#20 Run a Half Marathon: I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!! (Part One)

I've been putting off writing this blog post for several hours because I can't seem to come up with the proper words to describe yesterday's half marathon experience. "Accomplished" feels too academic..."Proud" too close to bragging...yet somewhere in between lies the incredible feeling I came away with after pushing my body farther than I EVER dreamed it could go. Six months ago I was a total coach potato. Hardly exercised, cringed at the word "run," and was so out of breath after 30 minutes of exercise that I thought I'd about die. And while I still don't consider myself to be "in shape" or athletic by any means, I believe I am proof that anyone can run a half, or even a full, marathon if they put their mind to it and beat the mental demons that try to tear you down.

Here's a quick recap of race day:
- My friend Kyle, who was also running the race, spent the night at my apartment the evening before so we could go to the race together in the a.m. And thank goodness he did! Having another person there totally helped get my mind off of my nerves...at least for a little while!

- Wake up time was 2:15 a.m. -- hello morning! This gave us just enough time to get suited up (running clothes + warm items for the staging area), eat some breakfast (and drink some coffee) and head on out. Since this was our first race ever, we had no idea what to expect, but took heed to the warnings of crazy traffic and specific check in times.
- By 3:45am we were there, bags checked and ready to...sit on the ground for almost an hour. Thankfully, we were both dressed pretty warmly, I with my red sweatshirt and Christmas red sweatpants, plus gloves and a blanket; Kyle with his scarf, hat, and sweats. I think this is where our excitement began to build -- so many runners standing around, cool costumes to check out (the winners in my mind were a man dressed as Snow White, a gaggle of girls all dressed as Disney princesses, a man dressed as Tinker Bell and a couple wearing full-on medical scrubs!).

- We started our walk to the corrals around 4:40am -- I was assigned to Corral H, which is the very last corral for all the slow people! Kyle was assigned to Corral E, but was kind enough to move back and stay with me so I didn't have to be by myself.
- At 5:30, the race officially began -- at least for the fast people. Although there were fireworks at every corral's start to keep the excitement going, our corral didn't actually cross the start line for another 45 minutes!
- Then it was go time! Immediately, I stripped of all my extra clothing, and despite the cold, felt good! I started my walk/run ratio straight from the start, avoiding the much hyped about temptation to run fast and exhaust yourself quickly.
- The exhilaration of crossing the Mile 1 marker was amazing! It hit me that this was it, the moment I had been training for, and I better absorb every detail along the way and enjoy myself!
- Every so often, Disney had entertainment along the course -- stilt walkers, hot air balloons, local bands and cheerleaders on the sidelines, DJs, cartoon clips, characters and parade floats, and of course lots of CHEARSquad strangers cheering you on (my favorite sign was one where a woman wrote: Run like there are clowns chasing you!).
- Mile 5.3 started our journey through the Magic Kingdom. How wonderful it is to run through such a magical place! This is also where my boss Bryan came to cheer me on. It was AMAZING to see a friendly face in the crowd, so THANK YOU Bryan again!
- I think Kyle and I both started to feel some tiredness setting in around mile 7, but by the time you hit mile 9 and realize you're in the home stretch, a second burst of energy bursts through to push you along.
- By Mile 11, you're entering Epcot -- so crazy to realize you're almost done!
- Before you know it, the Finish line is within sight, along with bleachers filled with cheering fans. After the Mile 13 sign, we took off sprinting to the finish and gave each other a big high five after stepping foot across the finish line! Within minutes we had gorgeous, heavy, super shiny Donald Duck medals hanging from our necks, official signs that we were Half Marathoners!

- One of the first things we asked each other: "So, you think you want to do another one?" Unequivocally, hell yes! I had never felt better! Question two: "What about a full marathon?" Silence... ;) Can't say that I can see that one in my future!

Our Official Finish Time: 3 hours, 4 minutes -- 11 minutes ahead of my goal time!

A day after the race, I am sore as all get out, although nothing unusual compared to other long runs. The pain is totally worth it!

We still have to wait a week for our professional race pictures and customized runner Web sites to be active via the RunDisney platform, so I will certainly do a follow-up blog post to share that with you all. For now, all I can say is how happy I am to have embraced this experience and challenged myself in this way. Of all the items on my 30 Things list, I think I will walk away from this one with the strongest memories and pride. And hopefully I will be able to keep the rhythm going, making an active, running lifestyle a regular thing! Anyone out there want to join me at the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon in November? New runners welcome!