Medal Hanger

I picked up a medal hanger and put it up today. So far I have one full and two halfs:

Lately I've had to run on the treadmill but I'm hoping to go out for a 12 miler tomorrow. Three weeks until the Hampton Half.

Disney Marathon - Looking Back and Looking Forward

My journey started about this time last year, weighing 223 pounds, not having run much in a few months, and subject to increasing back and joint pains. I made the decision to make the Disney Marathon a goal that would motivate me to get myself in shape and avoid becoming prematurely old. A year later I had lost 40+ pounds and run a sub four hour marathon.

I thank God for giving me the health to make this possible. I knew from the start that there was no guarantee my body - especially my knees - would hold up to the training. Losing some weight before starting the real training mitigated the situation, but several injuries throughout the year, including knee problems and strained muscles, made it clear just how quickly injury can stop you in your tracks. Right now I'm amazed at how good my knees feel. Even after the marathon they were not sore at all, and I know I am very fortunate in this.

It's obvious as well that I need goals to keep me motivated. It was only the goal of the Disney Marathon that motivated me to make the necessary changes last year. After the marathon, I let myself go at Disney and put on a few pounds last week - for which I have no regrets. But I certainly don't want to slide back to where I was.

Why not repeat the same formula? One reason is that doing it on your own is a little lonely, when most of the runners at Disney are in groups or pairs. I really wouldn't want to go down again as a solo runner. Fortunately Ellen has come to the rescue and agreed to run the half marathon next year. That gives me the opportunity to do the Goofy Challenge, running the half with her on Saturday and then the full myself on Sunday. I'm already fired up about it and I know this will provide the motivation I need to stay on track.

Short term I'm running the Hampton Half Marathon in February, joined by Marianne, the runner who inspired me to take on the Disney Marathon in the first place. I'll be trying to finally breakthrough that 1:50 half marathon PR.

Disney Marathon 2015 Recap

Well the big day finally arrived this past Sunday.

 

On Saturday we flew down from Boston, took the Magical Express to the Polynesian, and immediately headed to the ESPN Center to get my packet and explore the Health and Fitness Expo. I was a little nervous about this because of the compressed timeline but it all worked out. We picked up my packet and marathon shirt, which is long sleeve black. I like it and I'll likely wear it for the Hampton Half Marathon in February. I also bought a yellow short sleeve 2015 marathon shirt. There is a lot going on at the Expo, much of which we didn't explore as we got there late and I needed to get back to the hotel to rest up for the race.

 

We headed back to the Polynesian and checked in, and I ate my pre-dinner race at the Contempo Café in the Contemporary Resort, which has a pasta and meatballs offering. I was hoping to sleep that night since I hadn't really slept Friday night, but I didn't really sleep much Saturday night either. I tossed and turned for a while, went down and hung around the Great Ceremonial Hall, came back and tossed and turned some more, then decided to get up for good at 2:00 AM. I ate my pre-race breakfast of peanut butter on saltines, got suited up, and headed out for Epcot at 3:30 AM on the monorail.

 

The setup was just as described in various blogs (and documented in Lee Hoedl's videos). The staging area was a parking lot at Epcot with rock music playing and MC's firing up the crowd. One funny element was the Green Army Man from Toy Story, stationed in an elevated bunker and yelling down at the runners to motivate them. More on this guy later.

 

At around 4:30 we started the long walk to the start corrals, which again went just as expected. I was glad I listened to Lee Hoedl and brought a towel to sit on while waiting in the corral, which lasted till 5:30. One disappointing thing I noticed were people climbing the barriers to get into corrals, presumably ahead of the ones they were assigned. There are always the 10% in any group that have to ruin the situation. I was surprised at how relatively close I was, in the E corral, to the absolute start of the race. This is a consequence of the fact that the early corrals are the smallest and get larger as you go back (all the way to P), getting to a thousand and more for the ones in the back. The corrals in front of me had a few hundred at most (at least until people started climbing into them!)

 

Most of the runners were in groups or pairs (with several newlywed couples with the bride running in a white dress and veil), but people were pretty friendly and I chatted with some other singles like me.  We agreed we were lucky with the weather, which was in the high 50s at race start and was forecast to not get out of the 60s during the race.

 

So Mickey did the countdown, the fireworks went off, and a few minutes later my corral had moved up to the start line and we were off.

 

Mile 1. 9:49 (these are splits from my watch)

 

I did no warmup but stretched out in the corral, and given my naturally slow starts, I wasn't too worried about taking it out too fast.

 

Mile 2. 8:55

 

A lot of jockeying for position and it was fairly crowded. The corral runners are still more or less in a big clump. I had to run on the grass to get around some runners to maintain pace.

 

Mile 3. 8:57

 

It opens up and people spread out and position is no longer an issue. I was passing people even from the start and I have to wonder how some runners got the corral placement they did (other than climb the barriers). A lot of these runners could never have done the 1:50 half that got me into the E corral. We also started getting the cheering squads. There are a lot of high school marching bands and cheerleaders scattered throughout the course and cheering you on. One of the nice Disney touches. Also the Disney characters along the route started showing up. You can stop and have your picture taken with them (either with your own camera or a professional photographer). Some of the setups are very elaborate, like a pirate ship behind Captain Jack Sparrow.

 

Mile 4. 8:50

 

I'm making no effort to control my pace. I know the cruising stride I want and I've just adopted that gait and let nature take its course. From experience I know I'll speed up even if it doesn't feel any different and this was happening. We're also approaching the Magic Kingdom and there are now crowds along the road cheering us on. I notice one of the newlywed couples running hand-in-hand and I wonder if they will make it the whole race like that.
 

Mile 5. 8:46

 

This mile includes the entry into the Magic Kingdom proper and the famous turn down Main Street USA. And it really was just as thrilling as advertised:

 

  

 It's still pre-dawn when you get to this point and Main Street is lit up with both sides jammed with cheering spectators. The buildings create a stadium effect with all the noise and it really does give you a jolt, with the Cinderella Castle lit up straight in front of you. You then circle around through Tomorrowland and run back through the castle:

 

 

Mile 6. 8:53

Mile 7. 8:44

This mile takes you behind the Polynesian and I knew my family would be waiting for me to run by. And there they were... but a large bus cruised between us just as I ran by! I also ate my first gu gel packet.

 

Mile 8. 8:40

This takes you around the WDW Speedway. The track is lined with classic cars (like a classic car show) with the owners encouraging you to take a look. And they are blasting racing sounds over the sound system. By this point I had settled in to my racing groove.
 

Mile 9. 8:40

Mile 10. 9:06

Stopped for a quick bathroom break here, which pushed the split over 9 minutes.
 

Mile 11. 8:28

Mile 12. 8:29

These miles take you on back roads past the WDW Water Treatment Plant. The most boring section on the course as there are no marching bands or cheerleaders and it smells. The only items of interest are a series of signs that tell you how much filth the treatment plant processes. Better than nothing I suppose. When I saw the 11 mile split I noted it was too fast but wasn't concerned over one mile. When mile 12 came in at the same split the "danger Will Robinson" flash went off in my mind and I consciously backed off the pace a bit. There was no way I could keep that up for 26.

Mile 13. 8:37

This mile takes you through Animal Kingdom. I was having a ball, running comfortably, chatting with other runners, waving at spectators and thanking the volunteers.

 

  

Running through AK I turned a corner and who was there but Baloo from my favorite Disney movie, Jungle Book. He had the the things I required for a character stop: 1) Be a character I was interested in. 2) No line and 3) A professional photographer (not all the characters along the way have them, so unless you carry your own camera, you can't get a picture).

 

 

Mile 14. 8:38

Ate my second gu gel packet. My left knee started to bother me, an ominous sign. But a few miles later it felt fine and didn't bother me the rest of the race. My right little toe was hurting a little bit as well but I just lived with it the rest of the race. After the race I discovered that I had blisters between all the toes on my right foot (something that's never happened before) so maybe that sock was too tight.
 

Mile 15. 8:32

Mile 16. 8:39

Mile 17. 8:35

 

These miles take you from Animal Kingdom to the ESPN Center. I was still feeling strong, running easily, and having a ball. At the water stops I would crush my cups and try to score a basket in a trash barrel while running by. At one stop here I threw the cup between two runners and bounced it off the rim of the barrel; the runner in back yelled "Denied!" This guy had his name "Kevin" in big letters across his back and was really living it up, yelling to the spectators and other runners. He was a good runner and was easily handling the pace. I would pass him at character stops and then see him a while later as he caught up. We joked now and again until the last time I saw him in Hollywood Studios - but more on that later.

 

Mile 18. 8:47

Mile 19. 8:42

 

The course winds around through the ESPN Center on these miles. The slowdown in pace didn't concern me because there are a number of hairpin turns and bottlenecks going in and out of the stadium, the track and the like. 

A lot of runners don't like the ESPN Section of the course because some of the running can be difficult, but I had no problem with it and it's a lot more interesting than other sections of the course.

Mile 20. 9:00

At the end of Mile 20 we exited the ESPN Center and headed to Hollywood Studios. Again the split didn't bother me because I felt good and there were bottlenecks on this part of the course. Ate my last gu gel pack.

Mile 21. 8:45

I knew I was in uncharted territory here as my longest training run was 20 miles. I reminded myself of one of the marathon tips, which is to trust your training. I had followed the Higdon plan religiously and so should be confident going forward.  I was still feeling strong and a quick calculation showed that I could break 3:50 if I could stay under 9 minute miles for the balance of the race.

This mile includes a long on-ramp to a highway overpass and I saw one of the characters I was hoping for, the Green Army Man from Toy Story. Unfortunately he didn't have a professional photographer with him. He wasn't standing still either, as he was running out on the course alongside runners and yelling "Move it, Move it, Move it, soldier!" and "Get up that hill!" as we ran up the on-ramp. I thought this was hilarious and hoped he'd pick on me but no such luck.
 

Mile 22. 8:48

Here I was able to hold the pace but it was starting to become work, so I became a little concerned. I was no longer smokin' and jokin' like I was earlier.
 

Mile 23. 8:54

This mile includes the arrival at Hollywood Studios and I could tell I was starting to actually become tired, but I still had confidence I could make 3:50. Only 5k to go!

Mile 24. 9:15

And then the bottom dropped out. I'm familiar with the phrase "hitting the wall", but if that's what happened to me here, the phrase doesn't do it justice. I've never felt anything like it, including any of the Marine Corps training. A better word would be "devastation." "Hitting the wall" implies you have encountered a barrier and are trying to break through to the other side. Whatever wall was in front of me could have been paper thin because I had nothing left to get through it.

 

 

What shocked me was the speed with which it happened. I could detect a slow decline in my pace and my strength over the previous few miles and I was prepared for that. I even thought I could make the 3:50 if things continued to decline at that rate. But this was just a complete emptying of the checking account. My thighs were thoroughly thrashed and were hurting badly, I was laboring in my breathing - all of which had happened at the end of half marathons. But there was a big difference between this feeling and how I felt at the end of half marathons. Here I felt a general bodily resignation I've never felt before. Any thoughts of the 3:50 went immediately out the window and I knew I was in a struggle for survival until the finish. I saw Kevin again and he started to talk to me but I just looked at him and shook my head. He said some words of encouragement and moved on. The last I saw him he was getting a character picture with Mr. and Mrs. Incredible.

25. 9:33

This mile takes you along the Boardwalk from Hollywood Studios to EPCOT. I was familiar with it from staying at the Yacht Club back in 2011. It would have been nice to enjoy the sights and sounds but the only thing I could think about was putting one foot in front of the other. A few weeks ago we watched "The Spirit of the Marathon", a documentary that follows several runners training for and running the Chicago Marathon, including ordinary runners and elite athletes. I remembered the commentator saying that the elite female runner was "nothing but arms" as she approached the finish line (she won the race). Throughout the race I had been reminding myself to relax my arms, especially my left, which I tend to run with in a fist (see the pictures). Now, remembering what that runner had done, I began pumping my arms a bit and that seemed to help.
 

26. 9:40

 

I finally made it to EPCOT where you run through the World Showcase. Here I am struggling through Morocco:

 

 

I kept my head up enough to spot my family at Norway and cruised over to give everyone a fist bump. I managed to put on a brave smile:

 

 

 

As I closed in on the finish my thighs went numb and I started to feel a little sick. I knew that when I heard the Hallelujah Choir (a gospel choir singing near the finish) I was almost home, and it gave me a little bump when I heard them, knowing I was going to make it on my feet.

 

As I approached the finish line I didn't feel any elation, just physical emptiness and a determination to make it across the finish line running. Although I didn't feel any real desire to, I decided to throw up my arms in some sort of celebration for the pictures as I crossed the finish line. All I could manage, however, were a couple of feeble fist pumps:

 

 

I finished in 3:52:35, reaching my goal of a sub four hour marathon. After the finish I could barely walk and probably should have headed to the medical tent. But I was not dizzy or disoriented, just a physical wreck, and I figured the medical help was for the runners with potentially dangerous issues. Mine didn't seem dangerous, just painful.

 

I managed to work up a smile for the medal photo:

 



 

Unfortunately, the ordeal wasn't over because I now had to somehow make it to the monorail. I hobbled out of the finish area and saw signs for "bag check to the left" and "no bag check straight ahead". I had not checked a bag so I went straight ahead, which brought me to the buses, and only then did I realize the monorail was in the opposite direction. Cursing Mickey for his poor signage, I backtracked and started out across a large parking lot. One other thing that was annoying was the complete absence of seating in the finish area. I guessed that this was because they wanted to hustle runners out of the area with thousands more coming in and a desire to break down the marathon setup as soon as possible. But come on, I just ran 26.2 miles! The only place to sit is on bare blacktop?? In any event, I struck out across that parking lot and after 50 yards stopped and rested on a concrete lightpole base. Heading out again, I managed another 100 yards before I was forced to ask some women at a Downs Syndrome charity tent if I could rest in one of their chairs. They were runners themselves and understood. I plopped down for a 5 minute break, then couldn't get out of the chair to move on. One of the women had to hoist me out of the chair and push me in the direction of the monorail. After a 40 minute odyssey that was as painful as the marathon, I managed to collapse in the monorail and get carted back to the Polynesian. Again, I should have had the sense to ask for a golf cart ride right after the finish, but nonetheless I wanted to punch Mickey in the nose while I was struggling across that parking lot.

I figured I might be down for the rest of the day, but a hot shower and a 20 minute rest did wonders, and we spent the rest of the day in the Magic Kingdom. I almost fell over a few times getting on rides, but everything went well, including the evening feast at the Liberty Tree Tavern.

I have to say the Disney Marathon was one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done. Some runners feel elation approaching/crossing the finish line, but I was feeling nothing but pain and had to fake the elation. A few hours later the elation set in, however, and I never got tired of wearing my medal around the parks all week.

This is something I'd love to do again and I'm already anticipating doing the Goofy Challenge (the half and full) next year - this time with some company.

Last 8 miler

The taper continues with my last 8 mile run today:

5 mile loop: 48:49 for a 9:46 pace
3 mile loop: 27:07 for a 9:02 pace

The upcoming final week has a couple of 3 and 4 mile runs. Then Disney!

The best thing as I've made it to this point without major injury.

Frosty Four Miler

I ran the Frosty Four Miler race in Salem this morning with Ellen, running it as a training run. It's the first time I've run a race as a fun run, chatting with other runners and the spectators. In the first mile, I happened to be running in front of a woman who was talking about the Dopey and Goofy Challenges, so I turned around and struck up a conversation. She is indeed doing the Dopey Challenge this year, and is running it in the fun style, hoping to ride Expedition Everest during the Marathon. (Yes, some runners take time out to ride rollercoasters!)

10 days to go... can hardly wait.

Picture of the start at the Frosty Four Miler (and it was cold, in the low 20s at race time)