Dopey Training: Month 1 Review

Month one is done! This month has been a roller coaster--my birthday, the cancellation of Wine and Dine, another month of unsuccessful job hunting, and the pandemic is still raging on in many parts of the country. You can't open social media for a minute without someone asking, "Do you think Marathon Weekend will happen?" and quite frankly, I'm in need of a social media break because of it!

With July behind us, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on my own goals and the first official month of Dopey training. In short, it was perfect! Rarely do you get a month where you can just run according to your plan, but I guess that's the benefit of quarantine and Bill having inconsistent work. I've prioritized my runs and got out 3 days per week, working on speed and building to a 10-mile long run. It's felt comfortable and invigorating! I kept up with HIIT and strenght workouts, but I definitely need a bit more consistency in those. I need to add more core training; I let that go in quarantine.

Nutrition was meh at best. I've started tracking my food, and saw a slight tick down on the scale. The days around the long run are the hardest. There is good reason people say losing weight when marathon training is hard. I'd love to get off (and keep off) 5-10 pounds, just for speed and impact on my joints.

I also started a log to track my quest of 40 races for my 40th birthday! Having a little creative time to make stickers, bullet journal, and color has been a nice break. I'll sit down with Robby and we draw together. He gives the best compliments!

So now we look ahead. I've decided August is my month of acceptance. I need to accept that the gym is not open. I need to accept that I am not teaching and training as much at the gym. I, therefore, need to accept a home workout routine that fills in the cross-training gaps that I usually put zero thought into, due to my job. I'll continue to work on speed with track workouts. I'll increase my long run to a half marathon. I'll also continue to tighten up nutrition for my own health and weight loss. 

I still have no plan or goals to how I will run Dopey. I think I'll have a better idea when the simulation weekends come around. I know I will definitely follow the run/walk/run intervals and I'm certainly not going for any sort of speed. 

My marathon weekend friends, have you started training? How is it going?

Race Report: 2019 WDW Half Marathon

We're unpacked and back to our normal schedules, which means it's just about time to recap the races! This year, the adults were in for the half (only...) and it was right in the middle of our trip. We already had 3 full days of parks, food, and late nights leading up to the morning, so needless to say, we weren't giving the race our best. With that, I had a blast and it was a great reminder of why I love to run Disney!

My mom stayed with the boys while Bill and I were up early to run (thanks mom!). Disney World races never disappoint with those early wake up calls! We were out of our hotel around 3:45, which is pretty good since we were aiming for 3:30. We met up with Chris and found out that Kate's kidney stones (which clearly did not get the memo that we were on a Disney vacation) had kept her up sick all night. She decided it would be best to sit this one out and come back next year for the full, but that's another post, another day, and a fun prospect for next year!

We boarded the buses as usual. I personally prefer to let Disney do the driving on vacation. I know many will disagree and say take your own car, but I should never be trusted driving at 3 am in a sparkly skirt and ears! We had our hands full with breakfast, bags, watches, headphones--I always look like a hot mess getting on the bus. It was business as usual, minus the bag tags. This, friends, is why you should read your event guide. I freaked out because I was missing my tag, just to find out they label it for you when you get there. Corrals were well organized and we did the long trek, hit a few port-o-potties, and got a little time to rest before we began. I was in corral E, but we got off surprisingly fast. I was in the second wave of this corral. I have to say, I appreciate the waves instead of corrals lined up to P. It's a nice incentive for people to get there early!

The course felt so comfortably familiar! It seriously felt like a homecoming! I was sad to have missed the Cigna meetup the day before (we were doing lots of family stuff and I couldn't bail on them), but it was great to just know I was surrounded by friends.

If you've never run the half at WDW, here's the quick summary: lots of back roads, a little Magic Kingdom, the CASTLE, more back roads, lots of cones, a touch of Epcot (really just a touch), and the finish line. I was lucky to enter MK in the dark and got to see the castle all lit up for the holidays. It is so beautiful, and running up Main Street to the castle may be my favorite part of every runDisney race. The WDW races never have much time in the parks, but in some ways the wide open spaces are nice. There's a few crowding points (hello cone alley!) but overall there's space to breathe and move.

I didn't do many photo stops in this race, but I had to stop for Jack Sparrow. My first big disappointment as a mother--here I was so excited to show my pirate obsessed kid, and nope. Not impressed at all! Of course Daddy got a picture with Lightning McQueen and that was a huge hit! Robby hasn't even seen Cars, nor does he really care much about cars in general. Go figure!

I finished in a respectable, but definitely not goal-reaching or "good" by my standards 2:33:33. Far from a PR and far from where I wanted to be in this race (my initial goal was 2:15), but it felt good, I wasn't in pain or pushing so hard I thought I'd die, and I finished in time to get back to the hotel and help my boys get ready for their big races.

Post race was very well organized: medal, snacks, pictures, bag pickup. Pro tip: pack a lightweight, small backpack in your gear check bag! Those bags are so big and cumbersome. It was really nice to be able to stick all my junk in an actual backpack. I saved the ones we got a Princess and Tink. They are perfect! I wish runDisney did those for every race!

I got back to the hotel with plenty of time for breakfast, waking the kids, getting them ready for their races, and taking the bus to ESPN. I wish I had a bit more time for a shower, but luckily it wasn't too hot for the race.

I do hope to be back next year for the marathon with Kate. We are planning on it, but also seeing how training is going for both of us as the race day approaches. Little kids definitely make this whole thing a lot more difficult!

Did you run marathon weekend? What race or races did you do? How did you do? Any PRs out there?

Runner Recipes (I can actually make)

Now that the cookies are eaten, the candy is gone, and the leftovers are no longer left, I am focusing on getting a few weeks of solid nutrition before the WDW Marathon Weekend. If you've been following along on my training journey, you know it's been less than ideal, but that doesn't mean I'm totally throwing it all to the wind for race day. I'm focused on fueling my body with healthy foods and finishing up my training with some strong runs.

Cigna, the WDW Marathon Weekend sponsor, has some great recipes for easy, nutritious, on the go breakfasts. Of course, you don't have to only have these in the morning, but for my busy mornings, these both work perfectly! Peanut butter, yes please! Pumpkin, you bet! And yes, even I, the most unskilled cook ever, can make these.

Overnight Oats

I used PB2 and almond milk in this recipe. I find the powder is much easier to use when mixing and I'm not a huge fan of dairy (or should I say, my belly isn't a huge fan).

Pumpkin Cranberry Granola Bites

These were perfect for my early mornings! I don't like to eat a full breakfast before teaching at 5 a.m., so these are simple and work great to have a little something in my stomach. Gotta love the pumpkin love!

Thanks Cigna for always looking out for the runners!

Flashback Friday: Marathon Weekend Before Kids!

It's Friday. Marathon Weekend is right around the corner. Of course, that has me thinking of past races. I've been to the WDW Marathon Weekend 4 times, and they were all awesome in their own way. I got my very first coast to coast after running the Marathon and the Disneyland Half. I remember feeling like crap in that race, but thinking, "This is my only chance to get a coast to coast" and pushing to the finish. That statement is comical now! I was a runDisney neophyte! I've since run Goofy twice (first did the unofficial Dopey before it was a thing) and the inaugural Dopey Challenge. I have to admit, these longer races meant a lot of sacrifice in training, and I can't imagine doing that with 2 littles at home. For now, I'm happy to be returning to "only" run the half marathon in 2019, two boys in tow. Here's a look back at some of my favorite races at Marathon Weekend! Enjoy!

2015 Marathon: PR in FUN!

2014 5k: Dopey Day 1

2014 10k: Dopey Day 2

2014 Half: Dopey Day 3

2014 Marathon: Dopey Day 4

In 2013, I completed the unofficial Dopey--the full, half and 5k. Of course, I had to return when they made it official the following year. Disney Runs in the Family didn't even exist! I actually had an unknown blog: Just Keep Swimming. I regretfully deleted those posts! It journaled my work toward my first Goofy Challenge.

2012 was my first Disney marathon. It was my second marathon ever. Here's a fun fact: my first road race EVER was a marathon! Yep, it was on my bucket list as a one a done, so I trained and ran the Vegas marathon (long before it was a Rock and Roll). I didn't run a race again for 5 years!

Who will I be seeing at this year's Marathon Weekend? What are you running?

The final (one month) countdown...

We are a month out from the 2019 Marathon Weekend! Luckily I'm NOT running the marathon, because my training has been less than ideal. Okay, my training has been non-existent! We've had winter colds running rampant through our house, busy holiday season stuff, and Bill has been working a lot (which means no time for mommy to go run without the kids). It's been rough you guys! As I sit and type that, all I can think is, "Not as rough as this race is going to be!" Ugh! So here we go again, another untrained, mediocre race to be run. This was not my plan, and I'm super frustrated with myself. Again.

I have a month, and I have built up to 7 miles. It's not terrible, but it's definitely not great. I plan to continue to build mileage this month with the hopes of at least getting to 10. If I can get to 10, I'd feel like I have a little bit of training and won't die on the course. I'm only going to focus on speed training. Goodbye hills. Also going to try and get some shorter runs for conditioning in. Let's get real, I threw out the plan long ago.

On a much happier note, the trip is paid, fast passes are booked, dining is reserved, and all of our outfits have been planned. Matching family shirts galore! I still need to finalize my plans for our costumes (I have them planned in my head, but I'm waiting on a good sale, hopefully closer to Christmas). If we didn't have a California Christmas trip before then, I'd probably already be packing. This trip will definitely be more of a vacation with a run, not a run-cation!

So, my wonderful running friends, how is YOUR training going? Anyone want to shout out their successes? I need some encouraging stories!

Progress Post: October, 2018

It's been a hot minute since I started an actual training plan for the WDW Half Marathon, so I figured it's time to take stock in how it's going. Spoiler alert: I'm not getting all the runs in!

My goal for October was 3 runs per week, just focusing on nailing intervals and figuring out a plan for the half (time goals, interval times, etc). I averaged 2 runs per week, so not terrible, but when running so infrequently, definitely didn't feel great. It's getting cold in NY, I was sick, the boys were sick, and it's just stinkin' HARD to get out and run with 2 kids in tow most days.

I love lists, so why not sum up the month in 5 highs and 5 lows?

5 LOWS:
1. Didn't get all of the weekday runs in
2. Got sick mid-month so all of my workouts suffered
3. My nutrition stunk, so no weight loss
4. Halloween candy. See number 3.
5. 6 miles feels like a really long run.

5 HIGHS: 
1. I did all of the long runs as planned (even if they didn't get done on the weekend)
2. I figured out my intervals. A 90/30 seems to be a sweet spot.
3. People at the gym are noticing an overall weight loss.
4. I did some neighborhood running, which added in intensity with hills and curves.
5. A 2:30 half seems like an attainable goal. I may even be able to squeak out a 2:15 if I really push these next 2 months.

November means a switch in focus to hill training and really extending that long run. It also means the holiday season is here, and it'll be non-stop busy until our trip in January. I plan to take advantage of every nice day and every opportunity to run without kids. While I love the extra training pushing a double stroller provides, it's definitely harder to accomplish things like hills and 8-milers when you have little ones with you.

How is your training going? Any highs and lows? I'd love to hear them here, on IG or on our FB page!

My Training Plan for the 2019 WDW Half

Whoa! 2019! That was weird to type! It's true, the 2019 Marathon Weekend training has begun. This year, we are heading down to the world for Marathon Weekend with the real purpose being a vacation. We're doing all the things: meal plan, staying on property, fast passes galore. We even are using a Disney Vacation Planner to help us coordinate our party of 11! Disney Runs in the Family has really grown!

Even though we are mostly focused on vacation, we still are there for the races, so training is a must. In fact, in some ways, training is even more important this time. There's no down time after the races, no super early nights (because we're doing all the things), and our main focus is to see as much as possible. After all, this is our California family's very first time to the world!

With that said, I'm also coming back from a big hiatus from running. Yes, I trotted a bit when I was pregnant with Ryan, but truth be told I was not training for anything! Even before he was born, I wasn't doing a great job at training for races. It's been a LONG time since I was chasing after the 2-hour half! My goal for January is to run a faster race than I have been doing (so definitely under 2:30), but also to not kill my legs since we have a lot of vacationing to do after the race
. I also have to scoot along quickly because Robby has his race at 10:30 that morning. Thanks to Mom/Babci for getting both boys to the race on her own (and hey, if you see her getting on and off the buses with 2 kids, give her a hand!).

I am not only coming back from a running break, but I am also dealing with a few injuries. My knee has some cartilage damage that flairs up from time to time and I have a foot pain that is constant when running. Don't worry, I'll be working with doctors to find relief and to make sure nothing is getting worse, however both injuries are not "rest and they get better" type things. I have to run with proper form and continue to work on strength to compensate.

In running, since I am starting over again and working through injuries, I plan to use the run-walk-run method that is wildly popular for runDisney events thanks to their partnership with Jeff Galloway. His running method has been very successful for me at these mid-range goal races. After listening to him speak and reading a few of his books and publications, I am working with either a 2 minute run/30 second walk or a 90 second run/30 second walk cycle. I will play around with those in October and see which works best.

I have made my own training plan using a 3-day-per-week rotation of running. Again, with the injuries I don't want to run too much. I teach 5 classes per week at the gym, minimum, and often will be doing a 6th or even 7th. Since I teach BodyPump twice a week, that will be the base of my strength training. I plan to add in some therapeutic strengthening for my knee and I definitely need to work on core strength. Two babies in just about 2 years has done a number on those muscles!

Each month I gave myself a main focus. Again, time is precious around here and I feel like if I try to do too much I'm setting myself up for failure. October, my goal is to get my intervals set and work on a strong base. I worked backwards for the long run, and will spend the final month getting in distances of 10+ miles.

I'm tracking my progress using a printed paper calendar. Fancy, I know, but if it ain't broke...you know the drill. I will write my successes and know that at the end of this training cycle, if I can look back and see more wins than losses, I'll be happy!

Stay tuned for progress posts! I can't wait to see all my runDisney friends in January! I think this is actually the longest I've gone without running at Disney! I need some bling STAT!

Party of Four, Please!

It's about time we added our newest addition to the blog! On March 28th, we welcomed Ryan to our little family. Another Disney baby has joined DRITF! 

The transition to a family of 4 has been smooth and crazy all at the same time. Robby is the most incredible big brother, most of the time, and Ryan even had a little stint of sleeping through the night (emphasis on little). 

So where do we go from here? To Disney, of course! We will be traveling to the World in January to introduce the boys to Marathon Weekend and introduce our west coast family to WDW for the first time!!! Yes, three exclamation points because I'm really that excited!

Of course that means it's time to get back in shape. Ryan is 5 months old today, so it's about time I stop making the "I just had a baby" excuse and get to it. Luckily I have been back to the gym since 6 weeks postpartum teaching classes, but running has been a lot harder to return to. I definitely am fighting the same injuries that I had prior to giving birth (yippee for undiagnosed knee and foot issues). I have toyed with C25K, but honestly didn't really love it. Ryan is still a bit too young to be in the running stroller, so my runs have been limited. Excuses--see--they even come out while typing.

So here I am, with just a tad more experience than all those first time runners, but feeling like I'm starting from square one. I wondering what January will bring with my running and fitness in general, but at least for now I can rest assured it will bring LOTS of magic!

On Your Mark, Get Set...

Go! Yep, it's GO TIME for those of you hoping to snag a spot in the 2017 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Registration opens today at noon EST/9 PST. Although recent races haven't been the quick sell-out we once saw, I predict Dopey will go quickly, followed by the 10k and 5k races. Also, if you have little ones, the kids races have been going quick too.

2017 also marks the 20th anniversary of the half marathon, so I'd expect a pretty cool medal and a quicker-than-usual sellout. I think the marathon and Goofy are going to be overshadowed once again. We'll see how it all pans out as the day rolls on, but if you're anxiously watching the clock, here's a little throwback to my favorite race: the 2014 marathon and the end of my first (and possibly only) Dopey Challenge.

Race Report: 2015 WDW Half Marathon (Goofy Part 1)

I'm on my way home from the 2015 WDW Marathon weekend, and it was a complete whirlwind of a time!!!!  For any new readers, I only registered for the Goofy Challenge 8 weeks ago at the Wine & Dine expo.  Throw in the holidays with the short training timeline and I knew this weekend was going to be a challenge.  Not to mention that we are starting our house hunt and work is nuts, so extra time off wasn't an option! 

Normally, I'd break off the expo into it's own entry, but I literally dragged my suitcase straight from the airport, pre-ordered anything I wanted, and was in and out in a matter of minutes.  Well, except for forgetting to take my picture to verify I was running both parts of Goofy--but I was only $8 into the cab ride to the hotel before I made him U-turn it back to the expo.  (I was so rushed I totally forgot, but in my defense, someone should have been reminding the runners that they had to do the pictures.  I'm guessing since it was fairly empty, they just got out of the habit of filtering traffic).

Friday?  Or Saturday?

We stayed at Hilton Bonnet Creek (review of that coming soon too).  They had race transportation, so my very, very, very early morning started with a 2:10 am wake-up call.  Mind you, I had only arrived the evening before, so it actually was 11:10 pm Friday in Vegas.  BTW, yes, my hubby was still awake from the night before and my Garmin did still say "Friday".  I dragged my tired tush out the door and we arrived at the starting area a bit after 3.  I think we were the only people there!  Too early, for sure, and it was FREEZING!  Okay, not quite, especially compared to the 5k a few days earlier, but it was very, very cold.  We sat by the concession booths and my mom got some hot coffee.  Pretty soon, people started arriving and I met up with some other Mickey Miler Running Teammates.  It was great to meet new people and huddle up for some warmth.  Side note: I really need to get to know these people better--what an amazing group!!!!

Do I look cold?

I headed out to my corral (G...for Goofy!) a little before 5.  If you're new to marathon weekend, this long, boring road that you walk to get to your corrals is so annoying, but it at least got us moving.  For the half, I started with my corral.  I just wanted to get it over with!  I didn't take pictures on the course, either. 

We started out near Epcot, and headed straight for the Magic Kingdom.  We passed by the Contemporary, then through the TTC, and into the park.  I'll say it a million times: running down Main Street USA never gets old!  It got crowded through the park, but it's to be expected.

Quickly we were back on the road headed to Epcot.  It's not the most exciting part of the course, and there are a few tight squeezes on the roads that have to remain open (commonly known as "cone alley").  Somewhere around mile 10 I ran into a friend I had met at an expo in Vegas (she owns the super cute shoe bling company Shoe Frosting--check it out!).  So random!  She was running Dopey this weekend.  We ran together the last 3 miles, and they just flew by.  We entered Epcot in Future World, then did the quick switchback at the gateway area.  Gospel choir, then finish line!

It was pretty quick and simple--that's what happens when you run a half marathon when you've been training for a full.  Those 13 miles just fly by!  I finished in 2:39:17.  Not bad considering I intentionally took it slow knowing I had a marathon the next day.

I collected my bling, my snack box, and walked through a pretty nondescript tent.  I later learned that this is where they would verify I was who I was the next day.  Guess it was like a training for marathon day :)  My mom met up with me at the finish area--I was freezing!  It never really did warm up too much. 

I run for the bling...let's be honest!

Overall this is a great course (I hear it's exactly the same as Princess Weekend, just FYI...I'll let you know in a few weeks).  I do prefer the marathon course over the half, but hey, it's not a bad way to spend 13.1 miles!  I was definitely tired from my whirlwind trip (remember, I only arrived about 12 hours earlier), and do not recommend doing that for this kind of race.  No regrets, though!  YOLO (isn't that what the cool kids are saying these days?).  Part 2 coming soon...

Have you ever run the WDW Half?  Is it on your "must-run" list?  Tell me about it!

The Procrastinator's Guide to the WDW Marathon

I'm on my way to WDW, and thought I better at least post something about the upcoming WDW Marathon weekend.  Yes, I realize half of you are already there, the merchandise is all gone, and Dopey runners have already woken up way too early 2 mornings in a row.  BUT, this is the time the procrastinator runners are arriving and some first time marathoners who are coming "only" for the full or the half. 

First, remember you have to go to the expo in person to pick up your bib.  No more friends & family picking up for you.  We are down to the last few days, so here are your hours: Friday 9-7 & Saturday 10-4.  I'll be jamming to the expo straight from the airport, so if you see me dragging around my obnoxious hot pink luggage, you'll know why :)

Also new this year, all of you Dopey & Goofy runners need to have your picture taken at the expo to verify you are you when you cross the finish lines.  This always boggles my mind, because you know they do this out of necessity.  Who are these people who are cheating the system for a medal?  I just don't get it.  Why would you want the medal if you didn't complete the challenge? 

The races each start at 5:30.  Be sure to check with your hotel to verify bus schedules and pickup locations if you are taking a bus to the start.  It's early--you might not be awake enough to figure it out in the morning!

Finally, here are some tips for the night before to be ready to go!
1.  Plug everything in and make sure they are charging (I-pods, cameras, phones, Garmin, etch)
2.  Set a few alarms.  This just helps me sleep better knowing if one fails, I have a back-up.
3.  Lay out your clothes--you may not even know what your underwear is that early!
4.  Pin your bib on your shirt.  Again, your eyes will barely be open.  Try to get that bib straight at 2:30 am... good luck!
5.  Get to bed early!  I try to plan for 8 hours of sleep.  Even if I don't end of falling asleep, I'm in bed, face washed, in my jammies, and resting. 

Good luck runners!  I hope to meet many of you on the course this weekend. 

Greetings from Wine and Dine

Well, we're here, and I wanted to give you all some news. Sure, the expo was great, the food and wine festival is delicious, but you all know that. The big news is I registered for Goofy!!!!! I just couldn't resist the runDisney bag or that beautiful spinner medal! See you all in January. Who's coming???

Now, I'm off to run, because I have 8 weeks to train for Goofy--what did I get myself into?!??!?!

Race Report: 2014 WDW Marathon--Half Marathon

Okay, okay…this took way too long to write!  We’ve been really busy this month, but here it is—better late than never, right?

Day 3: The Half Marathon.  Things just got serious!  For me, the 5k and 10k were not a big deal, more like warm-ups (and trust me, I don’t say that lightly—I know they are real distances and can be challenging, but for the Dopey, I had logged so many miles in training that they just felt like nothing).  I knew today would be different, though, and I knew that my half marathon performance would dictate how I felt the next day. 

Another early morning of the same routine.  Today I paid homage to the official race ConDUCKtor, Donald, and dressed as his main squeeze: Daisy Duck.  I didn’t go too crazy, though, knowing that I had a lot of miles to log.

We opened the hotel room door, and the heat and humidity slapped me in the face.  Crud.  I hope this is not going to be as bad as last year.  No need for a jacket this morning.  We got in line for the buses, and I panicked a little.  The line was huge!  Last year, there were a few issues with the bus, so I was instantly nervous.  Gotta give credit to them this time, though, because they had the buses lined up, ready to take all of us to the start—not much waiting at all.  

Having run this race before, I knew I was in for a long walk to the starting corrals.  I didn’t stir around too long at the start; Bill took some pictures and wished me luck.  It was time to get to the corrals.  Warning here: this path is dark and has cones through the middle.  I say this because I saw a woman trip over a cone and face-plant into the concrete.  People were there to help her, and a few feet ahead they were already alerting race staff for help.  I hope she was okay and it didn’t ruin her race experience.  It just is another reminder to be alert at these races.  They are very crowded and the early morning makes visibility low at some points.

I arrived in my corral pretty early and was able to sit for a few minutes.  I whole-heartedly believe in getting as many minutes off your feet as possible when doing these back-to-back races.  The start was buzzing, and unlike previous days, there were a mixed group of runners: Half Marathon participants, Goofy Challengers, and Dopeys, like me.  The usual fanfare ensued: DJ, National Anthem, Fireworks, etc.  To be honest, even being way back in G, we got off pretty quickly.  There was about 3 minutes between each corral.  

(Okay, I cheated-this was from last year)

Corral G was off, and I was committed to a 1:1 run/walk ratio.  It’s tough!  I’m usually not a run/walk/run-er, so to halt the urge to run straight out the gate was mentally challenging.  I knew I needed to, though, because my success in the marathon was almost entirely dependent on my pacing today.  My goal was 2:30. 

The first few miles were pretty dark and uneventful.  I didn’t stop for pictures, but I do remember some long lines for Pirates.  Around mile 4 you start to see many more people, hotels, and the buzz of a park approaching.  Mile 5 loops you around to the entrance and you are finally running down Main Street USA.  It really is a highlight—the castle looked beautiful all lit up and it was still dark enough to enjoy those lights.  I love running this part in Disneyland, but I really, really love running this part in Walt Disney World.  I’m a Cinderella girl—what can I say?!?!  Quick trip around the park and you are running through the castle, back to front, for that awesome picture (that I never buy…).  I scanned the crowd, slowed down, and really tried to look for my mom and hubby.  Hope they saw me, because I never saw them (turns out they never made it in time).  

Back to the streets for a few more miles.  It was hot and HUMID.  My Vegas running body was not used to this, but I kept to my race plan and hydrated often.  To be honest, I don’t remember much about these miles.  They actually went by pretty quickly.  

Soon we were ready for the finish—a short trip through Epcot around Spaceship Earth (there’s a quick U-Turn at the International Gateway) and the lovely sounds of the gospel choir.  13.1 was done!  And my time: 2 hours, 31 minutes.  I pretty much paced it perfectly!  I gathered my medal, my food & drink, and headed to meet up with my family for a few quick pictures.  I didn’t spend too much time at the finish line; I wanted to get into an ice bath and start my recovery.

When we arrived back at the hotel, I quickly got into my ice bath with some hot coco.  Perfect combination!  I showered, and then put on my compression gear to wear in the parks.  I felt pretty good, a bit tired, but pushed through the Animal Kingdom.  Luckily, we planned the day well and were able to get back to the room for an early night.  The time had arrived: I was actually getting ready for the last leg of this journey—the marathon!