January, 2007
Note: All of the links in this journal connect to pictures from the trip.
Clicking on any of them will display the picture in a new window. Enjoy!
| Friday, January 5 | Saturday, January 6 | Sunday, January 7 | Monday, January 8 |
Let me know if a picture or movie link isn't working right. Thanks!
Friday, January 5
The trip started out on a positive note when I got moved near the front of the plane from Milwaukee to Orlando. I was seated very close to my parents, my grandparents, and my aunt. We left a little bit late, but we arrived nearly on time. We picked up our baggage, a red rental van, and lunch at McDonald's. After checking in at the Beach Club (near EPCOT), my dad and I headed for the race expo, dropping off Aunt Sue at the Coronado Springs hotel.
After parking in the "overflow" area at Disney's Wide World of Sports, we went straight to the expo center, where I had no trouble getting my race numbers and commemorative shirts. After heading down to the expo floor, I met Hal Higdon, who has written several books about running (I have two of them). I didn't arrive in time to see his presentation, but I'm glad that I had the chance to shake his hand and say hello. After checking out a few of the booths, we went outside and got a picture of my dad by the sports fields entrance, and then we went back to the Beach Club.
After dinner (#1 #2) at the pizza place on the boardwalk, we arrived at a nearby dock to enjoy the Illuminations Cruise, which my mom had booked six months in advance. I'm not sure how much it costs, but it offers guests a boat ride around the lagoon and an unobstructed view of EPCOT's Illumniations show. We also got a view of Disney MGM Studios' Fantasmic show from far away. As a special treat, my family bought me a cake to encourage me in the weekend's races, which I was happy to share.
After the cruise, we headed back to the hotel to get some much-needed rest.
Saturday, January 6 - Half Marathon
I woke up at 2:40 a.m., put on my running clothes, and headed outside for a pre-race check. The night air was very comfortable. I did a few 100 meter strides at an easy pace to make sure everything was okay. I had been nursing a sore ankle on-and-off for the past few weeks, but today, I felt fine. About an hour later, my parents and I headed for the parking lot at EPCOT, which was the staging area for both today and tomorrow's races.
Having never done the Disney races before, I was awed at the many things happening at EPCOT when we arrived. It was only 4:00 a.m., but there was a live band, concession stands, and plenty of runners getting ready to race. I was still very comfortable in my green shirt, which I hoped would help my parents to see me better while I was on the course.
After my parents left, I began the 20-minute walk to the start line. My 3:59:46 performance in Portland, Oregon in October secured me a spot in the front corral of the first wave of the race. The race organizers kept us occupied with promotional music videos and various Disney-related announcements on the big screen just to the right of the start line. Before too long, a countdown and fireworks signaled the start of the race (at 6:00 a.m.), and the first of three waves of half-marathoners was on their way!
I felt that I was ready to run 13.1 miles on Saturday and 26.2 miles on Sunday, even though the busiest weekend I've ever had was 10 miles on Saturday and 20 miles on Sunday. If I was running just the half marathon, I probably would have tried to run it in about 1:50. However, with a marathon coming up the next day, I decided to take it easy and not worry too much about my time. In fact, I did not even wear my GPS watch. I only carried a cell phone (with a belt clip) and my small digital camera with me on the course. During the first mile of the race, I let most runners pass me, being careful not to get in anyone's way.
After about two miles, we approached the Magic Kingdom parking entrance, which is actually the entrance to the Transportation and Ticket Center. As I crossed the 3-mile mark, I noticed the clock time at 32:57. Since I had taken somewhere between 30 seconds and a minute to get to the start, I was pacing somewhere between 10:30 and 11:00 per mile. As long as I maintained a 16:00 per mile pace, I would be allowed to finish, so I was in no danger at all, and I was feeling great!
We soon entered the Transportation and Ticket Center. My parents had called and told me that they were on the left side of the course. Before long, I spotted the balloons (which we kept from last night's cruise) that they were holding, and then I saw them. They looked absolutely thrilled to see me running by. They might have been a bit suprised when I stopped to take their picture. I knew that I wouldn't be setting any speed records this weekend, so as long as I didn't impede other runners, I would stop to capture a moment on digital film.
After passing the 5-mile mark, we entered the Magic Kingdom from an entrance on the right side, usually only for cast members. It was still dark outside, and it was really neat to see the park with all of its Christmas decorations lit up. I made the turn on to Main Street U.S.A., and it was amazing to see spectators lining the left side of the street as we passed by. As we turned right into Tomorrowland, I reminded myself to slow down and enjoy the scenery, as this was one of the most exciting parts of today's race. We went through Fantasyland and turned back toward the Cinderella Castle, where I noticed one cast member with Mickey gloves cheering us on.
Just past the castle was the first time I stopped to get my picture taken with a Disney character. Pluto was standing there with a cast member. I quickly handed my camera to the cast member and posed with Pluto. The delay in the flash made the first shot a bit too close up, but the second shot was perfect. You might notice that I looked a bit sweaty in the picture. However, I was getting plenty of fluids at the rest stops, and I felt great.
More spectators were lined up past the castle as we turned toward Liberty Square. The Mile 6 time check had me still inside 11:00 per mile. Woody and friends were in Frontierland to wish us well. One of the cowgirls sounded just like Jessie as she shouted for me to keep going. Apparently, she didn't like that I had stopped for the picture. :)
Rather than exit the Magic Kingdom through the main entrance, we got a quick "behind-the-scenes" look at the area where the parade floats are stored. After a rest stop with bananas (a much-appreciated bonus), we made the turn and headed back south toward EPCOT.
The excitement had died down as I crossed the 7-mile mark, but there were still sights to see. We passed a band before reaching the 8-mile mark, and then another band (with steel drums) before mile 9. A D.J. flashed what he called his "barracuda smile" as I passed by. At mile 10, I noticed that my splits were now closer to 10:00 per mile. I didn't feel like I was pushing it, so I decided to just keep on running and enjoying the atmosphere of the race.
These road workers looked like they were having a good time as we passed by. I can only imagine how many folks like them had worked to get the course set up for us. Running on an overpass allowed me to get this shot of the runners below me. I still felt great at mile 11, and I kept things moving at a steady pace as I approached EPCOT and reached the 12-mile mark.
Just like at the Magic Kingdom, we didn't have to go through the main gate when we arrived at EPCOT, approaching from the right. We ran past the ball and other parts of Future World, making our way to Showcase Plaza through a tunnel of lights. It was plenty bright by now, so the lights weren't on -- more on that tomorrow. Around the Christmas tree and waving to more characters, we went back toward Spaceship Earth. A choir beautifully sang us all the way to the finish area.
I wasn't tired at all as I crossed the line (chip time: 2:14:56). Perhaps I "sandbagged" it -- going slower than I needed to -- throughout today's race. In any case, I enjoyed my final moments on the course, leaping on the finish mat with both feet simultaneously. After getting my medal, I realized that there must still be a lot of people behind me. There were still plenty of medals to hand out!
My wife, Jenelle, was not able to come with us to Disney World because of some work commitments. I called her on my cell phone to let her know that the first race was complete. It was about 8:15 a.m., so it was only 7:15 for her. She sounded excited to hear my voice, and she congratulated me several times, even though she had just woke up. She has always been very supportive of me throughout my various training endeavors. Thanks, sweetie! :)
It wasn't too hot out yet, but I definitely enjoyed the food and drink at the finish area. After my heart rate dropped a bit, I felt thankful that my parents had given me $20 to put in the back pocket of my running shorts. It gave me the opportunity to pay for a post-race massage (only $10 for 10 minutes). Two skilled massage therapy students helped relax my muscles and stretch them out, helping me to be in the best shape possible for tomorrow. After a professional photo on the way out, I met my parents (who were filming me from the stands at the finish), and we walked to the van to head back to the hotel.
Gridlock! After moving about 3 car lengths in 30 minutes, we re-parked the van and walked through EPCOT's main entrance, stopped at the new Nemo ride, and made our way back to the hotel via the International Gateway. Even though there was some extra walking involved, it was still a great race!
After a shower and a huge breakfast at the Yacht Club Galley, my family and I took it easy for most of the afternoon. I recall putting some ice on my left ankle just to make sure it wouldn't swell up and cause trouble for the full marathon. I also caught a much-needed nap. I felt okay as evening approached, so we all went to EPCOT again just to hang around for a little while. My dad and I enjoyed a ride on the "less intense" version of Mission: Space.
We weren't exactly sure where to go for dinner, but I eventually decided to get some mostaccioli at a nearby Giordano's restaurant. I seriously considering getting a stuffed pizza, but I decided I could celebrate with that sometime after tomorrow's race. After coming back to the hotel, it didn't take me long to fall asleep.
Sunday, January 7 - Full Marathon
Another day, another huge crowd at EPCOT for the start of the race. I arrived just a bit earlier with my parents, so we had time to check out more of the pre-race fanfare. I bought a Goofy Challenge polo shirt at the merchandise trailer. Actually, my parents my bought it for me. They're extremely nice. After they headed out with my new shirt, I made my way to the runners-only area, where there was water and portable restrooms as far as the eye could see.
I was among the first few hundred people to make my way to the start line. Rather than a "wave" start, we all piled into different corrals. I was lucky enough to be in corral D at the front of the RED starting area. There was also a BLUE area. Runners in that area would run a different course than us until all of the runners merged about three and a half miles into the race. I reached the starting line before most of the crowd, so I had a great view of the race hosts and the big screen, which was on the left side of our line, in between the two racing areas. I always like to take pictures of the A.V. crew (#1 #2) at events like this.
I walked to the back of the corral before the race started, as I knew I wouldn't be going very fast. I took movies of the singing of the national anthem and the start of the race, and as I soon as I figure out how to compress them for the web, I'll put them on here. To summarize, Mickey and friends counted down the start, which was accompanied by lots of fireworks and four streams of fire shooting into the air. I quickly snapped a picture of the left side of the start area and the right side just past the line as I began my 26.2-mile journey.
We started just outside EPCOT, but made our way back inside the park. My ankle felt great, and the cool, misty, and foggy Florida air was very comfortable. I knew that the weather would soon get too warm for comfortable running, and I could only hope that my ankle didn't flare up later on.
Remember that tunnel of lights in EPCOT near Showcase Plaza? It looked much more impressive this morning than it did the day before (#1 #2). Passing the three-mile mark showed that I was pacing at about the same speed as yesterday. The run led us in to World Showcase and then to a "back area" of the park, where I saw this safety-themed poster. We merged with the blue group of runners before reaching mile 4. Throughout both races, I never felt that it was too crowded, even though there were plenty of people around. Perhaps I was just having too much fun!
At some point during miles five and six, I saw my parents for the first time along the course. They continued to be excited and were full of encouragement. I was now a minute or two ahead of the pace I set the day before. As the sun started to rise, the number of spectators and cheerful workers and volunteers increased. I snapped a picture before running underneath the runners behind us.
I wasn't expecting to see my parents again until mile 10 or so, but to my surprise, they found another place to watch me. I wondered how tired they might get trying to see me at as many places as possible. They had to get around the course without actually crossing it, while I just got to keep on running! Anyway, I reached mile 7, where an upbeat Team in Training coach offered to take my picture. I politely declined as I took a picture of him instead.
I passed the steel drum band again before reaching mile 8. I continued to feel great as the temperature rose ever so slightly. I made a pit stop at a portable restroom (no waiting) at about mile 9, just before reaching the Ticket and Transportation Center.
Choose your groove! I picked the 80s as we entered the parking lot along a similar path as the half marathon. I saw my parents again before reaching the path toward the Magic Kingdom, where this banner helped keep the runners strong. It was now light out, but all of the fog hadn't quite lifted yet, as evidenced by this shot of the Contemporary Resort. The fog kept me cool as I reached the 10-mile mark in about 1:45, still on pace with yesterday's run. Somewhere around here, I lost sight of the 4:30 pace balloon in the distance. I wasn't overly concerned, as I just wanted to finish in five hours or less, a respectable time considering the races on back-to-back days.
I still had plenty of gas in the tank as we entered the Magic Kingdom, passing by a brass quartet. No lights were necessary at the park this time around, but it was still a thrilling sight to see so many people cheering us on. Near the south end of Main Street, I saw an opportunity I could not pass up. I got my picture with Mickey and Minnie! There were only two other runners in line, and I wasn't setting a PR anyways, so I happily waited for my turn.
I kept the camera clicking throughout the park. Spectators in front of the castle. A rockin' Tomorrowland band. Peter Pan and Wendy. The same lady at the back of the castle. More spectators as we exited the castle. Frontierland and the 11-mile mark. The train along with the engineer and the conductor. My "back lot" pictures include this approach shot, Geppeto and Pinocchio, a parade float, and the guard at the back entrance.
I continued to run easy, completing 12 miles with the clock at 2:06:41. I was now slightly behind yesterday's pace, but I was still targeting to finish well under five hours. As long as things didn't heat up too much, I thought I'd be okay. I got another great picture with Mary Poppins and friends before passing the Grand Floridian and the 13-mile mark. I saw my parents one more time before the road headed down a path I hadn't been on before -- toward a more wooded area on the approach to Animal Kingdom.
The 14-mile mark gave me a chuckle, as it was one hour behind. "Woohoo! Three-hour marathon!" I cheered as I passed by. Launchpad and Darkwing Duck saluted us as we neared the Recycle Transfer Station, just past mile 15. I'm not exactly sure what goes on at a place like this, but it didn't smell very good. I probably picked up the pace a little bit at this point. The odor quickly subsided, and then we reached more cheering fans, like the Hip Hop Kings seen here.
Shortly after this was the gel stop. We had our choice of Clif shots in a variety of flavors. I had used hammer gel while training, but I didn't anticipate any problems. I decided on strawberry, even though I had never tried that flavor of gel before. My reaction to it -- yuck! I quickly swallowed it and washed it down, hoping that I wouldn't have any stomach issues. This is also the point in the race where I started drinking 2-3 cups of powerade/water at each stop instead of 1-2. I didn't feel thirsty or excessively hot, so I figured I was doing a decent job of hydrating.
It was at about mile 16 when something happened that I can't quite explain. For whatever reason, I was no longer comfortable running "easy", and I picked up the pace. I only had three gears -- running, walking (through aid stations), and stopping (to take pictures). There was no longer a "slow but steady" option. Perhaps the gel had given me a burst of energy that I couldn't contain. Perhaps I had been running way too slow for the first half of the race. I decided not to think about it much more and to just keep plugging ahead.
On to Animal Kingdom! When I took a picture of this pretty bird, the trainer did something to make it show off its wings -- neat! I also got my picture with Donald and Daisy. We went through another wooded area and were greeted by Rafiki and friends before entering the park. I was still energized as I got my picture with Baloo and King Louie. It was exciting to see runners on the path by Expedition Everest, and before long I was on that path getting a closer view of the mountain.
I had stopped several times during mile 17, but I still completed it in about 10:30. I quickly passed the Dinosaur ride, a holiday jeep, and some police officers. As we reached the Animal Kingdom parking lot (at the front of the park), I saw something that I hadn't seen since mile 10 -- the 4:30 pace balloon. I caught and passed the pacer by the time I had reached mile 18 (9:44 split). Along the road out of the park, I ran into Mickey again. That's strange -- I thought I had left him back at the Magic Kingdom. He somehow passed me AND changed into a different outfit. He sure is quick!
During mile 19, most of the runners were slowing down, but I was forging ahead. I attempted a "self-picture" with an energetic D.J., but I sorta missed. My split for mile 19 was about 9:26. We were now on the road to Disney MGM Studios. I continued to drink several cups of water at each aid station to stay hydrated as the Florida sun grew stronger overhead. Mile 20 took me about 10:05.
The race organizers kept the energy level high by putting a band here that looked and sounded just like the Beatles. We needed all the help we could get as we reached a part of the course with two-way traffic. We had to run a ways down the road before turning around and then heading for Disney MGM Studios. I kept up the pace during mile 21 (about 9:40). As I made the turn, it took me almost thirty seconds to see the 4:30 pace balloon pass by on the other side. I did some quick math in my head and figured out that the pacer must have been in a corral further back, as I was a tiny bit behind 4:30 based on the clock.
Cars beeped and passengers cheered as they passed us on the road to the park. I completed another 9:40 split as I reached the 22-mile mark. We reached the back of the Tower of Terror and took a red carpet entrance to Disney MGM Studios. The Hollywood Public Works Dept. was offering a ride to the finish for twenty bucks, but I politely declined. Toy Story soldiers gave us encouraging remarks as we continued through the park.
Next was one of the funnier moments on the course. I saw several Star Wars characters, including Darth Vader and a couple of stormtroopers. I decided to get my picture taken, and I followed the usual routine, handing the camera to a cast member and planting myself right next to Darth Vader, putting my left arm around him. He proceeded to forcefully shrug my arm off his shoulder, as if say, "How dare you get friendly with the dark side?" My arm at my side, the cast member took the picture, and I resumed my run.
We went through a tunnel and past the "Mulch, Sweat & Shears Rake N' Roll" band before reaching mile 23 -- my split was about 10:28. I still felt pretty good, though the heat was starting to get to me. I took lots more pictures, including the Streets of America (#1 #2), Mike and Sully from Monsters, Inc., Alice and friends, the Fantasia hat, Hollywood Boulevard, and the tree at the front of the park.
Next, we ran along the lagoon, which would eventually get us back to EPCOT. There was a great view of the Swan Hotel. My 24th mile took me about 10 minutes. I was starting to cramp just a bit, so I drank plenty at the next aid station, though I refrained from pouring water over my head. I didn't want to look too messed up when I passed by the Beach club, where my mom, aunt, and grandparents would be waiting for me.
I did some advance planning of this stop on the cell phone. Grandma & Grandpa secured a spot right along the race course early that morning. I would stop, hand off the camera to my mom, and have her take 2-3 pictures of me with my aunt and grandparents. I had no trouble spotting them, and they were all very excited to see me. They cheered loudly as I waved and stopped. The plan worked perfectly! I was filled with joy, as I knew that finishing the race was no longer an "if" question -- it was simply a matter of "when". I told my family that I was running the last mile and half for them. I shook my grandpa's hand before resuming my journey.
We entered EPCOT through a gate that was closed off to the public, and it led us to the final aid station. I drank several cups of Powerade and water, and I poured one last cup of water over my head. I could taste the salt from my sweat pouring down over my face (which, thankfully, did not get in my eyes). Mile 25 took me about 11:20, but I wasn't overly concerned.
I was now getting a bit tired, but I knew that I would finish easily. Touring the World Showcase area, I passed several countries, including Japan, Germany, and Mexico. How could I best savor this moment? Should I walk and make it last as long as possible? Should I run all out? A huge smile came to my face as I casually jogged to Showcase Plaza, through the tunnel of lights one final time. I took yet another picture of Spaceship Earth. The choir was there, in the same place as yesterday.
Mile 26. My split was about 10:04. I came upon the first set of finish area spectators, and I knew that my time on the course was almost over. I took one more picture of the finish area. I took a deep breath, and ran the final 100 meters to the line, waving and smiling the entire way. I might have high-fived Chip or Dale at the finish -- I was on such a high that I can't quite remember it. My dad was in the stands, and I'm sure he's got it on video.
My clock time was 4:30:29, and my chip time was 4:29:46. I walked past the "Are you alright?" staff and got my aluminum blanket. I received my Mickey medal from this kind volunteer. I stood in awe of everything around me as many others got their medals. I reached the food and drink area and took my share of water and Powerade. I felt wonderful. Everything was in slow motion, but it still seemed like it was happening too fast. Another volunteer gave me my Goofy medal, and my collection was complete. I enjoyed another post-race massage from two skilled massage therapy students. I called Jenelle to tell her that I was done, and then I called my dad. He was in line to get a picture with Goofy, and he was five people from the front when I found him. Almost perfect timing for an excellent picture!
We weren't sure if we could get out of the parking lot in a reasonable amount of time, so I took a bus back to the Beach Club while my dad attempted to leave with the van. As it turns out, he didn't have any trouble getting back, because he had parked near the back of the lot. As for me, I drank so much at the finish area that I got off the bus one stop early (at the Yacht club) to use a restroom. I had no trouble walking from there to the Beach Club.
I walked into the lobby, and my whole family (including my dad) was there to greet me. They cheered so loudly for me that I was almost embarassed. Yes, I had achieved something tremendous, but so had many others in the vicinity. They took several more pictures (on their cameras) before I headed up to the hotel room for a shower. We found out that Giordano's could deliver to the hotel, so I got my very own stuffed cheese pizza to celebrate my successful completion of the Goofy Challenge.
The rest of the day paled in comparison to the morning. I had enough energy to visit a couple of theme parks. My dad and I rode the Expedition Everest ride at Animal Kingdom, and then we met the rest of the family at Disney MGM Studios, where we did a few more rides and enjoyed the Osborne Lights show. We also went to Pleasure Island, where I checked the race results. I had no trouble falling asleep that night.
The rest of the pictures from Sunday: The Animal Kingdom tree, the Disney MGM Studios tree, June and Quincy from Little Einsteins, Mom & Dad in front of the lights (#1 #2), and all three medals.
Monday, January 8
I thought I would sleep for quite a while, having run almost 40 miles in two days. To my surprise, I woke up before 4:30, and I couldn't get back to sleep. After tossing and turning, I finally got out bed around 5:30. Not sure what else to do, I put on some clean running clothes and walked around the boardwalk. I actually tried to run, but my quads were a bit too sore, so I didn't push my luck. I did see several other runners cruising past me, but they were going too fast for me to ask if they had run either of the races over the weekend.
Around 8:00, we went to Cape May's for a character breakfast. All of the characters, including Minnie and Goofy, insisted that I wear all three medals for the picture. Minnie came by a second time, and she wrote this message on the table with a crayon. Before we headed back up to the room to pack, I got another picture with my parents, who had been extra helpful throughout the trip. I hope they had as much fun as I did over the past few days!
Well, that's about it. The flight back was fine, including the baked on-board chocolate chip cookies. Thanks very much for reading this. In all of your future endeavors, don't be afraid to try something a little Goofy every once in a while.