The Stark Realization of What is Ahead

The 10K is in the bag.  9. 3 miles down and 39.3 to go.  39.3 miles.  39.3.  Thirty-nine point three.  HFS.

This morning the race was one hour earlier than the 5K so  my alarm woke me up at 2:15 am (1:15 CST!!!) and I got my gear on and headed out the door to grab a bus before the lines got too long.  Even though the temps were warmer than yesterday, there was a breeze this morning.  Did I take my toss away shirt this morning?  NO.  What a dumb ass move on my part.  I really wanted it to ward off the goose flesh.  When we pulled up to Epcot, we were the first bus there.  I got in and out of a port-o-can quickly, did a little warm up run and some neuromuscular exercises and just tried to move enough so that the breeze would not chill me.

So being in corral A does have some benefits.  You get out on the course early and the on course entertainment is still super fresh.  I was going into this strongly adhering to a run five minute/walk one minute interval.  After the first five minutes, Nike woman tells me that my pace was 7:38.  SHIT!!!  SLOW THE F--K DOWN!!!  I did my one minute walk and pulled over to the edge of the road.  I was the only person walking.  That's ok, that is the plan and I was sticking to it.  I started my run again and got going and started passing people.  SLOW THE F--K DOWN!!!  My mile splits were somewhere between 9 and 10 minutes.  Every time I started to run after my one minute of walking, I was zooming along and passing people.  I was not out to pass people, it just happened that way.  I stopped to drink a cup of water and eat some Shot Blocks around mile three.

I stopped to snap a picture of the World Showcase that was all lit up.  I stopped to futz with my shorts that were starting to chaff the insides of my upper thighs (UGH!!!).  I stopped for photos with Chip n' Dale.  I stuck to my 5/1 interval like glue.  There were some moments that I thought my intestines were going to give me issues, but I figured that it was just gas and I was going to be finished soon enough.   Running up to the finish, the time clock was reading 1:00.23.  I knew that I was going to cross still at the one hour mark and I know that it took me a few seconds to get across the start line.  I started in the dark, and I finished in the dark.

THAT WAS WAY TOO FAST!!!  WAY TOO FAST!!!

Other than the chub rub on my inner thighs, I had no pain during the run but I knew that for the half I was going to have to really rethink my plan on how to run it.  Each day they have been herding the Dopey people into a special chute to get a wrist band.  We have to have a wrist band for each race on Sunday to collect all of our medals.

Next, they give us drinks and food in these nifty little snack boxes.  Then we get our medals and our photos.

I tried to get a massage, but I guess I finished too early because there was no one in the massage tent.  After getting some calories in me and photos with some world known celebrities, I found my roommates and we headed back to the resort for breakfast in the hot tub.  I made sure not to sit in there too long this time.

I decided in the hot tub that I was going to run for five minutes and then walk for five minutes.  The runner's handbook said to walk more, so that is what I decided I was going to do for the half tomorrow.

I got cleaned up, pulled on my compression sleeves, and headed over to the Magic Kingdom to check out the new section of Fantasyland.  I did my Fastpasses, found some lunch and ended up walking around quite a bit from one side of the part to the other, based on where my Fastpass rides were.  On my last ride, the Tomorrowland Transport, I decided to prop my feet up and I had time to think more about my half marathon plan.

I decided that I needed to walk more of it than just half of it.  I want to have legs for Sunday.

So here is the plan.  I am going to get at the back of my corral and I am going to just let everyone go.  I am going to start out with some running, but I am dialing things way back to where I feel embarrassingly slow.  After 5 minutes, it is walk time.  and I will be walking until I get near lots of spectators.  That should be around mile 4 or so.  Once I get to Ticket and Transportation, I will run and look awesome for the spectators and then walk to the Magic Kingdom.  I will run on Main Street USA and then pick up the walking when I am out of the park.  I will probably run past the Grand Floridian Resort and again as I am coming into Epcot, but if I am not in a park with all the photographers or anywhere near spectators, I am walking.  This is going to be a SLOW morning.  I need to save my legs for Sunday or you might find me in a location that is not so magical.

I will probably still be finished before many of you are even dressed and have had your first cup of coffee.  The start is at 5:30 am.

That means it is past my bedtime.

Later Gators,

Liz