My Trek to an Iron Man

26.2 Miles done.  It was the physically hardest thing I have ever done.

Highlights:

• Disney does it right.  Great event.
• I was very intimidated.
• The race was huge.  16,000 people.  Its a site to see.
• Great vibe, the volunteers were great.  They deserve a medal for being out there in <40 cold.
• The run through Cinderella’s castle was damn cool.
• In some places I could actually walk faster than I could run (strange)
• Glad I could share the race live with friends through facebook
• I cried tears of joy passing mile marker 20.
• Pain only lasts for a little, pride last for a life time.

Pre Race:

My daughter and I picked up the race packet and we got to meet Emma from track shack. (Emma works track shacks twitter account and does a great job.  We won the first scavenger hunt and got a cool t-shirt.   There were lots of vendors and pleanty of sunglasses to buy.  The only thing I picked up was a “Tyvec” windbreaker that was worth the 10.00 because the race was cooooooold.

For lunch I met up with 20 bloggers at Peach Valley Cafe who I met on twitter. Great conversations with Katy Widrick (ran the 1/2) and Ashley Sickles (ran the full).  They kept me motivated for the race; great people.  Katy said something that stuck with me: Enjoy the moment.   Plus they run faster than me, so I have a challenge now.

After prepping for the race I rechecked my bag 5 or 6 times to make sure I had everything then went to bed at 10:00pm.  I fell asleep about 11:15.

Race Day 2:15 am:

The alarm rang and I hit snooze just once.  The weather was cold and I put my 5 layers on and was out the door.  The vibe was great.  Everyone was walking around, warming up, staying warm and smiling.

Race Day 4:30am:

I finally left the comfort of my heated car and headed out.  No need to check the bag.  Peed twice and headed towards the coral with 1000’s of other runners.  We passed what I call the the “Pee Forest”.  100’s Men and women were rushing to the bushes to loose that extra little bit of weight before the start.  I was one of them; figured it was the cool thing to do.

Race Day 6:00am:

The starting fireworks were great.  In the early morning the sky lit up and we all started.  It took about 20minutes to get to the start line.  It was frikin cold.  I saw some people running in shorts and a tank top.  They must of had internal heaters.

Easy: The first 5 miles.

Just coasting and relaxing.  Enjoying the sites and setting my pace.  Around mile 3 is where I get into my groove at my pace.

Tempo: The next 5 miles

Little tougher and needed to hydrate.  I did not want to cramp up.  My pace was still good.  There were a couple spots where I power walked and ran.

Half way: 13.1 miles.

I had done the OUC 1/2 marathon the month before, so the first 13 was a on pace.  I completed the OUC in 2:45 and at Disney it was 2:55 so I was feeling good.  The volunteers were cheering us on.

The Wall: Miles 17 – 19.

The body started to hurt.  Lungs were good, but my hamstring and top of my butt were hurting.  I tried to continue running, but I knew that I needed to pace my self to finish.  So the power walking began.  These were the most difficult mile of the whole race.  Everyone around me seemed to be feeling about the same, so power walking was the pace.

The Tears: Mile 20.

I saw mile marker and teared up like a school girl.  At that moment I knew I was going to finish.  Luckily I had sunglasses on so I didn’t lose any man points.  There is no crying in baseball.  Only 6 miles to go.

Sheer Determination: Miles 21-25

My body was in pain.  Let me repeat. My body was in pain. Feet, shoulders, legs, calves, and even my hair was in pain.  I tried to run, but my body said: “YOU ARE GOING TO POWER WALK AND FINISH. DON’T ASK ME TO RUN.  YOU WILL GET YOUR MEDAL”.  At each mile marker I smiled a little more.

The Finish: Mile 26

I was there.  I ran the last mile (At a really slow pace) but when the finish line came, I stopped for 30 seconds.  I wanted to enjoy that moment.  The moment of seeing the finish line was victory.  One more step to completing an iron man.  And yeah I teared up a bit.  I got across the finish line with Boston’s “More than a feeling” playing in my ear. It was a moment.

The Moment

I got across the finish line and I searched for my wife.  She has been so suportive, and this is a big moment.  It’s been a tough couple of years but things have turned around and that moment I wanted to share with her.  She ran that marathon as much as I did.  I didn’t see her, but then I heard something I have heard for 36 years of my life.  My Dad’s whistle.  Like a laser I honed right in on him and saw my wife, two daughters and dad screaming and waving in the stand.  They saw me do it.  They were there to share the moment. Tear.

The After Math: Walking like a Pride Full Penguin

I got my medal.  Not the fastest but Mickey is hanging from my neck. My oldest says I walk like a penguin.  My hips are so stiff and soar.  The two flights of stair at work hurt.  A cool thing happened at work.  I went to get a cup of coffee and the big boss saw me walking all funny.  “What did you do to your back, Steve?” he asked.  “I ran the Disney Marathon yesterday, so I am a little sore”  I replied.  He was very impressed.

Do I want to do another marathon?

Hell Yeah.  I will see you at Disney next year; and I will be faster.