3:11:40 I Finished!!!!

I did it!!! I finished!!! {this is a long one}

And my time was way better than I ever thought it was going to be. 3:11:40
I was expecting 3:15, 3:30 nope 3:11.

HOLY CATS!!!

I was awake at 1:30 am. I could not go back to sleep. And I was starving. So ate breakfast and forced myself to lie down. I think I took another 45 minute cat nap and then 2:30a time to get up.
It was 45 degrees, I wore my skin under my running shirt. My core was warm the rest of me was cold. My hands took forever to warm up. I will be looking for the gloves.

We picked up Jeff and Matt and headed out. We all met at the table with a tent over it marked sm-z. The closest we could get to V for voice. I have no pictures for the early am my camera died!! We got batteries from Amber later on Main Street.
After we all got there we headed out to the rest rooms. Man that line was long. But we all were able to talk chat and bond.
Then after we made it through the the restroom lines we had to walk 20 minutes to the corrals. It was a long walk too. It was a great warm up. The guys hit the restrooms again and then we all split up and went to our line up. We choose to stay near the end and I started with Jonathan, And Matt. It took us 25 minutes to get to the start line. Wave one went out, and then wave 2, and then wave 3. I was so excited. I did some stretching and lunges to loosen up while walking to the start line.
This was so real. I over came injury after injury, and all the frustration to get to this point. I am getting ready to cross the start line. 13.1 miles!!!! I was in tears of joy. Then all the sudden all I could hear was the chip chirping and we were off. The crowd and sea of people made it hard to go blowing out of the gate. And we are off walking/hell I wasn't walking I was running!! Yes I was running. Leaving Epcot behind and headed out on to World Drive. The famous World Drive. The only road that went to the Magic Kingdom for years.I was running on it.{I am a totally a Disney nut} Now at this point I have realized why they do not want runners wearing ipods, they will not move out of your way. And those who were doing intervals, they just stop right in front of you, and I nearly ran them down!!!
To my left all the sudden I see runner, and wheel chairs. These guys were moving so fast! This is when I remembered that the Holts were in the Half. The father son running team. I never got to see them but I was looking for them.{hey is that Byran} Then the Magic Kingdom parking ticket booths are in front of me. Holy Cats were are here!!! We weave through the parking lots and TTC and past the great Space Mountain. then all the sudden we rounded this one corner and through a gate on to Main Street!!!{ the sun was just rising and the moon was setting} Holy Cats I made it!!! I am on Main Street. We turned again the there is the the Grand Cinderella castle. { I am really running and going to run through it}

Tons of people cheering everyone on,and then look Hey Amber!! She is yelling stop I said no I am in my groove and Eric stop to grab batteries from her. By the way, it is Eric's birthday and he is wearing birthday candles on his head and people are yelling happy birthday and singing too.
now we make a right to go around the back of the castle, there are characters and the Tea cups were spinning and the carousel was moving and here we are Running through the castle. I was so happy I made another goal. E ran ahead to get my picture coming through it. I was running the picture proves it.



Now we are waiving around to the back of the the Magic Kingdom, and the temperature dropped. Cats!!! I had to use the restroom. I had to for a long time but I didn't want to stop.{ I was having flash backs from the TOT 13k} So We stopped. I ended up in a jon that was teetering. Yes it wasn't flat. All I could think was it's my luck and it's going to fall. But it didn't. This took a minute and a half. Matt was able to catch up with us. There were local high school bands out playing and the cheer leaders along the route back to Epcot from MK. About mile 9 I was getting shaky. They gave us this apple pie gel. I brought a mini cliff bar and carried my own water, so we slowed down and I ate the bar and had some water. 5 minutes later I was feeling way better and we were off again. I ran non stop to mile 9. RAN!!!!!!
Mile 10 I will never forget, why? This is when a 64 year old man started to talk to us since he heard us talking about time. I saw he had on the Goofy and Half challenge bracelet on and I asked him if it was his first challenge. He said no. This was hi second race for the year and he was only able to do 9 last year, only because he had to take time off to have his hip replaced. 5 MONTHS AGO!!!! As long as you make mile 10 by 2.5 hours you can do the goofy challenge well we were the at 2.25 hours. We picked up our pace again. You can see Space ship Earth and we are now weaving back throught the parking lots to enter Epcot. My feet started to hurt. This hasn't happened before. I had to slow down. Only 2 miles to go.. I was making great time, maybe I will make it just under 3 hours I was thinking , no my feet a hurting to much. I had to speed walk the rest. The crowd got big again and people we don't know yelling my name and screaming Happy Birthday to E. Then I heard go RAE!! I looked up and it was Glen. Then we rounded the last corner and there is the finish line. HOLY CATS I AM ABOUT TO FINISH THIS RACE!!! I was crying and screaming,and I crossed the line with E and Matt and Then all I could think about where is Jonathan. I wouldn't leave the finish line until he crossed it. They asked me to leave and I told them NO. Later they asked me to step back so I did but I didn't leave. I saw Amber in the grand stands she had runny Bunny. SO I waited..........waited....... watching the clock and waited.......{did he get swept} still waiting........Then I saw Amber taking pictures and I saw it. The white hat..... Holy Shit he made it!!!! I started jumping up and down and screaming, he high fives Chip and Dale and the announcer yelled GO TEAM VOICE and I lost it!! I was screaming and yelling... and BAM.... He crossed it!!!! High five and hugs all around. I turned him around and point to his wife, I thought he was going to fall apart right there.





I had so much fun, and I learned so much, about myself and I am totally convinced I can do a full Marathon now. If a 64 year old man can do 39.4 miles with a new hip I sure can do it too.