This fall, I've been so busy on my quest for 9 states in 365 days in order to earn 4 stars with the Marathon Maniacs, that I have failed to keep my race reports up-to-date. This fall, I have run the Kansas City Marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, and the Route 66 Marathon. When I feel so inspired, I will write up some race reports. In the meantime, since I am asked so frequently, I decided to rank the marathons I've completed. Technically there are only 14 on the list, since I have run Kansas City twice. The list, Letterman style:
14. Gobbler Grind Marathon: Overland Park, KS
13. Lincoln Marathon: Lincoln, NE
12. Country Music Marathon: Nashville, TN
11. Chicago Marathon: Chicago, IL (#1 for the most overrated marathon ever)
10. Oz Marathon: Olathe, KS
9. Kansas City Marathon: Kansas City, MO (The hilliest of any I've run so far)
8. Go! St. Louis Marathon: St. Louis, MO
7. Route 66 Marathon: Tulsa, OK
6. Flying Pig Marathon: Cincinnati, OH
5. Marine Corps Marathon: Arlington, VA
4. Little Rock Marathon: Little Rock, AR
3. Missoula Marathon: Missoula, MT
2. Twin Cities Marathon: Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
1. Disney World Marathon (Goofy Race and a Half Challenge)
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Five Year Runniversary
October 7 marks my 5-year marathon running anniversary! On October 7, 2006, I ran the Kansas City Maratnon. Since October 7, 2006, I have run 12 marathons....about 11 more than I thought I would ever run again. To reflect on my "runniversary" I am posting my thoughts that I compiled after running my first marathon. Many of my Runner's Edge friends have seen this, but I thought I'd "cheat" a blog entry with a repost. (Note: I could not get the photos in my original document to repost, so you'll just have to imagine photos if I accidentally left a reference in.)
The Day Before
The day before the marathon I was very anxious and excited all day. I took off work so I could go to the Health and Fitness Expo to pick up my race packet and take a bus tour hosted by my coach from The Runner’s Edge, Eladio Valdez. Eladio was also the course designer. The bus tour calmed me down a lot – just being around the other anxious runners. Eladio reminded the first time marathoners that we would only have one first time and suggested carrying disposable cameras to record our journey. Lucky for me, one fit in the back pocket of my Race Ready shorts.
Race Day
I decided to wear my Runners Edge shirt to see if it would help get me some support/recognition on the course. I was so worried about parking at Crown Center that I arrived at the Crown Center parking garage at 6:00 am. Let’s just say I got rock star parking. Lots of marathoners were arriving early, so I didn’t feel too silly. I met up with the Runner’s Edge at the Atrium around 7:00 am. As Stacie, Dana, and I trekked for our final restroom stop, Eladio gave me a high-five and wished me well. Around 7:15 am we headed to the start at Pershing and Grand.
The marathon started at 7:30 am.
Mile 1: Started running with Stacie, Dana, Marcus, Heather, Jamie, and Dan from the 11:40 pace group. Jamie and I were the only two going on to do the marathon. Mile 1 went north through downtown and came back south near Union Station.
Mile 2: Ran primarily with Stacie. In front of Union Station we saw a gentleman taking a picture. Someone in the crowd said that he had done 189 marathons. The route ran up the BIG hill on the west side of the Liberty Memorial. Stacie and I leaned in, raised our arms up, and reflected on our speed session of running the steps up and down and around the memorial. The hill seemed like a piece of cake in comparison. The first aid station was at the top of the hill.
We ran the loop at the Liberty Memorial. Eladio was there with his camera at the end of the loop.
Mile 3: Stacie and I were chatting, so Mile 3 went by quickly. We went up the short but steep hill that killed us at the end of Hospital Hill. I saw one of the wheelchair competitors going up the hill and was absolutely amazed by their arm strength.
Mile 4: We had fun running down Main Street. Dana, Marcus, Stacie, and I were back together.
Stacie went ahead of me in Westport so she could PR for her ½ marathon. Dana, Marcus, and I stuck together through Mile 6. The second aid station was at Mile 4.2. I had a lot of fun running down Westport Road.
Mile 5: This mile took us through a residential, shady area on the west side of the Plaza. I began to mentally prepare for the course split on the Plaza.
Mile 6: The ½ marathon course split was on the east end of the Plaza. Stacie came from no where behind me (Latte Land pit stop I find out later), and I heard Jamie calling my name behind me (she had a Quick Trip pit stop). I waved good bye to Dan, Heather, Stacie, Dana, and Marcus, and Jamie and I headed toward Ward Parkway. With all the hustle & bustle, I forget to take my first energy gel packet at the aid station.
Mile 7: The Runners Edge shirt works!! Two Runners Edge people cheer for us on the corner of the Plaza. I recognize one is Barb Rinne. Jamie and I note how quiet the Plaza is without the traffic and the sounds of the ½ marathon crowd. We can hear the shouts of “Powerade, Water” from the Mile 8 aid station, but we first get to run west on Ward Parkway and loop back to the east once we reach Pembroke.
Mile 8: An aid station at last! I take my first Carb Boom energy gel pack. Jamie goes on ahead of me since she has a slightly faster pace. I prepare for the hill on Sunset Drive. I was proud that I ran up the entire hill. The mile ends up west of Loose Park. Very scenic mile.
Mile 9: I’m officially running alone at this point. Jamie is a small speck of pink shorts in the distance. A band is playing. The lead singer jives “Hey baby, you’re at Mile 9, but that’s okay, take yo time.” I am very comfortable at this point because I had run this course with Runner’s Edge as my 20 mile training run three weeks earlier. Halfway through Mile 9, some volunteers had Russian dance music. Very upbeat. This carried me on to Mile 10.
Mile 10: The shirt works again. A Runners Edge gal with a blonde wig comes running out with a poster that says “GO RUNNERS EDGE” and loudly bursts the words out. Spiderman (yes, really) offers me water. This aid station is a bit different…Powerade, Water, and Beer. I stuck with the Powerade and water. I run into Mr. 189 Marathons at this aid station.
Mile 11: My feet are getting sore, and I am ready for a port a pottie. I took a picture of the fountain on Ward Parkway that was between Miles 10 and 12. Most of the fountains on the route had pink water for Think Pink! Breast Cancer awareness month.
Mile 12: Another aid station, another Carb Boom energy gel. I’m excited because I know my parents, aunt, and a port-a-pottie are waiting for me at Mile 13. An energetic volunteer started pushing her hands up in the air and hooting at me and insists I do as well. Her “you go girl” gives me the energy to head east on 75th Street. As I round the corner I see my parents and aunt. My mom later told me that I looked stronger than many of the runners that had come through. I was excited because I told my parents it would take me about 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to 75th & Wornall. I was right on my estimate. After a quick stop at the port-a-potties and I think I’m hallucinating. It’s a Runners Edge aid station! With candy orange slices! Yum!!! My favorite Runners Edge snack treat! Mr. 189 Marathons is standing to my right with the white tank top.
I reached the 13.1 check point in 2 hours 37 minutes. This is my exact time for the Hospital Hill ½ marathon on June 3. Not bad for stopping to chat with my parents for a few minutes.
Miles 14 and 15: I don’t remember a lot about Miles 14 and 15. I enjoyed running down Brookside Blvd and was sight-seeing to distract myself. Mr. 189 Marathons passed me and took a picture of the Max station at UMKC. Then I saw him take this shot and thought it was a pretty view, too:
Mile 16: There is an aid station. I take a Carb Boom energy gel and water. My stomach starts to feel a little funny, but I dismiss it. I notice Danielle from the Runners Edge is a distance behind me. This mile went from Volker on to Troost.
Mile 17: Someone offers me pretzels. I decline. This mile begins the loop on Emmanuel Cleaver II Boulevard. I can see all the people ahead me heading west as I am heading out to the east. I cheer on Runners Edge folks to distract myself from the pain in my feet and my need to use the restroom again. I pass Gates barbeque. I meet up with Danielle at the aid station around 17.5. We walk together for a while before starting to jog to the Mile 18 marker.
Mile 18: We see Jamie after we pass Mile 18 and after she passes Mile 19. The marathon is starting to get really hard for me at this point. I chat with Danielle to distract myself from the pain and my desperate need for a restroom. There is no shade – and it was getting hot. I remembered I had my camera and took a picture of the pink fountain at the turnaround on Emmanuel Cleaver II Blvd.
Mile 19: Danielle and I continue to walk and jog through Mile 19. I see a gas station at the aid station at 19.5 and ask a volunteer if there is a restroom. She told me runners had been squatting in the tall grass behind the gas station and offered me some wet wipes. In an uncharacteristic move, out of pure desperation, I used the great outdoors for my restroom facility. Afterwards, I wasn’t feeling much better. At this point I realize my issue is more of a digestive tract issue than drinking too much water. Stomach cramps start. I look over and see the police escort for the end of the race. Between the stomach cramps and seeing the end of the race 2 miles behind me, I am at a mental low. Danielle is ahead of me. I try to focus on her green shirt to keep myself moving. At this point, a race director asks me if I will be able to finish. I say “yes!” without a second thought. While I was at a mental and physical low, I never once thought of quitting. I knew I could at least walk 6 miles in 1.5 hours. I dumped ice water over my head at the aid station to keep cool. Volunteers were starting to leave the course and clean up.
Mile 20: I made it to Mile 20 in 4 hours and 10 minutes. I was excited since it took me 4 hours and 30 minutes to do the 20 mile training run.
I ended up passing the woman in the yellow shirt ahead of me in this photo as I turned the corner on to Troost – and I was walking. She was telling some family/friends that the race was getting hard. I told myself that if she started running again, I would start and keep with her. She remained behind me for rest of the race. At Mile 20.7 I took a stop at the port-a-potties. This is when I knew I was in trouble. Energy gel + Powerade + nerves + heat = Montezuma’s revenge. I came out of the port-a-potties and heard a familiar voice say “Is that Amy?” It was Lisa, my pace group leader. I was so excited to see her, but I must have looked terrible as she asked me if I was okay. I told her that I was at least going to walk the rest of the race.
Mile 21 through 22: I literally don’t remember the scenery along Gillham. I was still struggling with my mental low. This was when I realized that my expectation of going to the Disney marathon in January may be too high – but then I reminded myself that Disney was flat. I felt like I was jogging with the flu, and I discovered that I could speed walk more effectively. My legs were fine, but the jostling really upset my digestive system. I also remember wondering how the Ultramarathon Man could possibly think of ordering a pizza to eat while he ran. Stomach of steel. My thoughts were so loud and so random. A group came up behind me and I used them to help me jog up the hill from Mile 21 to 22. I made it up most of that hill. I started playing some mind games to distract myself. Run to the next sign. Run to next tree. I used my Garmin to run for 0.2 mile to practice my finish. I remembered on the bus tour that Eladio referred to a quote that if the marathon wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. I kept picturing the finish line. I kept going because I remembered Stacie was waiting for me at the finish line and I was going to be a bit later than the 5 hour time I had predicted. At the end of Mile 22 I caught back up with Danielle. These 2 miles seemed longer than the 20 miles I had already covered, but I could see Mile 23 headed downhill. I probably walked at least one mile.
Mile 23: I started jogging with Danielle. It was downhill and flat. I let Danielle go ahead, and I continued to walk and jog off and on. A volunteer with pom pons came out and cheered me about ½ way through this mile. I got a “Looking good, girl! You keep it up!” I think I walked a lot of this mile.
Mile 24: This mile took me into 18 and Vine. This area of town had more to look at, so I jogged a bit more here. I passed a younger guy with a ½ marathon bib. I asked him if he was okay. He said I had just passed his sister who was walking the ½ marathon and he was pulling her through. I thought that was really cool. A band was playing outside the Blue Room. I remembered seeing Karrin Allyson perform here a few years ago and getting her autograph. There was also a leftover cow from the Cow Parade on the right side of the street. The happy thoughts were helping.
I saw slight hill and police car at the top of the hill and stopped to walk again to save the energy I had left. I was delighted when a volunteer told me that I was to turn left before the hill peaked. A had a nice downhill speed walk. On the north side of the Jazz Museum, there was a demonstration. I later realized this was something to do with Buck O’Neill. The gentleman that had asked me if I would be able to finish the race at Mile 20 high-fived me near the Charlie Parker statue. Mile 25 was right around the corner!!!
Mile 25: When I saw the mile marker, I thought about kissing the ground. I start to jog to the overpass. At the overpass I walk to enjoy the shade. A lady I had seen stretching over a fire hydrant catches up to me. We start to jog in the shade on the left side of the road. She told me that she has done 5 marathons this year and her last one was 3 weeks ago. [2011 Note: To think I thought she was crazy five years ago!] We both commented on how hot and draining the temperature was. A volunteer told us to head for the stop lights by the TWA building. I focused on the TWA rocket. I see Danielle turn left and realize that I am about ¼ mile from Mile 26.
Mile 26: Oh the emotions! I turned the corner and see the finish line 0.2 miles in front of me. I forget all pain and all sickness. I amazingly hear Stacie before I reach 26.1. That girl has lungs!! Then I see Jamie and her pink shorts. The DJ says “Hey Amy, Stacie’s been waiting for you! Come down to the finish!” I think I saw Renee… Everything’s a blur. I wanted to cry, but I had no tears. While a volunteer cut my chip off my shoe, I looked over and Lisa was there. I hugged Stacie. Then I realized that Heather and Dan were still there. I was so thankful that so many people from the pace group stayed to cheer me in, when I was really “running late.” I was in such a daze. I finished a marathon!!! Me!!!
It took me 5 hours and 35 minutes – about a ½ hour longer than I expected – and I beat 11 people out of the 650 that participated in the marathon. As I walked through the finishers chute, I kept wondering where the person with the medals was. It dawned on me that in my daze of crossing the finish, I was handed a postcard. Unfortunately, I won’t receive my medal until November; however, at least I have a temporary postcard medal.
After the Marathon
The marathon ended in the Freight House District. After the excitement of finishing I realized I was still feeling really ill and was ready to go home. Thankfully Stacie had her car there and drove me back to Crown Center, where she dropped me at a restroom. I managed to make it home, but I was ill for about 2 hours. Once the energy gel/Powerade was removed from system, I felt okay. I actually felt a little better than I did after Hospital Hill – just really tired. On Sunday I woke up with extremely tight quads. I had my disposable camera pictures developed and was able to sit back and really enjoy the fact that I worked so hard for the last six months and I overcame so much mentally and physically in the last hour of the marathon. It was a truly amazing experience to complete my 1st marathon in my hometown.
The Day Before
The day before the marathon I was very anxious and excited all day. I took off work so I could go to the Health and Fitness Expo to pick up my race packet and take a bus tour hosted by my coach from The Runner’s Edge, Eladio Valdez. Eladio was also the course designer. The bus tour calmed me down a lot – just being around the other anxious runners. Eladio reminded the first time marathoners that we would only have one first time and suggested carrying disposable cameras to record our journey. Lucky for me, one fit in the back pocket of my Race Ready shorts.
Race Day
I decided to wear my Runners Edge shirt to see if it would help get me some support/recognition on the course. I was so worried about parking at Crown Center that I arrived at the Crown Center parking garage at 6:00 am. Let’s just say I got rock star parking. Lots of marathoners were arriving early, so I didn’t feel too silly. I met up with the Runner’s Edge at the Atrium around 7:00 am. As Stacie, Dana, and I trekked for our final restroom stop, Eladio gave me a high-five and wished me well. Around 7:15 am we headed to the start at Pershing and Grand.
The marathon started at 7:30 am.
Mile 1: Started running with Stacie, Dana, Marcus, Heather, Jamie, and Dan from the 11:40 pace group. Jamie and I were the only two going on to do the marathon. Mile 1 went north through downtown and came back south near Union Station.
Mile 2: Ran primarily with Stacie. In front of Union Station we saw a gentleman taking a picture. Someone in the crowd said that he had done 189 marathons. The route ran up the BIG hill on the west side of the Liberty Memorial. Stacie and I leaned in, raised our arms up, and reflected on our speed session of running the steps up and down and around the memorial. The hill seemed like a piece of cake in comparison. The first aid station was at the top of the hill.
We ran the loop at the Liberty Memorial. Eladio was there with his camera at the end of the loop.
Mile 3: Stacie and I were chatting, so Mile 3 went by quickly. We went up the short but steep hill that killed us at the end of Hospital Hill. I saw one of the wheelchair competitors going up the hill and was absolutely amazed by their arm strength.
Mile 4: We had fun running down Main Street. Dana, Marcus, Stacie, and I were back together.
Stacie went ahead of me in Westport so she could PR for her ½ marathon. Dana, Marcus, and I stuck together through Mile 6. The second aid station was at Mile 4.2. I had a lot of fun running down Westport Road.
Mile 5: This mile took us through a residential, shady area on the west side of the Plaza. I began to mentally prepare for the course split on the Plaza.
Mile 6: The ½ marathon course split was on the east end of the Plaza. Stacie came from no where behind me (Latte Land pit stop I find out later), and I heard Jamie calling my name behind me (she had a Quick Trip pit stop). I waved good bye to Dan, Heather, Stacie, Dana, and Marcus, and Jamie and I headed toward Ward Parkway. With all the hustle & bustle, I forget to take my first energy gel packet at the aid station.
Mile 7: The Runners Edge shirt works!! Two Runners Edge people cheer for us on the corner of the Plaza. I recognize one is Barb Rinne. Jamie and I note how quiet the Plaza is without the traffic and the sounds of the ½ marathon crowd. We can hear the shouts of “Powerade, Water” from the Mile 8 aid station, but we first get to run west on Ward Parkway and loop back to the east once we reach Pembroke.
Mile 8: An aid station at last! I take my first Carb Boom energy gel pack. Jamie goes on ahead of me since she has a slightly faster pace. I prepare for the hill on Sunset Drive. I was proud that I ran up the entire hill. The mile ends up west of Loose Park. Very scenic mile.
Mile 9: I’m officially running alone at this point. Jamie is a small speck of pink shorts in the distance. A band is playing. The lead singer jives “Hey baby, you’re at Mile 9, but that’s okay, take yo time.” I am very comfortable at this point because I had run this course with Runner’s Edge as my 20 mile training run three weeks earlier. Halfway through Mile 9, some volunteers had Russian dance music. Very upbeat. This carried me on to Mile 10.
Mile 10: The shirt works again. A Runners Edge gal with a blonde wig comes running out with a poster that says “GO RUNNERS EDGE” and loudly bursts the words out. Spiderman (yes, really) offers me water. This aid station is a bit different…Powerade, Water, and Beer. I stuck with the Powerade and water. I run into Mr. 189 Marathons at this aid station.
Mile 11: My feet are getting sore, and I am ready for a port a pottie. I took a picture of the fountain on Ward Parkway that was between Miles 10 and 12. Most of the fountains on the route had pink water for Think Pink! Breast Cancer awareness month.
Mile 12: Another aid station, another Carb Boom energy gel. I’m excited because I know my parents, aunt, and a port-a-pottie are waiting for me at Mile 13. An energetic volunteer started pushing her hands up in the air and hooting at me and insists I do as well. Her “you go girl” gives me the energy to head east on 75th Street. As I round the corner I see my parents and aunt. My mom later told me that I looked stronger than many of the runners that had come through. I was excited because I told my parents it would take me about 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to 75th & Wornall. I was right on my estimate. After a quick stop at the port-a-potties and I think I’m hallucinating. It’s a Runners Edge aid station! With candy orange slices! Yum!!! My favorite Runners Edge snack treat! Mr. 189 Marathons is standing to my right with the white tank top.
I reached the 13.1 check point in 2 hours 37 minutes. This is my exact time for the Hospital Hill ½ marathon on June 3. Not bad for stopping to chat with my parents for a few minutes.
Miles 14 and 15: I don’t remember a lot about Miles 14 and 15. I enjoyed running down Brookside Blvd and was sight-seeing to distract myself. Mr. 189 Marathons passed me and took a picture of the Max station at UMKC. Then I saw him take this shot and thought it was a pretty view, too:
Mile 16: There is an aid station. I take a Carb Boom energy gel and water. My stomach starts to feel a little funny, but I dismiss it. I notice Danielle from the Runners Edge is a distance behind me. This mile went from Volker on to Troost.
Mile 17: Someone offers me pretzels. I decline. This mile begins the loop on Emmanuel Cleaver II Boulevard. I can see all the people ahead me heading west as I am heading out to the east. I cheer on Runners Edge folks to distract myself from the pain in my feet and my need to use the restroom again. I pass Gates barbeque. I meet up with Danielle at the aid station around 17.5. We walk together for a while before starting to jog to the Mile 18 marker.
Mile 18: We see Jamie after we pass Mile 18 and after she passes Mile 19. The marathon is starting to get really hard for me at this point. I chat with Danielle to distract myself from the pain and my desperate need for a restroom. There is no shade – and it was getting hot. I remembered I had my camera and took a picture of the pink fountain at the turnaround on Emmanuel Cleaver II Blvd.
Mile 19: Danielle and I continue to walk and jog through Mile 19. I see a gas station at the aid station at 19.5 and ask a volunteer if there is a restroom. She told me runners had been squatting in the tall grass behind the gas station and offered me some wet wipes. In an uncharacteristic move, out of pure desperation, I used the great outdoors for my restroom facility. Afterwards, I wasn’t feeling much better. At this point I realize my issue is more of a digestive tract issue than drinking too much water. Stomach cramps start. I look over and see the police escort for the end of the race. Between the stomach cramps and seeing the end of the race 2 miles behind me, I am at a mental low. Danielle is ahead of me. I try to focus on her green shirt to keep myself moving. At this point, a race director asks me if I will be able to finish. I say “yes!” without a second thought. While I was at a mental and physical low, I never once thought of quitting. I knew I could at least walk 6 miles in 1.5 hours. I dumped ice water over my head at the aid station to keep cool. Volunteers were starting to leave the course and clean up.
Mile 20: I made it to Mile 20 in 4 hours and 10 minutes. I was excited since it took me 4 hours and 30 minutes to do the 20 mile training run.
I ended up passing the woman in the yellow shirt ahead of me in this photo as I turned the corner on to Troost – and I was walking. She was telling some family/friends that the race was getting hard. I told myself that if she started running again, I would start and keep with her. She remained behind me for rest of the race. At Mile 20.7 I took a stop at the port-a-potties. This is when I knew I was in trouble. Energy gel + Powerade + nerves + heat = Montezuma’s revenge. I came out of the port-a-potties and heard a familiar voice say “Is that Amy?” It was Lisa, my pace group leader. I was so excited to see her, but I must have looked terrible as she asked me if I was okay. I told her that I was at least going to walk the rest of the race.
Mile 21 through 22: I literally don’t remember the scenery along Gillham. I was still struggling with my mental low. This was when I realized that my expectation of going to the Disney marathon in January may be too high – but then I reminded myself that Disney was flat. I felt like I was jogging with the flu, and I discovered that I could speed walk more effectively. My legs were fine, but the jostling really upset my digestive system. I also remember wondering how the Ultramarathon Man could possibly think of ordering a pizza to eat while he ran. Stomach of steel. My thoughts were so loud and so random. A group came up behind me and I used them to help me jog up the hill from Mile 21 to 22. I made it up most of that hill. I started playing some mind games to distract myself. Run to the next sign. Run to next tree. I used my Garmin to run for 0.2 mile to practice my finish. I remembered on the bus tour that Eladio referred to a quote that if the marathon wasn’t hard, everyone would do it. I kept picturing the finish line. I kept going because I remembered Stacie was waiting for me at the finish line and I was going to be a bit later than the 5 hour time I had predicted. At the end of Mile 22 I caught back up with Danielle. These 2 miles seemed longer than the 20 miles I had already covered, but I could see Mile 23 headed downhill. I probably walked at least one mile.
Mile 23: I started jogging with Danielle. It was downhill and flat. I let Danielle go ahead, and I continued to walk and jog off and on. A volunteer with pom pons came out and cheered me about ½ way through this mile. I got a “Looking good, girl! You keep it up!” I think I walked a lot of this mile.
Mile 24: This mile took me into 18 and Vine. This area of town had more to look at, so I jogged a bit more here. I passed a younger guy with a ½ marathon bib. I asked him if he was okay. He said I had just passed his sister who was walking the ½ marathon and he was pulling her through. I thought that was really cool. A band was playing outside the Blue Room. I remembered seeing Karrin Allyson perform here a few years ago and getting her autograph. There was also a leftover cow from the Cow Parade on the right side of the street. The happy thoughts were helping.
I saw slight hill and police car at the top of the hill and stopped to walk again to save the energy I had left. I was delighted when a volunteer told me that I was to turn left before the hill peaked. A had a nice downhill speed walk. On the north side of the Jazz Museum, there was a demonstration. I later realized this was something to do with Buck O’Neill. The gentleman that had asked me if I would be able to finish the race at Mile 20 high-fived me near the Charlie Parker statue. Mile 25 was right around the corner!!!
Mile 25: When I saw the mile marker, I thought about kissing the ground. I start to jog to the overpass. At the overpass I walk to enjoy the shade. A lady I had seen stretching over a fire hydrant catches up to me. We start to jog in the shade on the left side of the road. She told me that she has done 5 marathons this year and her last one was 3 weeks ago. [2011 Note: To think I thought she was crazy five years ago!] We both commented on how hot and draining the temperature was. A volunteer told us to head for the stop lights by the TWA building. I focused on the TWA rocket. I see Danielle turn left and realize that I am about ¼ mile from Mile 26.
Mile 26: Oh the emotions! I turned the corner and see the finish line 0.2 miles in front of me. I forget all pain and all sickness. I amazingly hear Stacie before I reach 26.1. That girl has lungs!! Then I see Jamie and her pink shorts. The DJ says “Hey Amy, Stacie’s been waiting for you! Come down to the finish!” I think I saw Renee… Everything’s a blur. I wanted to cry, but I had no tears. While a volunteer cut my chip off my shoe, I looked over and Lisa was there. I hugged Stacie. Then I realized that Heather and Dan were still there. I was so thankful that so many people from the pace group stayed to cheer me in, when I was really “running late.” I was in such a daze. I finished a marathon!!! Me!!!
It took me 5 hours and 35 minutes – about a ½ hour longer than I expected – and I beat 11 people out of the 650 that participated in the marathon. As I walked through the finishers chute, I kept wondering where the person with the medals was. It dawned on me that in my daze of crossing the finish, I was handed a postcard. Unfortunately, I won’t receive my medal until November; however, at least I have a temporary postcard medal.
After the Marathon
The marathon ended in the Freight House District. After the excitement of finishing I realized I was still feeling really ill and was ready to go home. Thankfully Stacie had her car there and drove me back to Crown Center, where she dropped me at a restroom. I managed to make it home, but I was ill for about 2 hours. Once the energy gel/Powerade was removed from system, I felt okay. I actually felt a little better than I did after Hospital Hill – just really tired. On Sunday I woke up with extremely tight quads. I had my disposable camera pictures developed and was able to sit back and really enjoy the fact that I worked so hard for the last six months and I overcame so much mentally and physically in the last hour of the marathon. It was a truly amazing experience to complete my 1st marathon in my hometown.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Running Wild Missoula
On Sunday, I completed the Missoula Marathon. It was my 12th Marathon in my 10th state. (This is VERY significant to me because once a runner completes a marathon in 10 states, they can apply for the 50 States Marathon Club. Needless to say, I filled out my application yesterday and mailed it in.)
The Missoula Marathon is one of the best marathons that I have run to date. It's so well-organized, the community is extremely supportive, and the temperatures are perfect (mid to upper 40s at the start and low 70s at the finish). The course is pancake flat, with the exception of a rather large hill around Miles 13.5 to 15 (the views at the top made it worth it!). The only downside to the marathon is that it is incredibly super duper oober expensive to fly into Missoula.
I loved the super simple starting line area (even the gopher holes were highlighted around the port a potties) and the 6 a.m. start:
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As far as my overall performance - I was incredibly pleased. I set out to just have fun with the marathon, and I ended up finishing in 4:56:57, which is within 2 minutes of the PR I set at the Oz Marathon this spring and included a port-a-pottie pit stop and a few scenic photo ops along the way. It kind of makes me wonder what I would have run had I been actually pushing myself...
Memorable highlights for me:
1) Fireworks at the start that could have rivaled some at the start of the Disney World races, but what can I say, I like the ones that burst out into circles better that the ones that just streak through the sky like fountains.
2) The bus drivers that took runners to the starting line actually knew how to get there AND actually let us off the bus. (You may recall the Chicago expo bus driver that didn't know how to get back to the Fairmont and the Disney World Marathon bus driver that refused to let us off the bus until a nice race volunteer did some negotiations so he would free us from our captivity.)
3) The scenery. Looking at foothills and mountains for hours while running does not get old:
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4) The "Marlboro Man". Around Mile 13.5 this awesome rancher was rooting on the runners. I took his photo, and he asked where I was from. Turns out my Montana cowboy is from Joplin, MO. At least he didn't say he was from New York City....
5) The Top Gun quotes posted along the route. Examples: "It's time to turn and burn." "Show me the way home honey." "We gonna have to buzz the tower." I thought it would have been fitting to have a big "Yeehaw. Jester's dead." sign at the end of the marathon, but alas, there was not one.
6) The spectators: Around Mile 16, I heard piano music. A man in a tuxedo was sitting under a white tent in the middle of field playing a grand piano. Totally cool. The last 7 miles or so are in residential areas and lots of spectators sit on the end of their driveways to cheer the runners on. At this point in the race, when there are only 1,000 marathoners, everyone is pretty spread out. It was pretty cool that I would be basically by myself on some streets and these people were cheering just for me. I kind of felt like Miss America in a parade waving at everyone and thanking them for cheering me on. (It kind of got to be a relief after a while when I would hear something like "you go girls!" and would be thankful that there was someone else running near me. It's a lot of pressure to entertain the "fans"!)
7) Watermelon and fruit pops at the finish line.
8) Free finisher's photo:
9) Free finisher's video:
http://www.finishcam.com/MT/Missoula-Marathon-2011/WatchVideo.aspx?Id=XoZsweEZuA3rjPsA4d7Xck0fZ77CHLLS
And now I only have 40 more states to go....
The Missoula Marathon is one of the best marathons that I have run to date. It's so well-organized, the community is extremely supportive, and the temperatures are perfect (mid to upper 40s at the start and low 70s at the finish). The course is pancake flat, with the exception of a rather large hill around Miles 13.5 to 15 (the views at the top made it worth it!). The only downside to the marathon is that it is incredibly super duper oober expensive to fly into Missoula.
I loved the super simple starting line area (even the gopher holes were highlighted around the port a potties) and the 6 a.m. start:
Memorable highlights for me:
1) Fireworks at the start that could have rivaled some at the start of the Disney World races, but what can I say, I like the ones that burst out into circles better that the ones that just streak through the sky like fountains.
2) The bus drivers that took runners to the starting line actually knew how to get there AND actually let us off the bus. (You may recall the Chicago expo bus driver that didn't know how to get back to the Fairmont and the Disney World Marathon bus driver that refused to let us off the bus until a nice race volunteer did some negotiations so he would free us from our captivity.)
3) The scenery. Looking at foothills and mountains for hours while running does not get old:
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Between Miles 4 and 5 bridge is where my two minutes went...)  Jay Z, Nicki Minaj, and Ke$ha along the way....) |
5) The Top Gun quotes posted along the route. Examples: "It's time to turn and burn." "Show me the way home honey." "We gonna have to buzz the tower." I thought it would have been fitting to have a big "Yeehaw. Jester's dead." sign at the end of the marathon, but alas, there was not one.
6) The spectators: Around Mile 16, I heard piano music. A man in a tuxedo was sitting under a white tent in the middle of field playing a grand piano. Totally cool. The last 7 miles or so are in residential areas and lots of spectators sit on the end of their driveways to cheer the runners on. At this point in the race, when there are only 1,000 marathoners, everyone is pretty spread out. It was pretty cool that I would be basically by myself on some streets and these people were cheering just for me. I kind of felt like Miss America in a parade waving at everyone and thanking them for cheering me on. (It kind of got to be a relief after a while when I would hear something like "you go girls!" and would be thankful that there was someone else running near me. It's a lot of pressure to entertain the "fans"!)
7) Watermelon and fruit pops at the finish line.
8) Free finisher's photo:
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| My Free Finisher's Photo :) |
9) Free finisher's video:
http://www.finishcam.com/MT/Missoula-Marathon-2011/WatchVideo.aspx?Id=XoZsweEZuA3rjPsA4d7Xck0fZ77CHLLS
And now I only have 40 more states to go....
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The Road to 50 States
The Missoula Marathon asked me to write a story on why I run. This was posted on their blog earlier this month:
I've run 26.2 miles eleven times. On purpose. Yes, with my two feet. Yes, I said "on purpose."
My infatuation with running began innocently in the year 2000. A friend starting training for a 5K, and, not to be left behind, I started jogging behind him. Within a month, I had started to shed my sedentary lifestyle and ran my first 5K. I kept running about 2 to 3 miles several times a week. Within a year, thanks to my new hobby, I had not only shed my sedentary lifestyle, but I had also shed 50 pounds...so I kept on running.
In November 2005, I decided I needed a challenge and registered for the Hospital Hill 1/2 Marathon, which was in June 2006. In order to tackle the distance, I joined the Runner's Edge of Kansas City, one of our local training groups. Before I had even run my first half marathon, I was hooked, and I signed up for the Kansas City Marathon, which was in October. I really looked forward to the comraderie of training with my running group on Saturdays. In addition, as a chemical engineer, I seemed to respond well to the regimented training schedule, and I began to look forward to crossing off training runs on my schedule. I even created a spreadsheet to track my mileage and how far I ran in what pair of shoes. It was perfect for my Type A personality. I love goals and goal tracking. My first marathon was the Kansas City Marathon, one day before my 31st birthday.
Not to be swayed by the physical and mental challenges of completing my first marathon, I decided to run the St. Louis Marathon with two of my running friends (Marcus and Stacie) during Spring 2007. During that marathon, the idea of running a marathon in all 50 states was placed in my head. I still remember this portion of our conversation vividly: "you only need 10 states to get in", "yeah, only." At the time, it was just a seed that had been planted and was temporarily forgotten. After the St. Louis Marathon, I burned out on distance running and switched to cycling for a year.
In December 2008, I felt the passion burning within me to return to distance running, and I signed up for the 2009 Country Music Marathon. Between 2008 and 2010, I decided to return to the challenge of running in 10 states, so I ran the Country Music Marathon (TN), Twin Cities Marathon (MN), Little Rock Marathon (AR), Lincoln Marathon (NE), Chicago Marathon (IL), and the Gobbler Grind Marathon (KS). In the first quarter of 2011, I completed the Goofy Race and a 1/2 Challenge (FL), the Oz Marathon (another KS), and the Flying Pig Marathon (OH). (That's 11 marathons in 9 states if you lost count.) I've also finished 15 half-marathons in four states. Within the last year, I've qualified to become a member of the Half Fanatics and Marathon Maniacs but it is the 50 States Club that is the carrot that continues to dangle in front of me.
With each state I check off my marathon list, I find myself more and more infatuated with checking off another state. A lot of runners train intensely to qualify for the Boston Marathon. While I've chipped over 45 minutes off my original 5:37 marathon time over the last five years, I've accepted that Boston might be a slightly overzealous goal for me at the moment. Getting into the 50 States Club by running in 10 states is my Boston.
"But why 26.2 miles?", people ask me. All. the. time. Two words. Race bling. I love adding a new finisher's medal to my collection. Seriously, though, there's just something about 26.2 miles. It doesn't matter how many marathons I run, the distance is always challenging. Each marathon has its own personality and obstacles. Maybe it's a hilly course. Maybe Mother nature is going to wreck havoc on my time goals by delivering a cold 20 mph wind on an April day or, worse, a humid sunny 90 degree day in October. Maybe my stomach isn't going to agree with my nutrition. I just don't know what will happen in those 26.2 miles, and the excitement of the adventure is thrilling! Running marathons has simply captivated me. Even at Mile 18 when my knees start to throb, or at Mile 22 when my quads have cramped so badly I have to walk and I swear I'm never running another one, I run those final 0.2 miles to cross another finish line and the magic of the marathon wisks it all away.
As I write this, it is two weeks and five days after the Oz Marathon and five days after the Flying Pig Marathon. I can finally walk down stairs normally again, but I'm still pretty tired. However, I am ready to go again. The day after Flying Pig, I started to think about registering for the Missoula Marathon. Two days later, I kind of fixated on it and shopped around for airfare. Four days after the Flying Pig Marathon, I registered.
Why Missoula? I have traveled a lot in the United States, but I have never been to Montana. What better way to see a place than to run it? In addition, Missoula has been on my "must do" list since it was written up in Runner's World as the best overall marathon in 2010. As I continued to research it, I also discovered it's flat with one hill. (You cannot argue with only one hill.) Finally, of course, Missoula is incredibly scenic.
It should be noted that running so many marathons in such a short time frame does wreck some havoc on the body, so I train as intelligently and safely as possible. I know I couldn't have made it this far without the help of Eladio Valdez (my running coach), Toby Scott (my chiropractor), and Barb Rinne (my massage therapist).
I'm incredibly excited to experience the scenery and people of Missoula on July 9 and 10. It only seems appropriate that I will run my 10th state within months of my 5-year anniversary of running marathons. Who better to share a 5-year runniversary with than the Missoula Marathon? Cheers! Happy running!
I've run 26.2 miles eleven times. On purpose. Yes, with my two feet. Yes, I said "on purpose."
My infatuation with running began innocently in the year 2000. A friend starting training for a 5K, and, not to be left behind, I started jogging behind him. Within a month, I had started to shed my sedentary lifestyle and ran my first 5K. I kept running about 2 to 3 miles several times a week. Within a year, thanks to my new hobby, I had not only shed my sedentary lifestyle, but I had also shed 50 pounds...so I kept on running.
In November 2005, I decided I needed a challenge and registered for the Hospital Hill 1/2 Marathon, which was in June 2006. In order to tackle the distance, I joined the Runner's Edge of Kansas City, one of our local training groups. Before I had even run my first half marathon, I was hooked, and I signed up for the Kansas City Marathon, which was in October. I really looked forward to the comraderie of training with my running group on Saturdays. In addition, as a chemical engineer, I seemed to respond well to the regimented training schedule, and I began to look forward to crossing off training runs on my schedule. I even created a spreadsheet to track my mileage and how far I ran in what pair of shoes. It was perfect for my Type A personality. I love goals and goal tracking. My first marathon was the Kansas City Marathon, one day before my 31st birthday.
Not to be swayed by the physical and mental challenges of completing my first marathon, I decided to run the St. Louis Marathon with two of my running friends (Marcus and Stacie) during Spring 2007. During that marathon, the idea of running a marathon in all 50 states was placed in my head. I still remember this portion of our conversation vividly: "you only need 10 states to get in", "yeah, only." At the time, it was just a seed that had been planted and was temporarily forgotten. After the St. Louis Marathon, I burned out on distance running and switched to cycling for a year.
In December 2008, I felt the passion burning within me to return to distance running, and I signed up for the 2009 Country Music Marathon. Between 2008 and 2010, I decided to return to the challenge of running in 10 states, so I ran the Country Music Marathon (TN), Twin Cities Marathon (MN), Little Rock Marathon (AR), Lincoln Marathon (NE), Chicago Marathon (IL), and the Gobbler Grind Marathon (KS). In the first quarter of 2011, I completed the Goofy Race and a 1/2 Challenge (FL), the Oz Marathon (another KS), and the Flying Pig Marathon (OH). (That's 11 marathons in 9 states if you lost count.) I've also finished 15 half-marathons in four states. Within the last year, I've qualified to become a member of the Half Fanatics and Marathon Maniacs but it is the 50 States Club that is the carrot that continues to dangle in front of me.
With each state I check off my marathon list, I find myself more and more infatuated with checking off another state. A lot of runners train intensely to qualify for the Boston Marathon. While I've chipped over 45 minutes off my original 5:37 marathon time over the last five years, I've accepted that Boston might be a slightly overzealous goal for me at the moment. Getting into the 50 States Club by running in 10 states is my Boston.
"But why 26.2 miles?", people ask me. All. the. time. Two words. Race bling. I love adding a new finisher's medal to my collection. Seriously, though, there's just something about 26.2 miles. It doesn't matter how many marathons I run, the distance is always challenging. Each marathon has its own personality and obstacles. Maybe it's a hilly course. Maybe Mother nature is going to wreck havoc on my time goals by delivering a cold 20 mph wind on an April day or, worse, a humid sunny 90 degree day in October. Maybe my stomach isn't going to agree with my nutrition. I just don't know what will happen in those 26.2 miles, and the excitement of the adventure is thrilling! Running marathons has simply captivated me. Even at Mile 18 when my knees start to throb, or at Mile 22 when my quads have cramped so badly I have to walk and I swear I'm never running another one, I run those final 0.2 miles to cross another finish line and the magic of the marathon wisks it all away.
As I write this, it is two weeks and five days after the Oz Marathon and five days after the Flying Pig Marathon. I can finally walk down stairs normally again, but I'm still pretty tired. However, I am ready to go again. The day after Flying Pig, I started to think about registering for the Missoula Marathon. Two days later, I kind of fixated on it and shopped around for airfare. Four days after the Flying Pig Marathon, I registered.
Why Missoula? I have traveled a lot in the United States, but I have never been to Montana. What better way to see a place than to run it? In addition, Missoula has been on my "must do" list since it was written up in Runner's World as the best overall marathon in 2010. As I continued to research it, I also discovered it's flat with one hill. (You cannot argue with only one hill.) Finally, of course, Missoula is incredibly scenic.
It should be noted that running so many marathons in such a short time frame does wreck some havoc on the body, so I train as intelligently and safely as possible. I know I couldn't have made it this far without the help of Eladio Valdez (my running coach), Toby Scott (my chiropractor), and Barb Rinne (my massage therapist).
I'm incredibly excited to experience the scenery and people of Missoula on July 9 and 10. It only seems appropriate that I will run my 10th state within months of my 5-year anniversary of running marathons. Who better to share a 5-year runniversary with than the Missoula Marathon? Cheers! Happy running!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
I Hightailed It! (Flying Pig Marathon, Marathon 11, State 9)
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| This little piggy ran all the way to the Finish Swine! |
On race day, 20 minutes before the race start, the skies opened and it poured. And poured. By the time I started the race, the rain had lightened a bit, but I dealt with it the first 7 miles or so, and then again between Miles 15 and 17. When it wasn't raining it was humid, but it wasn't cold so I fared better than my running comrades in Oklahoma City (where it was cold, rainy, hailed/sleeted, windy, etc.). The only repurcussions of running in the rain ended up being one big blister on a toe and some serious belly button chafing.
I had intended to take my camera with me along the course, but due to the rain I left it it in the hotel. This was the first marathon that I ran in costume, if you can call pig ears and a piggy tail a costume. Oink! Oink! (If you need a random pig costume in April/May, Party City is the place to go! Thanks for the tip, Pritha!)
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| Wee! Wee! Wee! Crossing the Finish Swine |
* Fiberglass pigs at the Expo (you know I love my fiberglass animals!)
*Dinner with the Marathon Maniacs at Rock Bottom Brewery on marathon eve (Thanks, Stephanie!)
*A person in a gorilla suit at the Half Marathon/Marathon Split (Mile 9) holding a sign saying "Run Human Run"
* Local churches handed out orange slices. One church group had even peeled the oranges so they were easy to eat.
*Seeing other Marathon Maniacs along the course
*The view of the Ohio River after the long climb in the first half of the course
*The Hog Wash. An aid station after Mile 20 somewhere handed out wet towels and would spray all the running pigs down so we could cool off.
*The finish line is called the Finish Swine. The starting corrals are called pig pens. The cuteness just makes you want to squeal, doesn't it?
*I made it to 13.1 miles in 2:22 (a 4:45 pace) without a pacer and without a pace band. The hills on the second half of the course slowed me down a bit. I took walk breaks up the hills to save energy, and planned walk breaks at mile markers. I finished in 4:59:29, which is not a personal record but is only the third time that I have finished in under 5 hours!
*I got to wear my pink Marathon Maniacs Diva shirt for the first time. (This was only my second marathon as a Maniac). A little before Mile 26, while I was walk breaking it (hey - I knew I wouldn't PR and I knew I would still beat 5 hours so it was okay to walk) a few spectators starting cheering for the "Diva." "Go, Diva! Go!" they said. When I started running agin, they went crazy with excitement. It was quite entertaining for me.
*The pig medal (which was really the entire reason I did the race except for....see next bullet item)
*All the cute clothing at the Expo with the flying pig logo.
*Glazed donuts at the finish line (and plenty of other sugary food including Ho Hos!)
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| Finisher Gear |
Ohio joins Missouri, Tennessee, Minnesota, Arkansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Kansas, and Florida as states where I have completed marathons. Up next: Montana! Until then, I have a double half marathon weekend to look forward to, as well as my 5th running of the Hospital Hill Half Marathon.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Random Fanatically Goofy thoughts by a Maniac (or my Random Tale of the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge)
Last April Fool's Day, I had a crazy idea and on a whim I signed up for the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge at Walt Disney World. For those not familiar with this challenge, it's the completion of the Walt Disney World Half Marathon (13.1 miles) on Saturday followed by the completion of the Walt Disney World Marathon (26.2 miles) the next day. [For the mathematicians here's a little equation: One Half + One Full = 39.3 Goofy Miles.] In April 2010, it was easy to file away the fact that I had registered for this little challenge, and it was pretty much out of sight, out of mind. Well, until Halloween. There's a lot to be said for a race that I signed up for on April Fool's Day and for which I began to train for on Halloween.
As my fellow runners' running seasons came to an end, the worst of my training began. Oh, the Halloween horror of running long runs on back to back days, once a week, for 2 months. I came into the Goofy training after recovering from the Chicago Marathon on October 10, so my legs could still handle the long miles. In the middle of the Goofy training, I ran the Gobbler Grind Marathon as a training run. (How sick of me to say that casually, I know.) The other training runs involved my getting up at 5:00 a.m. on weekdays to shluck out 5 to 6 miles in the darkness donning my head lamp, orange don't-hit-me jacket, and my pink container of pepper spray. Weekends were easier when I'd hit my long training run with Runner's Edge and then follow up with a 5 to 8 mile run in my neighborhood on Sundays. By Christmas, my total mileage for the year topped out at 1,000 miles. Goofy just couldn't get here fast enough.
Thankfully, Galen (my boyfriend and #1 marathon cheerleader) agreed to run the Walt Disney World Half Marathon with me. We arrived at Disney World late on Wednesday night before the race. (I'm a Type A marathon traveler, and I wanted to be at the Expo first thing when it opened on Thursday.) This was his first trip to Disney World since the 1970s and my first trip since 2001.
Things have changed quite a bit since I was there last: namely Disney picks up resort passengers on the Magical Express. The Magical Express also retrieves luggage and delivers it to your hotel room, so we were excited about that little convenience. Why do I mention this? Well, what Disney doesn't tell you is that your luggage will go to luggage jail if you arrive after 7:30 p.m. As we arrived at our hotel room at 11:00 p.m. we had no luggage. We'd stashed our crucial running gear in our carry on bags, but I had a few items in my check on bag that I needed for the races. Every hour on the hour, I contacted bell services for our luggage that was supposed to be delivered "within half an hour." At 4:00 a.m. I finally fell asleep. At 4:30 a.m. bell services said our luggage had just arrived at the resort. :/ At 7:00 a.m. we attempted to bail our luggage out of luggage jail. Around 7:45 a.m. our luggage was finally released. Lesson learned: when you are running a big race NEVER leave ANY of your luggage in the hands of someone else.
So Thursday we went to the Expo and picked up packets, and then we spent the rest of the day at the Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney. On Friday we spent the day at Epcot and MGM Kingdom. We did all the big rides: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Test Track, Rock n Roll Roller Coaster, etc. All day. Both days. On the go. I was so pumped up to see the parks I forgot about these little races I had signed up for.
Saturday was the half marathon. The race starts at 5:30 a.m. EST so we got up bright and early at 2:30 a.m. EST to catch a bus from our resort at 3:00 a.m. to the start of the race in an Epcot parking lot. I was all decked out in my Minnie Mouse ears and my Half Fanatics shirt. Once we got to the starting area, there was a lot of waiting around for about an hour until we were released to walk to the starting line. The starting line is a 20 minute + walk down a narrow road with 20,000 of your closest friends. The road appeared to be some sort of a boneyard for old parking lot trams, so that was interesting...walking in the dark through cemetary of trams past.
Finally around 5:45 a.m. EST, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy started the race with fireworks. We were off! And, oh, how tired my legs and feet were from walking the parks for two days. The first five miles of the half marathon were not very interesting. It's basically running through the dark on highways from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom. Along the way, I had my photo taken with Tigger & Eeyore near Mile 3. The coolest part of the half marathon was Mile 5 through 7 when the course took us through the Magic Kingdom. In the Magic Kingdom, we ran down Main Street, took our photos with Cinderella's castle, ran through Tomorrowland, met Alice in Wonderland and her friends, met Peter Pan & Captain Hook, said "Hi" to Cinderella before running through her castle, met the Princess and her Frog Prince, and sang along with the Country Bears. It was truly a magical mile that made up for the first five miles. I loved every step of it. Running out of the park, I had my photo taken with Mary Poppins. By Mile 8, we stopped to have our photos taken with Goofy & Donald on a golf course.
By Mile 8, I also started getting grumpy. I kept thinking about getting to run the marathon the next day, and I would mentally figure out how many miles of the Goofy challenge I had left as I passed the mile markers on the second half of the half marathon course. I felt my quads starting to cramp up, and my feet were hurting, and I was just tired. Around Mile 10, I just wanted to finish. I tried to focus on the Donald Duck medal I'd get when I finished the half marathon, but I just felt this marathon sitting on my shoulders.
Galen stuck with me through the entire half marathon, for which I am incredibly grateful. I must have been a joy to run with, as every other word out of my mouth had to do with getting to run the marathon the next day. However, he reminded me to have fun on the half marathon course and he never once complained about how slowly I ran the half marathon or how many photos I stopped to take. We finished the half marathon in 2:42. This is about half hour slower than a "normal" half marathon for me, and probably a little under an hour slower than Galen's normal pace. However, it was critical to take the half marathon slowly so I could save my legs for the marathon.
Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment. After we cleaned up from the half marathon, we went back to Epcot for a few hours. It only took a few hours for me to realize how thoroughly exhausted I was, so we went back and laid around the pool until it was time for dinner. Then we went to the Magic Kingdom for dinner, where we saw Mickey's Philharmagic and I had some Mickey ears embroidered for me. We turned in early Saturday night.
And then it was 2:30 a.m. EST on Sunday. To make sure I slept well, I took a gamble and took some Tylenol PM. I was pretty groggy and out of it when I woke up, and I was also incredibly sore. My feet hurt. My quads were cramped. My calves were a mess. I was just exhausted. I did some stretching and used The Stick on my legs and feet before I took my trek to the bus stop. I caught the first bus to the starting area again on Sunday. Unfortunately, the bus driver was clueless and drove around the resort a time and a half before he even left to go to the starting area. At the starting area, a volunteer had to come and bang on the door so he would let us out of the bus. Seriously. Let's just say there was some serious non-Disney approved language flying around the bus that morning.
Sunday morning I had a ticket to the Race Retreat, which was worth every mouse dollar covered in gold. They had food, water, Diet Coke, chairs, mats for stretching, changing rooms, sex-specific port-o-lets, Diet Coke, and Toy Story characters. And Diet Coke. I stayed in the race retreat for about an hour, and then I repeated the 20 minute + journey to the starting line with my sore feet and throbbing quads.
I decided my mental strategy would be to attack the marathon in two halves. I was going to push myself to make it to 13.1 miles without taking many stops for photos and to just try to get through the race. Miles 1 and 2 took us to Epcot. I didn't feel good mentally or physically. Then at Mile 2, I saw Spaceship Earth and some of the floats from the Main Street Electrical Parade. Epcot was playing the music from the Main Street Electrical Parade, and maybe some music from Tron, and it was very energizing. Running Miles 3 and 4 through Epcot was mentally distracting, and I started to loosen up a bit. Miles 4 through 10 were the long trek to the Magic Kingdom. Oddly, these miles didn't seem as long as the miles did during the half marathon. Kudos to the marching band playing "Bad Romance" along this stretch, by the way. Running through the Magic Kingdom was just as fun as it was during the half marathon. I stopped to have a volunteer take my photo with the castle, and this time I got to meet Cinderella's fairy godmother who wished me well with a Bibbity Bobbity Boo!
Before I knew it, I was at Mile 13.1 in 2:32. Again, this is 5 to 10 minutes slower than where I would be during a normal marathon, but this was not a normal marathon. I took a longer walk break to call Galen and let him know I was at the half. Then I updated my Facebook status. I had bribed myself for miles that I could get in touch with civilization at the halfway point. It made sense to update my Facebook status at the time, and it really helped me push through those miles in the race. I would update Facebook again at Mile 20 and Mile 23. I also discovered visually the Goofy medal and all the wonderful food I would eat at Epcot after the race helped motivate me to continue running onwards.
In Mile 13, most of the Goofy runners celebrated for being over 2/3 done with the Goofy challenge, and I ran with another Goofy gal for about 2.5 miles. I appreciated her company, but at the same time I felt that I was missing out on some of the Disney experience. We ran past Davy Crockett, or Daniel Boone, Zorro, and a guy from Indiana Jones with a "magic skull." (Yes, I touched the skull. I needed as much Disney magic as I could get.) Somewhere in Mile 15, I took a walk break and let the Goofy gal go on ahead.
I reached Animal Kingdom at Mile 16. Mile 16 through 18 took me through the park, and they were two energizing miles. I met Chip n Dale, Minnie, Mickey, Baloo and King Louie, and saw the Tree of Life and Expedition Everest. Thankfully no Yetis chased me. (What is the plural of Yeti anyway?) The Animal Kingdom had just opened to tourists for the day, and Expedition Everest was open for riders. A few marathoners actually jumped into the Fast Pass lane for a quick ride. Wow! As I headed toward Mile 18 I ran past some grave diggers. Seriously. I guess these were some leftover crew members from the Haunted Mansion crew, but I did have to look twice to make sure I was not imagining them...
I was starting to cramp up quite a bit from Mile 18 through 22. Walk breaks became about a minute longer. However, my time was very consistent with other marathons I've completed, so mentally that gave me a really strong boost to keep pressing forward. At MGM Studios (Mile 23) I had my photo taken with Doug the Dog, Sculley, and Mike. It was a lot of fun running down Hollywood Boulevard. And then at Mile 24, I just stopped, and I walked. For 2 miles. I had stopped at a medical tent to Biofreeze my knees, and I just couldn't start again. It was a beautiful part of the course that went through the Disney Beach and Yacht Clubs. I ran on a boardwalk and past sand covered beaches. It was a nice distraction.
Just before Mile 25, I saw Galen in the UK. Oh, by the way, I ran from the boardwalks and beaches straight into the United Kingdom of the World Showcase at Epcot. Then I walked through Canada. I thought about running through France, but I kept walking. Then I stopped to have my photo taken with The Beast from Beauty and the Beast. Mile 25. I had 1.2 miles to go, and I just could not move forward very quickly. I waddled around the world from Morroco, to Japan, to Italy, to Germany, to China, to Norway, to Mexico. (Mmmm...margarita please?) The course took me back to Future World at Epcot where I saw Galen again before heading to Mile 26 (or should I say Mile 39.1?). Turning the corner and seeing the finish line was a beautiful sight. I high-fived Goofy & Donald and then I turned on my Goofy medal radar. Yeah, yeah. I got my Mickey medal, but I wanted that Goofy medal....
Note: Disney provided so much entertainment on the course. I never needed my iPod once, even though I had brought it along. While this is one of the most expensive destination runs I will probably ever do, it was worth every single dollar. Despite what it sounds like, I've never had so much fun during a half marathon or a full marathon. It was spectacular. I wanted to capture several of my thoughts that I had while I was running in this blog. You see, I may run this again in 2013, and I need to remember some of the pain that was mingled in with all of the exceptional Disney magic.
So I did it! 39.3 miles! I have my Goofy, Mickey, and Donald medals!! Now I'm in recovery mode...and I think I may be in recovery mode for weeks. The first week after the race, extreme soreness lasted about two days and I was exhausted for a solid week. Narcolepsy anyone? Zzzzz. I tried a 3 mile run/walk on Saturday, followed by a 3 mile run/walk on Sunday. Now my feet are cramped and my quads are on fire again. I think I've underestimated the recovery from this little jaunt. I would actually be okay with not running for a while, except those little Girl Scouts had to release their cookies right in the middle of my recovery. Darn the Girl Scout cookies!
Another happy note: I am officially a Marathon Maniac! Running Chicago, Gobbler Grind, and the Disney Marathon within 90 days qualified me for the bronze level with the Maniacs. So my previous post about not being a maniac, only a little goofy? Well, I guess I am Fanatic, Goofy, and a Maniac!!
Until the next race!
Amy
As my fellow runners' running seasons came to an end, the worst of my training began. Oh, the Halloween horror of running long runs on back to back days, once a week, for 2 months. I came into the Goofy training after recovering from the Chicago Marathon on October 10, so my legs could still handle the long miles. In the middle of the Goofy training, I ran the Gobbler Grind Marathon as a training run. (How sick of me to say that casually, I know.) The other training runs involved my getting up at 5:00 a.m. on weekdays to shluck out 5 to 6 miles in the darkness donning my head lamp, orange don't-hit-me jacket, and my pink container of pepper spray. Weekends were easier when I'd hit my long training run with Runner's Edge and then follow up with a 5 to 8 mile run in my neighborhood on Sundays. By Christmas, my total mileage for the year topped out at 1,000 miles. Goofy just couldn't get here fast enough.
Thankfully, Galen (my boyfriend and #1 marathon cheerleader) agreed to run the Walt Disney World Half Marathon with me. We arrived at Disney World late on Wednesday night before the race. (I'm a Type A marathon traveler, and I wanted to be at the Expo first thing when it opened on Thursday.) This was his first trip to Disney World since the 1970s and my first trip since 2001.
Things have changed quite a bit since I was there last: namely Disney picks up resort passengers on the Magical Express. The Magical Express also retrieves luggage and delivers it to your hotel room, so we were excited about that little convenience. Why do I mention this? Well, what Disney doesn't tell you is that your luggage will go to luggage jail if you arrive after 7:30 p.m. As we arrived at our hotel room at 11:00 p.m. we had no luggage. We'd stashed our crucial running gear in our carry on bags, but I had a few items in my check on bag that I needed for the races. Every hour on the hour, I contacted bell services for our luggage that was supposed to be delivered "within half an hour." At 4:00 a.m. I finally fell asleep. At 4:30 a.m. bell services said our luggage had just arrived at the resort. :/ At 7:00 a.m. we attempted to bail our luggage out of luggage jail. Around 7:45 a.m. our luggage was finally released. Lesson learned: when you are running a big race NEVER leave ANY of your luggage in the hands of someone else.
So Thursday we went to the Expo and picked up packets, and then we spent the rest of the day at the Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney. On Friday we spent the day at Epcot and MGM Kingdom. We did all the big rides: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Railroad, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Test Track, Rock n Roll Roller Coaster, etc. All day. Both days. On the go. I was so pumped up to see the parks I forgot about these little races I had signed up for.
Saturday was the half marathon. The race starts at 5:30 a.m. EST so we got up bright and early at 2:30 a.m. EST to catch a bus from our resort at 3:00 a.m. to the start of the race in an Epcot parking lot. I was all decked out in my Minnie Mouse ears and my Half Fanatics shirt. Once we got to the starting area, there was a lot of waiting around for about an hour until we were released to walk to the starting line. The starting line is a 20 minute + walk down a narrow road with 20,000 of your closest friends. The road appeared to be some sort of a boneyard for old parking lot trams, so that was interesting...walking in the dark through cemetary of trams past.
Finally around 5:45 a.m. EST, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy started the race with fireworks. We were off! And, oh, how tired my legs and feet were from walking the parks for two days. The first five miles of the half marathon were not very interesting. It's basically running through the dark on highways from Epcot to the Magic Kingdom. Along the way, I had my photo taken with Tigger & Eeyore near Mile 3. The coolest part of the half marathon was Mile 5 through 7 when the course took us through the Magic Kingdom. In the Magic Kingdom, we ran down Main Street, took our photos with Cinderella's castle, ran through Tomorrowland, met Alice in Wonderland and her friends, met Peter Pan & Captain Hook, said "Hi" to Cinderella before running through her castle, met the Princess and her Frog Prince, and sang along with the Country Bears. It was truly a magical mile that made up for the first five miles. I loved every step of it. Running out of the park, I had my photo taken with Mary Poppins. By Mile 8, we stopped to have our photos taken with Goofy & Donald on a golf course.
By Mile 8, I also started getting grumpy. I kept thinking about getting to run the marathon the next day, and I would mentally figure out how many miles of the Goofy challenge I had left as I passed the mile markers on the second half of the half marathon course. I felt my quads starting to cramp up, and my feet were hurting, and I was just tired. Around Mile 10, I just wanted to finish. I tried to focus on the Donald Duck medal I'd get when I finished the half marathon, but I just felt this marathon sitting on my shoulders.
Galen stuck with me through the entire half marathon, for which I am incredibly grateful. I must have been a joy to run with, as every other word out of my mouth had to do with getting to run the marathon the next day. However, he reminded me to have fun on the half marathon course and he never once complained about how slowly I ran the half marathon or how many photos I stopped to take. We finished the half marathon in 2:42. This is about half hour slower than a "normal" half marathon for me, and probably a little under an hour slower than Galen's normal pace. However, it was critical to take the half marathon slowly so I could save my legs for the marathon.
Yes, I'm a glutton for punishment. After we cleaned up from the half marathon, we went back to Epcot for a few hours. It only took a few hours for me to realize how thoroughly exhausted I was, so we went back and laid around the pool until it was time for dinner. Then we went to the Magic Kingdom for dinner, where we saw Mickey's Philharmagic and I had some Mickey ears embroidered for me. We turned in early Saturday night.
And then it was 2:30 a.m. EST on Sunday. To make sure I slept well, I took a gamble and took some Tylenol PM. I was pretty groggy and out of it when I woke up, and I was also incredibly sore. My feet hurt. My quads were cramped. My calves were a mess. I was just exhausted. I did some stretching and used The Stick on my legs and feet before I took my trek to the bus stop. I caught the first bus to the starting area again on Sunday. Unfortunately, the bus driver was clueless and drove around the resort a time and a half before he even left to go to the starting area. At the starting area, a volunteer had to come and bang on the door so he would let us out of the bus. Seriously. Let's just say there was some serious non-Disney approved language flying around the bus that morning.
Sunday morning I had a ticket to the Race Retreat, which was worth every mouse dollar covered in gold. They had food, water, Diet Coke, chairs, mats for stretching, changing rooms, sex-specific port-o-lets, Diet Coke, and Toy Story characters. And Diet Coke. I stayed in the race retreat for about an hour, and then I repeated the 20 minute + journey to the starting line with my sore feet and throbbing quads.
I decided my mental strategy would be to attack the marathon in two halves. I was going to push myself to make it to 13.1 miles without taking many stops for photos and to just try to get through the race. Miles 1 and 2 took us to Epcot. I didn't feel good mentally or physically. Then at Mile 2, I saw Spaceship Earth and some of the floats from the Main Street Electrical Parade. Epcot was playing the music from the Main Street Electrical Parade, and maybe some music from Tron, and it was very energizing. Running Miles 3 and 4 through Epcot was mentally distracting, and I started to loosen up a bit. Miles 4 through 10 were the long trek to the Magic Kingdom. Oddly, these miles didn't seem as long as the miles did during the half marathon. Kudos to the marching band playing "Bad Romance" along this stretch, by the way. Running through the Magic Kingdom was just as fun as it was during the half marathon. I stopped to have a volunteer take my photo with the castle, and this time I got to meet Cinderella's fairy godmother who wished me well with a Bibbity Bobbity Boo!
Before I knew it, I was at Mile 13.1 in 2:32. Again, this is 5 to 10 minutes slower than where I would be during a normal marathon, but this was not a normal marathon. I took a longer walk break to call Galen and let him know I was at the half. Then I updated my Facebook status. I had bribed myself for miles that I could get in touch with civilization at the halfway point. It made sense to update my Facebook status at the time, and it really helped me push through those miles in the race. I would update Facebook again at Mile 20 and Mile 23. I also discovered visually the Goofy medal and all the wonderful food I would eat at Epcot after the race helped motivate me to continue running onwards.
In Mile 13, most of the Goofy runners celebrated for being over 2/3 done with the Goofy challenge, and I ran with another Goofy gal for about 2.5 miles. I appreciated her company, but at the same time I felt that I was missing out on some of the Disney experience. We ran past Davy Crockett, or Daniel Boone, Zorro, and a guy from Indiana Jones with a "magic skull." (Yes, I touched the skull. I needed as much Disney magic as I could get.) Somewhere in Mile 15, I took a walk break and let the Goofy gal go on ahead.
I reached Animal Kingdom at Mile 16. Mile 16 through 18 took me through the park, and they were two energizing miles. I met Chip n Dale, Minnie, Mickey, Baloo and King Louie, and saw the Tree of Life and Expedition Everest. Thankfully no Yetis chased me. (What is the plural of Yeti anyway?) The Animal Kingdom had just opened to tourists for the day, and Expedition Everest was open for riders. A few marathoners actually jumped into the Fast Pass lane for a quick ride. Wow! As I headed toward Mile 18 I ran past some grave diggers. Seriously. I guess these were some leftover crew members from the Haunted Mansion crew, but I did have to look twice to make sure I was not imagining them...
I was starting to cramp up quite a bit from Mile 18 through 22. Walk breaks became about a minute longer. However, my time was very consistent with other marathons I've completed, so mentally that gave me a really strong boost to keep pressing forward. At MGM Studios (Mile 23) I had my photo taken with Doug the Dog, Sculley, and Mike. It was a lot of fun running down Hollywood Boulevard. And then at Mile 24, I just stopped, and I walked. For 2 miles. I had stopped at a medical tent to Biofreeze my knees, and I just couldn't start again. It was a beautiful part of the course that went through the Disney Beach and Yacht Clubs. I ran on a boardwalk and past sand covered beaches. It was a nice distraction.
Just before Mile 25, I saw Galen in the UK. Oh, by the way, I ran from the boardwalks and beaches straight into the United Kingdom of the World Showcase at Epcot. Then I walked through Canada. I thought about running through France, but I kept walking. Then I stopped to have my photo taken with The Beast from Beauty and the Beast. Mile 25. I had 1.2 miles to go, and I just could not move forward very quickly. I waddled around the world from Morroco, to Japan, to Italy, to Germany, to China, to Norway, to Mexico. (Mmmm...margarita please?) The course took me back to Future World at Epcot where I saw Galen again before heading to Mile 26 (or should I say Mile 39.1?). Turning the corner and seeing the finish line was a beautiful sight. I high-fived Goofy & Donald and then I turned on my Goofy medal radar. Yeah, yeah. I got my Mickey medal, but I wanted that Goofy medal....
Note: Disney provided so much entertainment on the course. I never needed my iPod once, even though I had brought it along. While this is one of the most expensive destination runs I will probably ever do, it was worth every single dollar. Despite what it sounds like, I've never had so much fun during a half marathon or a full marathon. It was spectacular. I wanted to capture several of my thoughts that I had while I was running in this blog. You see, I may run this again in 2013, and I need to remember some of the pain that was mingled in with all of the exceptional Disney magic.
So I did it! 39.3 miles! I have my Goofy, Mickey, and Donald medals!! Now I'm in recovery mode...and I think I may be in recovery mode for weeks. The first week after the race, extreme soreness lasted about two days and I was exhausted for a solid week. Narcolepsy anyone? Zzzzz. I tried a 3 mile run/walk on Saturday, followed by a 3 mile run/walk on Sunday. Now my feet are cramped and my quads are on fire again. I think I've underestimated the recovery from this little jaunt. I would actually be okay with not running for a while, except those little Girl Scouts had to release their cookies right in the middle of my recovery. Darn the Girl Scout cookies!
Another happy note: I am officially a Marathon Maniac! Running Chicago, Gobbler Grind, and the Disney Marathon within 90 days qualified me for the bronze level with the Maniacs. So my previous post about not being a maniac, only a little goofy? Well, I guess I am Fanatic, Goofy, and a Maniac!!
Until the next race!
Amy
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