the Level 1 Team In Training coaching certification seminar. It was a great day, full of information, short runs and new friends. While I was there, I heard several people talking about something called "Goofy." I had to know - what was this, exactly? Turns out that it is running the 1/2 Marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday followed by running the Full Marathon (26.2 miles) on Sunday - 39.3 miles in two days. How awful, I thought! Who would DO that?
Silly me. I knew exactly who, hahaha!
Winter registration opened for Team In Training, and I signed myself up for the Goofy Challenge. How hard could it be, I thought? It will be fun, I thought! You can start laughing now. It was hard. And not super fun. Well, not the running part. The overall experience was AMAZING, though. I absolutely love Team In Training, and every moment I spend with my fellow purple people is a blessing.
I headed towards Orlando late Friday night. My girls had a game, and I didn't want to miss out on their first game in the new year. We didn't win - we didn't even play particularly well, actually. I think we are getting worse instead of better. I pocketed my frustration and gave the girls a pep talk, told them to keep their heads up and we'd give it another go Monday. I rushed out of the gym, anxious to get to the hotel for a few hours of sleep before race #1. You'd think I'd have learned from Miami Man, but as usual I had over committed myself and therefore I was only able to sleep for 4 hours.
I had my race gear all laid out and ready to go, so once I realized why my alarm was going off at 2am, I hopped up and started to get myself ready for Day One. I managed to get to the hotel lobby at 2:30am for a quick coffee run before the team meeting at 2:45am. I ran into Teresa and Elaine, who were probably surprised to see me so early - and on time, to boot - and then I saw Soly, who was headed to get some breakfast. I moseyed on down to our meeting place, coffee in hand, and continued to prepare for the race. There were squeals of excitement from all of us - yes, at 3am - and lots of hugs to go around. We love hugs almost as much as we love running! Once everyone was gathered and accounted for, we took a bunch of group photos, listened to Lyle, Teresa and Elaine for last minute race instructions, and walked to the buses.
Our group ended up separating on the buses, so it was a bit helter skelter. I stuck with Soly and Jeania, and we followed the 27,000 other people heading to the start line of the 1/2 Marathon. It did occur to me that we were behaving like cattle, shuffling our feet, following the masses. I also briefly thought of the Holocaust. I just cannot help myself sometimes. I changed the channel to more pleasant thoughts, and hiked the mile to the start line. Seriously - it couldn't have been closer to the bus drop-off?
Anyway. Due to my late arrival Friday night, I wasn't able to go to the expo to submit my proof of time to move from the last corral, so I was all the way in the back - as in Corral H. I didn't mind much, because the race times are based on when you cross the start and finish, not when the first person crosses the line. My corral started 51 minutes after the first runners began. It was a long time to wait, so I made friends with a woman from Indianapolis, who was back doing her 4th Goofy race. Once we made it to the front, we clapped and cheered as the last of the fireworks ignited, and off we went.
The course was a bit narrow, and VERY crowded. I focused on the path in front of me, and followed a family of 4 through the masses for the first 3 miles, since they were running about my pace. My stomach didn't feel quite right, but I tried to ignore it and focus on running. The first part of the course was highway, and I was debating whether or not I should use the portalet or wait until I got into the park, since the bathrooms would be open.
At Mile 4 we found ourselves in the Magic Kingdom, which was all lit up and very pretty. I started to veer over to the restroom, only to see a long line. I was running at a decent pace, and I didn't want to stop and lose time, so I kept going.
At Mile 5, I realized that was a grave mistake, as my stomach was really unhappy. I was irritated that the runners were stopping in the middle of the course to take pictures, and I found myself aggravated and not enjoying the race.
At Mile 6, I spotted another bathroom, and I was NOT passing it up. There wasn't a line, and there was toilet paper, soap and water - score! That is the one really nice thing about running through the Disney Parks. They let you use their bathrooms, lol. I felt better, and only lost 2 minutes.
I don't really remember much after Mile 6. My stomach started cramping almost immediately, and I did not feel good. Somehow I made it to Mile 11.5, and used the bathroom in Epcot. I lost another 2 minutes, but it was worth it. I don't know what was going on, but it was awful. I rounded the corner, and there was a gospel choir, singing "Hallelujah." They were my favorite. Finally the finish line was in sight, and since I felt ok, I picked up my pace and headed on in. My official time was 2:34, which I was happy with, considering how awful I felt, the impromptu stops at the castle, walking where the course narrowed and bottlenecked, and the bathroom stops. I made my way through the finish chute, claiming my medal and a few bottles of water, thanking each of the volunteers along the way.
I went to get in line to have my official photo taken, and I spotted my friend Luis, so I went to chat with him. While we were talking, Soly came in! The three of us had some laughs, took pictures, and headed in to find food (and beer) before checking in at the Team In Training tent. I went to get my gear bag, and decided that perhaps I should use the bathroom one more time. It was a long day . . . .and it was about to get longer, only I had no idea, lol.
Team In Training switched to a new check-in system - they used tablets! Instead of finding our name on a computer print out, they simply loaded it into the app, and took our picture, which was instantly sent to our email! This may be the only Disney Marathon Weekend in recent years with temperatures above freezing. Thank goodness, because I am not certain that my love for Team In Training would have gotten me to sit out in the cold for three hours before running. Look at that blue clear sky - it was a beautiful day! Not the least bit cold, sunny, dry, and not too humid. This is why I moved to Florida!
After we decided that we had everything, Soly and I made our way over to the bus lines that would take us back to the resort. I noticed a blister the size of a quarter on my right foot, at the exact spot my foot hits the ground with every step I take. I groaned inwardly, thinking "tomorrow is going to be a long 26 miles." Once we got the the hotel and climbed down off the bus (why are those steps so high?), I had to use the bathroom again. This went on the entire afternoon and evening - I used the bathroom every 30 minutes or so, right up until I passed out at 8:30pm.
We had a mini-inspiration dinner at the Olive Garden at 5pm, so Soly and I hobbled down to the lobby to head out. I was supposed to drive, but when we got to the parking lot, I realized I left my keys on the bed. Soly had hers, so she saved us the walk back, lol. When we arrived, the hostess was ready for us, so we were seated quickly. We shared a table with 5 others, and we enjoyed conversations and laughter. I had to get up and talk to Lyle, Elaine and Teresa before I ordered food.
Poor Lyle. He gets the most random questions, all what "regular" people would consider "embarrassing" and "TMI." He is a godsend, though. He never makes fun of any of us for asking weird questions, and he always helps. He told me what to order, and to go to Target for Immodium AD. He told me how much to take and when, he told me how to take care of the blisters on my feet, he told me what to eat for breakfast and how to fuel during the marathon. I drank up every single drop of information, and followed all of his instructions.
I drank two bottles of water, took medicine, I went to bed that night at 8:30pm, when my roommate Charlene and I agreed that we would turn out the lights. She was from our Ft. Lauderdale chapter, and running her first marathon! We were both excited, and we got along really well. At one point, I sat straight up in bed, sweating, and thought that I overslept and missed the bus. It was 10:15pm. I woke up every hour after that, worried that I was going to be late. Finally it was 1:50am, and I decided to just get out of bed and get ready for Day Two. My stomach felt better, but I took the Immodium, skipped the banana and peanut butter, and headed to the cafe for coffee. I bought two cups, because I knew from the prior morning that I would have awhile to wait and I would need the caffeine. My feet hurt pretty bad, so I carefully bandaged the blisters and tried not to think about them. It was 2:45am - time for roll call and pictures!
That's Lyle. And me. Kind of a terrible photo, but it was the middle of the night. Cut us some slack.
After pictures, we made our way to the buses - and we actually all got on the same one! We went to our established meeting place, and hung out until 4:15am-ish, when the corrals were opening. I must say, there is not a group of people I'd rather hang out with at 4am than my Team In Training friends. We had a great time, talking about the day and wishing each other good races.
The day before, Soly and I went to the expo so that I could change my corral - I was able to move up to E, so I started with PJ, Genna, Christa and Soly. I thought I could possibly finish the marathon in 5 hours, which would be a Personal Best for me, so I lined up with the pacer, Marie, who I had actually met last winter in St. Pete at the 1/2 Marathon. Marie also teaches at Thomas Jefferson, the school district where I coached! What a small world!!!
If you haven't guessed, this was a mistake. I started the race WAY too fast - my legs hurt before I even went to bed on Saturday, and my feet were feeling less than nice. I kept up for awhile, fully believeing that I could stick with the 5 hour pace group the entire marathon. I spotted Ben Mena on the side of the road at Mile 2ish, taking pictures of the runners. I shouted and waved, and then continued onward. I ran for awhile with a man named Jeff, who is from Baldwin, PA! We talked about the Burgh, and about Ironman training. I dropped back to tell PJ that I was stopping to use the bathroom at Mile 4, and that I would need to drop back a bit because the 5 hour pace was a bit too fast for me that day.
The bonus was that there were no lines at Mile 4. One of the cast members opened up their private restroom for us to use as well - talk about service! I was in and out, and decided that I would be ready to take some photos. I had my camera in hand, and stopped to take a picture of the castle.
I continued on through, walking through the aid stations, taking in water and powerade and alternating gels and chews. I was being very careful, and trying not to take in too much - I didn't want to have to stop every mile to use the bathroom! My legs were screaming at me already, and I was only at Mile 5. It was about this time that I started to feel the searing pain on both of my feet - I had new blisters on top of the old ones. I tried not to think about it, and I just kept going. I felt ok, actually. I didn't mind stopping to walk through the water stations, and I even took a picture on the speedway of this fancy red car, which Chad informed me is a corvette.
My camera battery died right here, which was unfortunate, because 'Mater was at the other end of the Speedway. Boo. No more pictures for the day.
At Mile 12, we entered Animal Kingdom. The sun was rising right behind Expedition Everest, and I thought about how Animal Kingdom is my 2nd favorite Disney Park (I like Epcot the best), and what it must be like to actually see the sun while standing on top of Mt. Everest, and that perhaps I should put that on my bucket list. Why not add climbing to my list of athletic endeavors?
Mile 14. I was tired. Every single muscle in my body ached. My legs hurt worse than my feet, which I was certain were bleeding. I decided that I should walk for a mile, just to stretch out my muscles, give myself a break. I met up with a Coach from Seattle, and she assured me that this would be the worst I would feel all day. I am really glad that she lied to me :-)
At Mile 15, I saw Alyse and the rest of our Suncoast chEARsquad. Alyse walked with me for a few hundred yards - I knew she wanted to run with me, but my legs were cement blocks by now and I had to walk. I was super happy to see her, and I was glad that I had the chance to chat with her on the course!
At Mile 16, I forced myself to run a little bit. At Mile 16.2, I noticed that I was walking faster than I was running, so I decided that I would walk. I updated my Facebook page and sent a text message to Chad, just so that everyone knew I was okay but I was going to be a little slower than expected.
A few more miles passed, and I really was enjoying myself, despite the amount of pain I was feeling. I was wondering how Lyle and Rej finished (3:04 and 3:08, respectively), thinking about how the 70.3 triathlon felt easier than back to back running events, and what I needed to do to train for a full Ironman.
I saw Genna and Christa run past me, and I actually ran to catch up with them to see how they were feeling. They were having a good day - they both looked great, and they ROCKED it! I was so proud and happy. I wished them well, and fell back into my happy walk.
At Mile 19, I finally saw Elaine. She somehow got me to run for almost a full mile, made sure I was taking salt and fluids, and told me that I could walk when I got to the end of the track. She stayed true to her word, although in true coaching fashion, she did try to get me to run further :-)
I waved her off, told her I was fine, and that she should go back and check on the others. Elaine caught up with me at Mile 21, and our conversation went like this:
Elaine: Hey, Megan! You doing ok?
Me: Yep, I'm good!
Elaine: You want to run a little?
Me: Nope.
Elaine: You sure?
Me: Yep! I'm good!
I felt a little rude, but I knew I would do more damage than good by running. At Mile 23, Elaine was back. Apparently Genna and Christa told all of our coaches that they were fine, but that I needed them. She caught me at a moment of weakness - I was really hurting, and I wanted to run so badly, but my body wasn't cooperating. I was in the middle of calming myself down, and Elaine asked "So how old is Chad now?" And as I went to answer, only tears rolled out. Sigh. I managed to get it together, and I answered. Poor Chad. It was his birthday weekend, and I went off to run 39 miles :-)
Elaine (above left) promised me that Teresa (above right) was waiting for me at Mile 24, and there she was! I was excited to see her green wig, and was thankful for another diversion. Mentally I was solid - I never once doubted that I would not finish the race. I knew that there was a strong possibility that I would have to walk a lot, because I didn't train as well as I should have - and I was okay with this, because I was doing this for Team In Training, not to get a PR. But I was really in a lot of pain, and it's always nice to have a friend to talk to when that happens.
We stopped at a bathroom in Hollywood Studios, and when I went in, I was so sore that I almost couldn't sit down! I laughed, because all I could think that I was going to have to call Teresa to come in to help me get off the pot, lol. I had a fit of giggles, which continued for about a half mile, because she was outside thinking the same exact thing! The race photographers captured the moment, and it is actually one of my favorite photos. I might even buy it!
At Mile 25, Lyle was waiting for us, cold can of Coke in hand, and a smile that could melt ice. I pleaded with Teresa earlier to tell him not to try to make me run, because Lyle is so positive that he believes in you more than you can ever believe in yourself. Have I mentioned how AWESOME he is? He asked me if I was okay, which caused another round of laughter, because I told them I knew I looked like a 90 year old that had to use the bathroom. I told him that every single muscle in my body hurt - even the muscles that attached to my rib cage. He joked "so you're going to be super fun to dance with later!" He asked if I wanted to take pictures with the characters, but I was almost at Mile 26 and I just did not want to stop moving (even though it was Princess Jasmine). Teresa and Lyle gave me a hug and told me they'd see me later. I made sure to walk the tangents, and soon enough there was the Hallelujah choir. I clapped and told them they were awesome, and headed to the finish line.
I saw Alyse, Genna and Christa on the sideline, cheering for me as I made my way down the chute. I really wanted to run, but my legs just were not cooperating. So I walked across the line, with a smile on my face to mask the pain. I looked at my watch - 6 hours and 10 minutes. I didn't even care. I was done!
I hobbled through the finish line area again, making sure to collect my marathon medal AND my goofy medal. I took the extra bottles of water that the volunteers offered, and forced myself to eat a banana. I checked in at the Team In Training tent, and waited around for Soly, who wasn't far behind me. But first, I went to the beer truck for an ice cold Miller Lite and a turkey wrap. SO GOOD! I talked to a guy named Andrew, who ran the whole race with a fedora. He is in one of my race pictures, too! He's from the DC area, I believe. He is also a triathlete!
I was having trouble walking, so I went to stand by the finish line area, where I knew I would eventually see Soly. I was afraid to sit down, because I wouldn't have been able to get up, and I was terrified to take off my shoes, for fear of the sad state of affairs my feet were surely experiencing.
Soly came around the corner, and said "Who's idea was this?" We were stupid with laughter. We hobbled down to the bus line - I am sure it took us a half hour, we were both in such bad shape. Somehow this caused us to laugh even more. We got on the bus, still laughing. A man sat down next to me, holding his baby boy, his wife sitting behind them. I looked over, and had to refrain from grabbing the baby. He was so sweet - he reminded me of my sister's baby boy, Joey, who is 7 months old, and who I miss terribly. I thought of my family, who all shake their head when they hear what I sign myself up to do, but still ask to hear about the events, and who continue to support me no matter what, and I laughed to myself because Nolan and Joey will probably call me "Crazy Aunt Megan."
Getting OFF the bus was tougher than getting on. We laughed all the way back to our rooms. On the way, we ran into Rej and Kristina, and then Miranda and Jeff. I loved hearing about everyone's day. Jeff is on the Disney Marathon Team, and he placed 1st in his age group - he ran a 2:54! Miranda ran a 4:41 - another great race!!!! She is one of my very favorite training partners. We will be running and biking together soon. Next up for her is the Paris Marathon! How exciting i that? Ooh la la!
I finally made it to my room, where Charlene was relaxing. I was really glad that she made it back before me, because I took forever in the shower. I chatted with her about her day, and was happy to hear that she had a fun time. I even saw her and her teammates on the course, in Hollywood Studios, right before I saw Teresa. That was really cool :-)
I spent most of the afternoon laying on the bed with a pillow under my knees. Everything was swollen - my fingers looked like bratwursts, and I had cankles. This also caused fits of laughter, because I must have looked ridiculous. At 4pm, I started to get ready for the Team In Training Victory party. I was driving home that evening, so I also had to pack and somehow get all of my bags to my car. It took me about an hour, haha. I finally walked into the ballroom, and was immediately greeted with a hug by Lyle, Elaine and Teresa. They give really good hugs. Cody, Genna and Christa came over to say hi, and Soly gave me the most important information - how to get beer and food :-)
I sat with Soly, and we watched as our teammates danced the evening away while we laughed at my feet. Luckily they weren't too bad - the blisters were there, and very obvious, but not popped or bleeding or anything else gross. The party ended on a high note - collectively, 1,080 athletes raised a whopping $3.4 MILLION dollars for cancer research at Disney!!!!!!! After a room full of cheers, I made my rounds and said goodbye, and waddled out to my car to go home. I smiled the whole way, thinking of what a great weekend it was with my friends. I made new friends, got to know some of my current friends a bit better, and helped to make a difference in the lives of others. That's why I do this - that's why I sign up to participate with Team In Training season after season. Because by walking, running, swimming and biking, we make a difference.
And so I run.
