Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge - Half Marathon

I arrived at MCO at about 11am on Thursday and after a decent wait in line, I was on my way to Port Orleans Riverside via Disney's Magical Express.  Disney's got it figured out... They have you waiting in line before you even reach Disney World property.  By the time you get on property, you're already conditioned to waiting in line.

I arrived at Port Orleans, checked in, waited for my parents who had driven from South Dakota to watch me run, and then it was off to the ESPN Wide World of Sports to pick up my race packet.  With my race packet in hand it was off to the expo to pick up some calf sleeves.  The expo was PACKED (which was going to be the theme for the weekend).  I tend to get a little claustrophobic in crowds.  So, I got my sleeves, an extra tube of Biofreeze, and bolted.

We had reservations that night at Liberty Tree Tavern, so we headed to the Magic Kingdom.  I have a tradition of getting my hair cut at the Harmony Barber Shop before a race, but we were running behind and it was closed by the time we got there.  Dinner was delicious and our waitress was great!  The food just kept coming and coming.  I was definitely carb loading!

After dinner, we hit Pirates of the Caribbean and then back over to the Hub for the Magic, Memories, and You.  I had seen this back in October, but my parents hadn't seen it yet, so it was a must.  We decided to beat the post-fireworks rush and watched the fireworks from the ferry on the way back to the TTC.

Bright and early Friday morning, we made rope drop at the Studios and caught all the must-do's before lunch.  Then we caught a bus back to Magic Kingdom for the customary haircut.  After a brief afternoon break, it was back to the Studios for dinner with the family at 50's Prime Time.  The Osborne Lights were running through Saturday night.  I had seen them before but my parents hadn't, so this was another must do!  They loved it.

3:00 am came early!  A quick shower, small cup of coffee, and it was off to the bus stop.  We got to the bus at about 4:15.  This was a mistake.  Traffic was a mess.  I was worried that I wouldn't make it to the corral in time for the start.  We got to Epcot and then to the staging area with no time to waste.  I made it into the corral as the National Anthem was playing.  A half hour after the official start, it was my time to go.  I got into my groove pretty quickly.  I love the first mile or so, running along Epcot Center Dr.  It's dark, there are people everywhere, but it always feels so peaceful at the same time.

At about 5 1/2 miles, we ran into Town Square from backstage and as I turned the corner onto Main Street USA, I saw Lou Mongello and his crew from the WDW Radio Running Team.  This was my first event running for the team (which benefits Make-A-Wish through Lou's Dream Team Project).  I gave Lou a high five and kept going.  The combination of running onto Main Street, seeing the castle ahead, and being cheered along gave me a little extra boost of energy.  I stopped briefly where my parent's were waiting in front of Casey's Corner and then I was off.  In tomorrowland, I ran by a cast member who saw my WDW Radio Running Team shirt and told me to say "hi" to Lou for him.

Running through Fantasyland, I ran by an 85 year old woman, kind of hunched over and shuffling along.  Her shirt said, "I'm 85 and you're still behind me."  Inspiring.  A sight like that will keep any thought of quitting far from your mind.

After leaving the Magic Kingdom and passing by the parade float storage area, the race tends to get a little boring running along Floridian Way.  I decided to take a few minutes and Skype my roommate who ran the half with me 2 years ago and is currently active duty at Fort Riley, KS.  He seemed a little shocked that I called while I was running the race.

At about mile 9, I ran by a young man with a prosthetic leg... Another inspiring sight.  Running these races, you see so many people who completely eliminate the world "can't" from their vocabulary.

Around the cloverleaf, up and down the overpasses, and then we turned the corner towards Epcot.  Just before running backstage at Epcot, I saw Lou and the gang again.  Some more high fives and I kept going.

Then it was into future world, around the Epcot Christmas Tree, and back towards Spaceship Earth.  Immediately after turning backstage, just before the 13 mile marker is the appropriately placed gospel choir.  I always get goosebumps and begin to get a little emotional at this point, knowing that right around the corner is the finish line.  As soon as I saw the finish line, I
opened up into a full on sprint.  Although, I'm sure I was running much slower than it felt I was.

I crossed the finish line, got my medal and mylar blanket, and then I was off to the blue tent to meet my parents.  They showed up a few minutes later and informed me that I beat them from the Magic Kingdom to the finish line by a couple of minutes and they missed my finish.  Too bad they don't offer Fast Passes for the monorail.

After an extremely long wait for the bus back to Riverside, we made it back to the room.  I took an ice bath and a shower, then it was back to Epcot for a late lunch at Le Cellier.  This was my first time eating here and it was definitely a worthy venue for a post-race meal.  About 15 minutes after lunch, my body shut down on me and I decided to cut the rest of the day short.  We got back to the room at about 5:00, I got my gear ready for the morning and I was out cold by 6:00.

Coming up -- Marathon Day!