Today: 26.2 miles of smiles… Part I.
Here it is, folks. The post you’ve all one or two people have been waiting for. I thought about naming this post How to Run a Marathon with IBS, or A port-a-potty marathon with some running breaks gingerly thrown in for fun…. but I don’t want to be a party pooper. Get it? Sorry. Despite my stomach’s best efforts to run me off course, I can proudly say, I am a marathoner. I ran 26.2 miles and, yes, I smiled the whole way… to the point that fellow runners probably wanted to physically harm me. I just couldn’t help it. I had the time of my life.
At 2:2o on Sunday morning our alarm went off. After getting dressed and sweeping on a coat of mascara (for the cameras, hellooooo), I set out to accomplish something that still seemed impossible. Me? Run a marathon? Even after months of training, blood, sweat and a few tears, we shuffled to the starting corrals in the pitch black of the (very) early morning. I still wasn’t convinced I’d be crossing the finish line.
I had a well thought out race plan, a loose goal time, and enough Lady Gaga to launch the Spanish Armada. I had Gu. I had Chapstick. I had throwaway clothing and a fully charged camera battery. Once Nick and I were herded into our separate corrals, I was left to my own pathetic devices. Should I go hide in the woods? Maybe I should take a little nap? I chatted with a woman who hadn’t trained. I felt terrified for her, more terrified than I did for myself. Before I knew it, fireworks were booming overhead and we were moving.
The first 4 miles flew by. I used to think that anyone who said “the miles flew by” was a liar, an a-hole, or a robot. Or all three. Turns out, it can really happen. Cool! I found our South Boston Team in Training teammates Amy and Bryan and we passed a little time making animal noises. I don’t really know why, but I know it sure was enjoyable. This was right around the time I got my first glimpse of Endorphin Dude, my favorite costumed runner on the course. As people called out to him, he made superhero noises and threw imaginary endorphins their way, calling, “Here are some endorphins for Mile 20… take these endorphins with you for miles 17-25,” and so on. Plus, he had a really cool Jimmy Neutron hairdo. I wanted to hug him. But I needed to keep running.
Mile 4.5 ish took us through Epcot. It was still dark and cold, but my throwaway fleece was getting to be a bit much. I discarded it (to be picked up and donated by race volunteers later) below the giant golf ball thing… and thought about running back for it when I got cold again a few miles later. “Mad props for starting your year off with a marathon, Elizabeth,” a race volunteer yelled. My face already ached from smiling and I was barely a 1/5 of the way done.
I passed one of the first medical tents at Mile 5, and though I had already hit up the port-o-potties, like, 5 thousand times, I was thankful to not need any sort of real medical attention. A fellow runner, however, went screaming into the tent like her shorts were on fire, yelling, “I’m fine! I just need to get this toenail out of my sock.” There was a collective vomit-in-our-mouth noise from the pack as we continued on. I kept thinking, what we are doing is caaaa-razy. At Mile 6, we looped over the highway, and around and down an off ramp, passing over and then under fellow runners. It was incredible to see the trail of runners going on, literally, for miles.
Miles 7-10 were rather uneventful, though there were plenty of bands, cheerleaders, DJs and Disney characters to break up the long stretch of road. I chatted with fellow Team in Training runners and kept a slow, even pace. I was surprised at how strong and calm I felt. A TNT (because they couldn’t really use the abbreviation t..i..t..) coach from Southern Florida joined me around Mile 9 for a few minutes. He broke down the next few miles for me, and gave me a good idea of what to expect. On the opposite side of the road, runners were tackling the stretch between the Magic Kingdom and the Animal Kingdom. This would be one of the most difficult stretches, the coach told me. Having a better sense of what was ahead kept me focused on conserving mental and physical energy. He also told me his wife, a fellow coach, grew up not far from my hometown, and that she’s be on the course near Mile 18. I cannot say enough about how incredible the on-course support is from Team in Training. This is something I truly did not expect, and it so positively impacted my marathon experience.
By Mile 10, I could see Space Mountain and Cinderella’s Castle as we took on a slight hill (nothing compared to the hills of South Boston, but an incline nevertheless). There was a huge turnout of spectators as I entered the Magic Kingdom alongside a few runners from the TNT Gateway Chapter. I stopped on Main Street to have my photo taken with one of the many race volunteers in green jackets.
My pace was far enough off my goal at this point that I knew I had a choice: try and make up for “lost time” (and potentially kill myself trying), or commit to enjoying every, single minute of it (even the many, many minutes spent in line for the bathroom). If the following pictures are any indication, I chose the latter. My goal shifted from numbers to moments. I was going to savor each and every one. And I was going to finish this marathon. At this point, I just knew it. And I think I just invented my new running mantra:
The moments matter more than the minutes.
That’s a keeper. I should totally be a life coach. For other people. It’s not working out so great for myself.
Between Miles 10 and 11, I posed for photos with Cinderella’s evil stepmother and stepsisters, Prince Charming, and the castle. I thought about posing with the Mad Hatter, but he creeped me out, so I sped on. And by sped on, I mean I moved… but with very little speed.
Miles 11 through 16 were sort of boring, which is probably a good thing. My legs still felt strong, but I wasn’t sure how long this would last. There were still plenty of characters, water stops and entertainment along the way, but with no park or landmark in sight to focus on, these miles were a battle onto themselves, as fear and doubt seemed to be running alongside me. And then there was the battle against the fumes coming from the waste treatment plant. What I thought were Animal Kingdom smells turned out to be coming from Disney’s underbelly. They don’t list that feature on the race pamphlet, that’s for sure.
As we approached the Animal Kingdom at Mile 17 or so, I stopped for pictures with the crew from Peter Pan. I figured my brother Christopher would get a kick out of seeing Smee… and me. Miles 18 through 20 was another stretch of highway, including a few hills at the overpasses. With the sun blazing down at this point, I was started to feel a bit nauseous and overheated. And slightly cranky. I may have entered what John Bingham referred to as the “Bite Me Zone” at our Team in Training Inspiration Dinner. And then I saw this.
Kevin was running his World Record 116th marathon. And he is mobility impaired. How’s that for a kick in the Spandex? I made sure to congratulate him, but only after wiping the tears from my eyes and the snot from my pointy little nose. This is what it’s all about.
For the rest of the course, whenever doubt or fear crept in, I thought about why I was running. Finishing the marathon would mark a tremendous personal achievement, but um… it’s not just about me.
That paradigm shift was all I needed to exit the “Bite Me Zone” and re-enter the obnoxiously smiling zone. That’s where I stayed… and that’s where I remain. I’ll give you Miles 21 through 26.2 (or, according to my Garmin, 27.4….) soon. There’s really no cliff hanger, since I already tooted my own horn about finishing, but I promise to bestow upon you some of the cheesiest photos of all time and regale you will stories of nearly needing to crawl into the bag check tent, while mumbling something about a gospel choir and Cool Ranch Doritos.
Update: Pop some popcorn and Read Part II here.
Also On Tap for Today:
- Snow day!
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SANDY! 🙂
- Great recipe inspiration from Whole Foods: Get Back in the Kitchen and Save
When are you signing up for your first/next marathon? Come on… you knoooow you want to…. Is there anything you’re dying to know about running 26.2?
Comments (51)
Naomi(onefitfoodie)
January 12, 2011 at 12:42 pm
i LOVE that “the moments matter more than the minutes” gosh this has never been more true!!!
You look amazing!!!
YAY for a snow day! 🙂 stay warmmmm
Tweets that mention Today: 26.2 miles of smiles… Part I. « — Topsy.com
January 12, 2011 at 12:46 pm
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Elizabeth , Elizabeth . Elizabeth said: Today: 26.2 miles of smiles… Part I.: http://wp.me/pySBS-OD […]
sandy
January 12, 2011 at 2:04 pm
Thanks, Elizabeth!
Did someone named Mary put you up to that?
She told me she would anonymously, oh course!
Great pix.
So PROUD of both of you.
S
Nick
January 12, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Elizabeth I am so proud of us! and Happy 50th Birthday Mom!
– Nick
Heidi
January 12, 2011 at 4:30 pm
I’ve just started reading your blog and find it very motivating and incredibly humorous! Thanks for the entertainment.
Tina
January 12, 2011 at 6:25 pm
I’m so proud of you! I can’t wait for the second half. Congrats!
Taking the Night Off
January 12, 2011 at 6:56 pm
[…] Check out my TNT teammate’s recap of the Disney Marathon. It’ll make you laugh and […]
Emily
January 12, 2011 at 7:21 pm
Nice! Love the recap and the attitude you took. It’s definitely hard to have fun the entire race but looks like you succeeded. My limited long distance career has come to an end due to knee problems… but hope you have it in you to run more fulls and halves!
healthycreature
January 12, 2011 at 7:34 pm
Great job! I’m going to run the Princess half at the end of Feb and your post was really encouraging. What an accomplishment!
Kelly
January 12, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Yayyyy! Congrats a million on finishing! This was one of my favorite marathon recaps to read- I was laughing out loud about the IBS running and kick in the spandex. I was also laughing about the IBS because that would definitely be me too- I had those troubles before my sprint triathlon so I can only imagine how it would be if I attempted a marathon, yikes!
Tami
January 12, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Kevin is from the New England area, he runs a lot of races around here with a group of mostly guys I think who run a marathon almost every weekend! crazy.
The Girl with the Pink Sneakers
January 12, 2011 at 8:17 pm
Great post! I loved your attitude! I did the Disney half marathon on Saturday and at first got a little frustrated with my slow pace due to the large crowd and lots of walkers but then I chilled out and enjoyed the moments just like you! Now, I really am considering a full marathon! Your post encouraged me!
Alana
January 12, 2011 at 8:31 pm
Hello! I’m a reader from over on Tina’s blog. This is the first marathon story that’s seriously made me tear up…Congratulations! What an incredible feeling it must have been to run that race! My friend and I have serious plans to run the Disney marathon next year, so any thoughts you have on the race are much appreciated 🙂
MaryBe
January 12, 2011 at 9:54 pm
I’m here from Tina’s blog also. I love your blog – you’re so funny! And insightful.
Congrats on finishing and I can’t wait to hear the rest
TheSceneFromMe
January 12, 2011 at 10:12 pm
OMG, I so admire you for having the moments rather than the minutes. Afterall that is what life is about! It’s not a race to the finish and in the end no one will care what your time is, but you WILL have all those memories of the moments!
Jennifer@ knackfornutrition
January 12, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Congratulations! I am so excited for you!! You’re a marathoner…woohoo!!!
Bridget
January 12, 2011 at 11:00 pm
Hey Elizabeth!! CONGRATS!! This is awesome! Your recap is hilarious and inspiring 🙂 I love your approach to it and if I ever get to this point that’s how I would do it too. I’m loving the photos with the Disney Characters…talk about a great distraction! Can’t wait to read the rest!
Kristy
January 13, 2011 at 12:54 am
I just wanted to stop by and say congratulations! I really enjoyed reading your recap. I’m interested in doing the Disney Marathon one year. I live in Manhattan and have done NYC for the past few years and I love, love, love the marathon distance. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment.
Happy Running!
One Is The Magic Number
January 13, 2011 at 8:45 am
Oh my goodness, this entire entry cracked me up! Especially:
“When you see a sign welcoming you to one of the parks, it means you have to run roughly 3 miles before you get anywhere close to that park. That’s why most people drive. Or take the monorail.”
Congratulations! Your continuous smile is incredibly inspiring!
A First to Remember
January 13, 2011 at 10:25 am
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Today: 26.2 miles of smiles… Part II. «
January 13, 2011 at 10:41 am
[…] people who reads the directions), and you’re wondering what happened to the first 20 miles, feel free to start with Part I. I’m guessing I misjudged my mileage, because I seem to have omitted the Animal Kingdom […]
Michelle
January 13, 2011 at 10:45 am
GREAT recap!!! I laughed, I cried… it was better than Cats!
I’m so excited for you that you can call yourself a marathoner! You can totally tell how much you’re enjoying yourself from the smiles in your pictures 🙂
Jeff
January 13, 2011 at 1:35 pm
Elizabeth, you guys are so awesome! Me, I’m a jerk. I would have liked to have sent you some encouraging words and good vibes before the marathon, but I haven’t caught up on my blogs until today. So…I’ll send them retroactively! Seriously, sitting here on my ass, reading what you guys accomplished is so inspiring. And I’m as proud of you as a stranger-but loyal blog reader-friend type of person can be. And as always, you’re witty and funny as hell (For real, every post makes me literally laugh out loud at LEAST twice – and I find myself wanting to comment, listing all the things you said that made me laugh with a big “LOL” beside them). Big, big ups, babe!
Elizabeth
January 14, 2011 at 1:40 pm
A jerk? Um… nevvvvvver. Thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement– it is so appreciated. 🙂 Hope you’re having a lovely Friday!
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jjiraffe
January 27, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Here from ICLW! Congrats on doing a marathon, spectacular achievement 🙂 How did I not know there was a Disney Marathon?
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