Eat Drink Run Woman

I probably don’t even need to post — the picture says it all (it’s a pretty funny contrast to the finish photo from the half!). But despite my pain, I truly had a fabulous time.

The alarm once again jolted us awake far too early (although we set it for 15 minutes later from the previous day). Our routine was basically the same: quick shower, eat some breakfast, lube up the feet and anything else that might chafe, grab some coffee and get on the bus. It was obvious it would be another muggy day, so I once again left my long-sleeved throwaway shirt in the room (although I did grab the space blanket that was handed out at the end of the half).

A live band was again there to greet us, but the crowd seemed much heavier than the day before. We met up with some folks from the Taper Madness forum (Michele, Mark, Toby and his wife Laura) and did some preliminary stretching. Because we were both feeling a bit creaky, we decided we’d do a 5:1 run/walk throughout the race (I think I was inspired after listening to Jeff Galloway’s talk at the expo). Michele wasn’t looking forward to running solo, so she decided to slum it back in the C corral with us (she too was doing a 5:1 run/walk).

Despite the humidity, I felt great the first few miles. Our pace was perfect, and the time flew by as we chatted with Michele. However, my darling was feeling pretty bloated, and unfortunately the potty breaks provided no relief (it didn’t help knowing Michele and I were standing outside waiting for him). As we got to mile 7 my legs really started to tire; I knew our running pace was too fast for me, but I was determined to keep up. However, I found myself falling farther and farther behind (although I’d catch up during our walk breaks). I felt bad for Michele as she and I waited for my hubby during our second port-o-potty stop. I got pretty anxious seeing all the runners pass us, but she was very gracious, saying she preferred the company.

Our rule was to only take walk breaks outside the parks; the only time we’d stop inside was for pictures:

By the halfway point I knew my goal of a 4:30-4:45 race was shot; in fact, I’d be lucky to finish under 5 hours given it took a little over 2 1/2 hours to reach 13.1 miles. By then I told Michele and my darling I had to keep our running pace to 10:15-10:30. That worked for a while, but by mile 15 I knew I had to slow things down even more if I were to finish. We bid adieu to Michele and soldiered on.

They say the marathon is as much a mental race as it is a physical one, and by mile 16-17 I had to use all my mental faculties to continue. My darling had to take one more potty break, and as I was standing outside waiting for him, watching all the runners pass us by, I started to get irritated. “I’d probably be able to beat 5 hours if it weren’t for his darn breaks,” I muttered to myself. But then I had to slap myself silly. Who the HELL was I to complain about him? I was the one to rope him into this, and considering he’s a MUCH faster runner than I am, the only reason he was with me was to BE with me. Here he was suffering and all I was doing was grumbling (I’m SOOOO sorry, Pooky).

I somehow managed to rally through Animal Kingdom, speeding up to a 9:30-9:45 pace during our running portion. But then the sun started taking its toll, and I slowed down again. I stopped to walk through each water station and was overcome with dizziness each time. But I made sure to drink both Powerade and water, as well as take a couple of electrolyte pills.

We reached milepost 20 and a band was playing “Jump” by Van Halen. As the lead singer was singing, “And I know! Baby just how you feel” I yelled back “NO YOU DON’T MUTHA F@#KER!” (I clearly was starting to lose my mind).

The stretch between Animal Kingdom and MGM Studios was by far the toughest: few spectators, no music, just the sun beating down on an open road. By the time we hit MGM I was getting tunnel vision; I barely acknowledged the spectators along the boardwalk (although I grabbed a few pretzels being offered around mile 24), I just focused on getting my butt across the finish.

Once we passed the mile 24 marker I vowed to keep running to the finish, but when I saw the last water station just before mile 25 I decided to take one last walk break. I did, however, manage to run the final 1.2 miles (the choir once again provide some much-needed inspiration). I staggered across the finish line in 5 hours, 7 minutes, 26 seconds — a PR!

I hobbled over to the Goofy tent for my medal, then collapsed in a heap in the parking lot. A 15-minute massage provided some relief, but the two-hour long nap later that afternoon (and the pre-nap Corona) were the curative elixirs I truly needed.

So, will I do this again? HELL YA! It won’t be 2009, but we’re trying to get a bunch of friends together for 2010. Next time I’ll definitely take the half slower (at least 2 minutes per mile slower than what I’m capable of), plus I’ll do most of my picture-taking during the half. But nothing compares to hobbling around the parks post-race wearing your much-deserved Goofy t-shirt!