·:[ The Healthy Mom ]:·
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…and it was actually okay.

I picked them up and we went to the Starbucks at King Soopers for vanilla steamers. I read a book about Arctic and Anarctic animals to them, and we did some grocery shopping.

Then, we headed to Chuck E Cheese. When we got to the parking lot, I didn’t recognize any cars. And Zander was giving me attitude. So, I said, fine, we’ll just sit in the parking lot until you feel like you can be nice.

And we did. Poor Zevan REALLY wanted to go inside, but I held my ground, and Zander finally decided to turn his attitude around. He still claimed that he didn’t want to play any games, which I was fine with. He brought in his Spyro maze game instead.

Of course, once we got in there and had lunch, he really did want to play games. In fact, we played the Bug Safari game (no idea what the real name is) together and finished the game. That was fun.

I did tell the boys that once we used up the tokens that I bought, if they wanted more, they would have to give me some of their allowance. It didn’t come to that, though.

I’m rethinking going to CEC. I think staying in the house with the boys may not be the best course of action right now. 

I may do errands first with them (Target always cheers me up) and then meet up with you closer to noon.  We have a parent/teacher conference at 2:45 PM.

I’m struggling right now.  I think it’s depression coming back to me, with the post marathon letdown, gaining weight marathon week, the boys’ behavior and this weather makes me want to just curl up in front of the tv eating snacks. 

However, I’m not ready for the side effects of going back on medication yet.  Weight gain and no sex drive isn’t going to help me right now, either.

I didn’t work out yesterday, other than rearranging furniture and helping my dad put together the bunk bed for the boys.  I’m walking the line between berating myself for not working out, and trying to give myself a little bit of slack. 

I haven’t worked out yet today either.  I wish that Chuck E Cheese had DDR or some other fun physical game to play there.  Meanwhile the laundry has piled up again and the house is a wreck. 

I need to snap out of it and get back on track!

I’m torn at the moment.  My boys don’t deserve Chuck E Cheese today.   Yep, already, before 8 AM. 

We may stay home.

I got on the scale this morning and…

lost 1.2 lbs! 

Of course, I shouldn’t have gained 3 lbs during marathon week in the first place, but at least we’re getting somewhere, even if that was just water weight I lost.

Today I went for a 5 or 6 mile run with May (not sure because I forgot to start my Nike+ iPod when we started).

I’m staying within my calorie budget, but I am ALWAYS HUNGRY.  Sigh.

Okay, so May and I are still discussing the triathlon vs duathlon…  it’s the lake swim that’s putting us both off…

Today I did a Tae Bo work out with my punching bag.    It was a good start to the day.

I’ve been good about logging my food on Balance Log and staying within my allotted calories.  We’ll see how I do on the scale tomorrow morning.  or

I recently read advice about realizing there will NEVER be a time in my life where there is no stress, and I need to stop making stress an excuse for not exercising or eating healthy.

Yes.  I need to do that.

This is how it went after I posted.

I went downstairs and picked up the phone to call my cell phone so I could find it. 

I had 10 voicemails.  I listened to them (more procrastinating).  Then I called my phone and found it.

I got in my car to drive to the trailhead. 

I said, “Nope.  I’m not doing this.  I’ll do Tae Bo or something,” and I got out of the car. 

I opened the car door again and put my purse back in and grabbed the headphones, and decided to just run a 5k along Mesa Road.

I set up my iPod and started the workout as I walked down the driveway.   I picked my old “Run Maida Run” playlist with lots of mostly angry mosh type hard rock music and cranked up the volume.

I took my first run up the brand new sidewalk on 19th (across the street) to Mesa Road.  And just started going.  Slowly at first.

After the 1st mile, I decided that I would actually go farther than 5k (3 mi) - more like 4 miles.  I mean, that would only require me to run an extra half mile before turning around.

I started shouting out loud along with my angry mosh songs.  Until I saw other people on the trail.   Because there are a lot of obscenities in my angry mosh songs.

In the end, I ran 7.4 k (4.6 mi) - and now I notice that I am a mere 1.64 mi away from logging 1000 mi with Nike+ iPod.  Not too shabby.

I am really in the throes of post marathon blues.   I first announced my goal in July 2006, and then 16 months later, actually accomplished it.  The pinnacle of my physical accomplishments.

Now what?

I’m behind on work projects.  I’m behind on house projects.  All I want to do is sit on my ass and watch TV.

I am supposed to be running right now.  I’m dressed from head to toe to get outside and do it, but I don’t want to do it. 

I’m also reeling from the fact that I gained 3 lbs during marathon week.  3 lbs!  WTF?  I run a marathon, walk around Disney World for 6 days, 6-8 hours per day, and I gained 3 lbs?!

I just ate a cookie.

Crap. 

I need to make a plan.

And right now I need to get my butt out there and run, even if it’s just 3 miles. 

Okay, I’m going…

Ouch. This was torturous. My calves were tight, my hips were tight. How the heck did I run 26.2

Well, now that the marathon is over, it’s time for me to get on the REGIME.

Calorie counting and calorie burning is the name of the game here.

Of course, the boys don’t have school tomorrow, so I’m trying to figure out how to get a run in.  Or maybe I’ll just do Tao Bo

Should I expose them to the Bally’s child care center for the first time?  Or should I call my dad?  I should call my dad.

I need to make a plan.  I need to write stuff down.

But first I need to finish my 5th load of laundry today and rest.  Because I also have to go back to work tomorrow.  Sigh.

Last day of the trip. We had a big breakfast, trying to eat all the food we had left over. Pancake batter, eggs, milk, bacon, croissants, juice…

We packed everything and loaded up the cars. We checked the rooms, and then checked them again. We let the kids watch TV (SpongeBob!) as we finished up.

Then we all headed out. Jennifer was headed back to the Magic Kingdom, then the beach. We were going to check out Downtown Disney for a few hours before we had to head to the airport.

Much hugging and promises to not go so long without seeing each other again…

Sigh. I miss Jennifer!

We drove to Downtown Disney, following the signs. We parked and got out. On the opposite side of where we wanted to be. So… we headed back to the car and drove to the other end of Downtown Disney. Where parking was scarce. And where all the fun shops were.

We shopped for souvenirs at the World of Disney, which was basically like a Disney Department Store. We shopped there for a while. The boys picked out a Christmas ornament, a drinking cup for the bathroom and Mickey Mouse light saber flashlights. I bought myself a new WDW visor.

Then we headed over to the LEGO Imagination Center. Outside were these large, elaborate LEGO creations - a lifesize family of four, a sea creature scene, an airplane, a large Transformers type robot - and in the water was a huge Loch Ness type monster - all constructed entirely of LEGOs!

The boys played outside where they had LEGO tables and build their own creations. I went over to the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop and bought myself some chocolate.

We had lunch at the McDonald’s next to the LEGO Imagination Center. After lunch, we stopped by the Once Upon a Toy Store where they had a huge display of Mr. Potato Head parts and pieces. They even had a computer kiosk to make your own Mr. Potatohead.

Then it was time to head out to the airport to check in and catch our flight.

Which was delayed. Nearly an hour. Which meant we had about 25 minutes to catch our connecting flight. We requested seats up front so that we could get out more quickly, but I think Doug and I both were feeling like there was no way we could make our connecting flight. Especially when Zander got sick. And then when we found out we would have to go from the farthest end of the B concourse to the opposite end of the F concourse. Things were not looking good.

I explained to Zander our situation. And how much I wanted to go home tonight to sleep in our own beds. And that if we missed the flight, we’d have to stay in another hotel room in Chicago.

When we landed, we were ready to go. I was carrying Zevan and our 2 bags, and Doug carried the other two bags, with Zander running along side us. We really did run. About 5-10 minutes, Doug helped me put Zevan in the Ergo, and then we continued running through the terminals. Zander was a trooper. He kept right up with me, despite still feeling bad from the plane ride. He was really awesome. As we finally arrived at the start of the F Concourse, he said, “We’re never going to get there.” I assured him we would, just a little big farther. About halfway down the concourse, we were in the clear and slowed to a more comfortable but still quick walking pace. We made it! And I have to say that I was so proud of Zander. He did so great. He could have had a big tantrum or bad attitude, but he didn’t.

I grabbed some snacks and drinks for us and we boarded right away. Whew! Poor Zander threw up on this flight (it was a tiny prop plane). And then after my dad picked us up at the airport, he threw up in the car. I knew he was going to get sick, and I was desperately looking for a bag or something for him. At the last second, I picked up the tissue box, pulled out all the tissues, and he got sick in the tissue box. Poor little guy. At this point, he simply said, “I am having a REALLY bad day.”

We got home, safe and sound. And slept in our own beds.

Still, I have to say this was by far, the favorite park of the trip for most of us.

Another later start for us - about 11:30 AM when we arrived. We started through the Oasis, taking more time to look at animals more closely than we did on Monday. We went straight to Africa to get a fastpass for the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. We had about a couple of hours to kill before we could use it.

We grabbed a heavy snack - fruit and pretzels, at the concession stand right next to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride.

We took the kids over to the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and spent a good deal of time there. Zevan and I spent a very long time birdwatching in one of the first areas of the trail.

After we finished the trail, we took the Wildlife Express Train over to Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Turns out they have some a Kids Discovery Club Guide, much like the KidCot Stops at the Epcot center. We stopped at the Rafiki’s Planet Watch Club spot on the way in, and got the booklet. Zander got a booklet and had to look at an exhibit and find all the animals in the booklet for that Club to get a stamp. We stayed there for a short time, then moved on. It was rainy, and we headed over to the Conservation Station. Just outside the doors was a cute little talking trash can. He was very amusing. We took our time through the Conservation Station looking at all of the creatures, rooms and exhibits.

It was getting close to our FastPass time, so we started heading back. This time all the kids got into the Rafiki’s Planet Watch Club spot. Maya and Zevan each got their own booklet this time. They all found the animals and got their stamp. We took the Wildlife Express Train back to the main park and got in line for the Kilimanjaro Safari ride.

The ride was really great, even though we had been on it before, you just never know exactly how close or how many of each animal you will see.

After the ride, Zander and Zevan took turns with the camera, taking pictures of each other and/or the open air bus we rode on.

We headed over to Dinoland USA afterwards. Jennifer took Zevan and Elliott so that Doug, Zander, Maya and I could go on the Dinosaur ride. That turned out to be the scariest ride of all. About 90 seconds into the ride, both Zander and Maya held onto the bar in front of them, put their heads down, and looked down at the floor. For Doug and I the ride was really great - roller coaster and thrill ride. Zander and Maya were troopers - they didn’t cry or complain. And they just talked about how intense and scary it was afterwards - with a “we survived it!” attitude.

There is one point in the ride, where the scariest, biggest dinosaur jumps out and roars at you, and there is a camera to take a picture of everyone’s reaction. I saw our photo come up on screen - it looks like Doug and I are in a row by ourselves with two empty seats between us. You couldn’t even see Zander and Maya because the were tucked down low. It was a very funny picture.

We caught up with Jennifer and the little guys on the Triceratops Spin ride. Zander, Maya and I jumped on with them. There was hardly a line, so we went on there for a few rounds.

Then we headed over to watch the Festival of the Lion King. We got really good seats near the center (it was in the round).

I got chosen to lead everyone in our section in making elephant sounds. That was comical. Later, Maya was chosen to shake a rattle and walk around the stage area for the celebration part of the show.

After the show, we decided to have dinner at The Rainforest Cafe, just outside the entrance of the park. We got our name on the list, and we waited. We distracted the kids with the fountains outside and the aquarium tanks inside. And we waited. And waited. And waited.

And then we finally got a table. And the funniest thing happened. Maya was SO tired from this week’s activities that she was punchy. It was HILARIOUS! She just giggled uncontrollably and laughed loudly at everything anyone said that was even remotely humorous. She was totally cracking me up - I was loving it. So much better than a tantrum!

Our dinner was DELICIOUS and filling and wonderful. It was a great finish to a long, fun week of activity.

After dinner, we headed outside, only to find out that the parking trams stopped running. And that we weren’t even exactly sure where our cars were. We trekked out there (I had to leave my stroller at the park) and found our cars (thank goodness for remote key fobs).

When we got back to the room, I started my pre-packing for the next day. Our flight didn’t leave until the afternoon, but we had to check out by 10 AM.

A cool, rainy day. I mean, it was actually raining this morning while we ate breakfast.

So, I already know that the Play House Disney part of the park is under renovation. Which is a HUGE bummer, because that would have been perfect for the boys at this age.

When we got to the park, I decided to bite the bullet and rent a stroller. After all, it was Day 5, and the boys had been walking a lot this week. They spent enough time yesterday trying to ride in Jen’s stroller…

If you rent for multiple days, you get a decent discount, so I decided to go ahead and pay for 2 days, so that we’d have a stroller tomorrow, too. They are those really good strollers, too - low to the ground, easy to push and for them to get in and out of - just like the ones we have at our own Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

We got a later start than usual, and got to park closer to 11 AM. It was still drizzly, misty weather, so the stroller offered shelter from that for them.

The first thing we went to was The Voyage of the Little Mermaid musical show. Just like the Nemo show, it was a condensed 17 minute musical version of the movie, and also had bubbles from the ceiling near the end of the show.

After that we split up - Jen & her kids went to see Magic of Disney Animation, and we went over to where the Play House Disney area is. Zevan and I got our photo taken with June and Quincy from The Little Einsteins. They had an activity table with activity pages from The Little Einsteins, as well as a princess-themed page. The boys enjoyed doing the activities - mazes, connect the dots, etc. And for a short time, Quincy and June were coloring with us. That was pretty cute.

We took the boys on the Disney/MGM Studios backlot tour while Jennifer and her kids watched Beauty and the Beast: Live Onstage.

We all met up again for lunch at the ABC Commissary, where dishes were named from shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. Interestingly, the burgers were not as good as the ones in the Magic Kingdom.

After lunch we went on The Great Movie Ride and watched Muppet*Vision 3D.

Elliott fell asleep in the stroller, so I took him and Zevan to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure playground while Zander, Maya, Doug and Jennifer went on the Star Tours (Star Wars flight simulator) ride. They came over to the playground when they were done, and played for a while. Then I got to go with Maya back on the Star Tours ride. She was so cute. I was watching the “safety video” before the ride, and she asked me what I was doing. I told her I was watching the Safety Video. She informed me, “Oh, you don’t have to watch that. I already know what to do - just follow me!”

At one point, it really started raining hard. We got under cover, and happened to be right next to a full bar that also served smoothies. The kids got their frozen concoctions, and I got mine - a traffic light margarita. Jennifer and Doug got beers, and we all sat around having a nice little cocktail in the middle of the afternoon.

We went to see Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen. Zander had a mini-tantrum at this point, and I briefly got angry with him, but we just continued on until he got over it. Zevan and I had our photos taken with Tow Mater and Lightning McQueen.

We all went over to watch the day’s last showing of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular together. Doug went to find an Indiana Jones action figure for our employee, Ariff, while the rest of us went back to shop for Maya’s coveted Ariel doll. Jennifer took her kids the Voyage of the Little Mermaid again, while the boys and I reconnected with Doug, got some snacks and headed towards the stadium to get seats for Fantasmic.

Fantasmic is this park’s multimedia fireworks/lightshow theatrical extravanza. Holy cow! It was amazing, and some parts were actually quite scary and intense. It’s basically Mickey fighting evil. It was really good, though.

Another long day with the kiddos…but a fun one, too. We thought about going out to eat for dinner, but the kids fell asleep in the car on the way home.

Last night Jennifer arrived with Maya and Elliott. The boys were asleep when they arrived, but in the morning, we introduced them to each other.

I *love* Maya - she is so awesome. She and Zander are already getting along so great. She loves imaginative play as much as the boys do, and she is as high energy as the boys. And Elliott is unbelievably cute. I mean, he’s Zevan-cute. He totally reminds me of Zevan at that age. Even the way he says, “Mommy, mommy, mommy…” is so similar to Zevan’s, who still says that.

Jennifer looks great, of course, and I am so excited that we are at Disney together. We used to lay on the floor, belting Disney songs along with our CDs. We watched animated Disney movies together, before we had kids.

The kids got along famously - other than a few toy sharing issues between Zevan and Elliott - but they played in the tent we brought, and ran around

Making breakfast for 4 kids and getting them ready to go out is quite a process! I don’t know how the (Jon & Kate of the eponymous Jon & Kate plus manage!

But we were able to get parked in the TTC parking lot by 10:45, only 15 minutes later than the last 3 days, so that was an accomplishment. Jen brought a double stroller for her kids, which added a new dimension to getting on and off trams, and of course the ZBoys wanted rides after a while, but it worked out okay for the most part.

We went down Main Street and straight over to Fantasyland, which we missed on our short visit on Sunday after the marathon.

Speaking of which, today was the first day I was able to really walk instead of hobble. It was quite nice.

So we rode Cinderella’s Golden Carousel, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Then Jennifer, Elliott and Maya stood in line to meet Ariel, while the boys first played in the water park, Ariel’s Grotto, near the line - and they got soaked. Then we hit a couple of rides and then Pooh’s Playful Spot play area, which was basically the 100 Acre Woods, child sized. Once our friends joined us again, we rode It’s A Small World and Peter Pan’s Flight.

Zander and Doug went on the Liberty Square Riverboat, while Jen and I took the kids on the Jungle Cruise (at Zevan’s request to go on it again).

We all had lunch in Frontierland. Doug got chicken strips at the Columbia Harbour House in Liberty Square for the ZBoys while the rest of us ordered our lunch at the Pecos Bill Tale Inn and Cafe. When I asked a cast member in line where they served chicken nuggets, she, in full character western drawl, answered me with a “I don’t know - I only live here.” I found that reply VERY annoying. We ended up consulting our map instead.

After lunch, I took all the older kids on Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride. Elliott fell asleep in the stroller. So we put him on my back while you took your boys to the Swiss Family Robinson tree house. For some reason, Zevan really liked that tree house. Doug and Jennifer took Maya to the Haunted mansion.

We met up again at the Toontown Playground. While the kids played, I went over to Mickey Mouse’s Country House. I remember going there with Doug on our first - and only other - trip together to Disney World. Everything was the same, except the kitchen! They had it done up as under remodel by Goofy and Donald (paint splatters and so forth). I remember when we saw it many years before, that there was a shopping list on the refrigerator - cheddar cheese, swiss cheese, etc).

Jennifer took her children to the Judge’s Tent to get a picture with Mickey. At some point, Jennifer, Doug, Maya, Zander and Elliott went on The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm (crazy kiddie coaster). Twice. Then Zander said he wanted to go on with me, so I did. Then Zevan said he wanted to go on! And he just made the 35″ minimum height requirement, so I went on with him. Afterwards, he wanted to go on again. So we all got on again. The second time was enough for Zevan. Zander says that ride was his favorite in all of Disney World.

We had a pizza dinner at Pinocchio Village Haus. By this time, it was close to time for the Wishes fireworks show over Cinderella’s castle. We picked a good spot on a bridge with a better view of the castle this time, and we were also able to hear the music and narration. That made the show EVEN better than the first time we saw it.

After the fireworks, we made our way back to the cars with some very tired kids!

Well, Epcot wasn’t nearly as exciting as the Animal Kingdom or the Magic Kingdom. But it had its bright spots. First of all, the park was not at all crowded. We got on every ride right away. We never felt crowded.

First stop: The Living Seas. The Nemo ride was fun, and had a couple of intense moments. The aquarium was really fun for us, too. They had a diving tank and diver who did a neat presentation. The best part of the Living Seas was Turtle Talk with Crush. It was an interactive show with Crush the sea turtle. It was really clever and funny.

Epcot had a KidCot Fun Stops around the park which the boys enjoyed doing. Each stop had a craft table, and they give you a little art project to hang on a badge. When you collect all the badge pieces, you get a “special prize” The special prize is really lame, and one of the Fun Stop Cast Members spilled the beans and let us know what it was before we finished. I was very annoyed to her for doing that. I mean, why ruin the surprise like that? It was less of a surprise when I found out that the Cast Members who man these Stops are usually injured or unable to perform their usual Cast Member duties.

After the Living Seas, we had lunch in The Land at Sunshine Seasons. The food was actually really good here, overpriced, but good. From there we hit the KidCot Fun Stop, and then went on the Living with the Land boatride.

The boys were now all about the Fun Stops and collecting their special prize. So we went over to Innoventions West, where there were video games for the boys - Nemo and The Incredibles. While they played games, I got to attend a Segway orientation, and then took a ride on a real Segway. That was super cool for me! We found the KidCot table and got the badge from there - a Kim Possible themed one, at that. We also sent a electronic postcard to the grandparents with our photo. We carefully steered the boys away from the computer games and headed out.

Now over to Innoventions East, where Zevan got to make paper from pulp. This is also where we found the the KidCot Center, and the cast member revealed that the prize was a “poster”

Finally, we made our way over to Test Track, where Zander refused to ride, even though he was tall enough, and Zevan was too short to go on. We looked at the car showroom and sat in a bunch of vehicles, and played some of the games on the walls. We found the KidCot center, got the last badge and received our special prize. It was a 8.5″ x 11″ illustrated mini poster with Disney Characters on it. We were unimpressed, but glad that the KidCot Fun Stations gave our boys something to do.

We went over to the World Showcase, were the boys were understandably bored. We hit the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring Donald Duck, Panchito and Jose Carioca. Then we got a FastPass for the Maelstrom. When we returned for our ride, the Maelstrom was being evacuated and shut down. They had to wait for the fire dept to arrive and inspect it before they could start it up again. So we missed out on that ride.

We went back over Future World’s Spaceship Earth and took a ride on Project Tomorrow. It was actually pretty neat. They took a picture of you at the beginning of the ride. Zevan and I were in one car, Zander and Doug in another. At the end of the ride, they ask you, through a series of multiple choice questions, what you’d like to see in the future. With your answers, they create an animated short with you and your companion, depicting the choices you made. That was really neat, and the boys enjoyed seeing their (and our) faces on-screen.

It was fairly early, so we headed out on the monorails to have dinner at one of the resorts. Doug had a childhood memory of eating at a resort restaurant and seeing the monorail cars going through while they ate. I thought it would be great if the boys had that, too.

At first we stopped at the Polynesian, thinking that wouls be fun. After looking at the menu, we decided to look elsewhere. Back on the monorail and over to the Contemporary Resort, where our choices were Chef Mickey’s Character Dining or the Concourse Steakhouse. While I would have loved character dining, Zander has an aversion to it, so we chose the Concourse Steakhouse. It was by far the best food we had since we got there. On the children’s menu, there was a pizza with chicken that Zander was eager to order. Zevan went for a more traditional and familiar mac & cheese. I ordered a steak. After ordering, the boys colored their menus and did the activities (connect the dots and mazes). Then Zevan decided he had to go potty. #2. Sigh.

I took him to the bathroom and we were in there for 15-20 minutes. By the time we got back, Zander and Doug were eating their food. They brought the food out for Zevan and I. Zander RAVED about his pizza. It was the best pizza he ever ate, he kept saying. He even told the chef when he came by. I had to agree, my steak was perfect. I saved half of it, along with half my mashed potatoes, just so I could have room for dessert - key lime pie. Yum!

We left the resort, and headed back to the car right around the time the Epcot Illuminations show was about to begin (9 PM!).

Jennifer and her kids were going to arrive that evening, and I promised a client that I would do a web site launch for him that day.

When we got back to the villa, the boys got ready for bed, and I headed over to the Business Center where I paid $21 for 3 days of unlimited internet access - just in case. And it was only accessible at the business center!

While at the business center, I finished up my launch, and gave Jennifer directions to the villa. When she arrived at Orange Lake Resort, I left to meet her. YAY!

This park, by far, was the one the boys were most looking forward to. And it delivered! We got to the parking lot around 10:30 AM. And took a tram to the entrance.

As soon as you walk in, there is the Oasis Exhibit with lots of animals to look at - macaws, boars, anteater (which we never saw) and so much more. We kind of breezed by there on the way to get a FastPass for the Kilimanjaro Safaris, but even so, we saw a lot of animals.

After we got the FastPass, we had some time to walk around a bit more. My legs were still really hurting. Yowch. I was still hobbling. I was also wearing my marathon medal, and it was nice when some of the cast and other runners recognized it.

The Discovery Island’s Tree of Life is just amazing. It’s a replica of a baobab tree, 14 stories high, with over 325 animals carved into it. Just awesome. We walked around the Discovery Island trails and saw even more animals.

We had lunch at the McDonalds in DinoLand - overpriced, familiar food. And the Happy Meal toy were the dregs of previous promotions. After lunch, it was time to use our FastPass.

The Kilmanjaro Safari was great! We saw so many animals and got some great photos. We got so close to a giraffe, that if I had stood up and reached out my hand, I would have touched her. The ride was bumpy, the script was pretty good but the animals stole the show. I loved it!

At one point, a guy saw me wearing Zevan in the Ergo and said loudly, “If she ran the marathon, why isn’t he carrying the baby?” I turned and said, “Because he won’t let anyone else carry him.” Yes, my legs were still hurting.

We went back to DinoLand USA. We rode the TriceraTop Spin and the boys climbed around on a corythosaurus. Doug and I longingly looked at the Dinosaur (from the Disney movie) ride, but we would each have to go it alone, and where it the fun in that?

Zevan and I headed over to see Finding Nemo, The Musical. A fantastic show! They basically condense the story of the movie into 30 minutes. With songs and huge puppets. It was great!

After the show, we met up with Doug and Zander, who were soaked from riding the Kali River Rapids.

Zevan wanted to ride the TriceraTop Spin again, so we did that while Zander and Doug went over to the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. Zevan and I caught up with them and saw even more animals.

The park closes earlier than the others (, so we walked around, towards the exit. Zevan was leading Zander by the hand and they were running around together having a great time. We got some good shots of them outside the park.

We headed back to the villa for dinner. I caught a stray, intermittent connection with my laptop and checked in with the West Side Moms and posted a race report.

First of all, The cold soak I tried to do after the marathon wasn’t cold enough. The cold water out of the tap in Colorado, is very, very cold. Cold enough that I never dared to add ice to the bath. Cold enough to make me shiver even with a long sleeve top and my shorts still on. The cold water in the tap in Florida was barely cold. The ice I added from our freezer melted in just a few minutes. It was so odd. While in the somewhat cold bath, Doug served me a PB&J sandwich and potato chips.

Then I hobbled out of the tub, onto the sofa and promptly fell asleep.

After I woke from my 3 hour(!) nap - I still am not sure I believe that it was that long, but Doug said it was and he’s very accurate with time - we headed out to the Magic Kingdom.

The boys protested going anywhere, which was crazy to me, but we went.

We picked up our tickets from the TTC (Ticket & Transportation Center) and took the monorail into the Magic Kingdom.

The boys LOVED the monorail. I took the Ergo with me to carry Zevan when he inevitably got tired.

Not surprisingly, my legs ACHED. I blame this on the un-cold-nosity of the water in Florida. I cringed every time I saw stairs of any kind - particularly going down.

But it was fun to say, “I ran through this part” or “I saw this part when I was running the marathon” while we walked through.

We took a small tour of the Magic Kingdom, mostly in Tomorrowland and Adventureland. Zevan *loved* the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. They both really enjoyed the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. Zander’s favorite thing seemed to be the monorail, and he also enjoyed the rides like Tomorrowland Transit Authority and the Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress.

We checked out the Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor, which was amusing, but Zander was very much not into seeing any shows.

We had a late dinner at the Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. Our first taste of overpriced, okay food at Disney World. But the fixings bar had cooked mushrooms and other goodies for the burgers, so that was definitely a plus. While we were outside eating, the Wishes fireworks show started. We watched it from the cafe, which was kind of at an odd angle and there were trees blocking part of the show, but still, it was pretty spectacular.

Afterwards, we headed home. A taste of WDW to kick off the vacation…

What can I say? The biggest race of my life.

PRE-RACE
We had a long day of traveling, and it started off kind of nerve racking. After the plane landed, we got our rental car, then went to Wal-Mart to pick up some essentials. The original plan was to check in and then I could get my race packet as the guys settled in.

We went to check in after 4:30 PM and the lines were horrendous. In 15 minutes I didn’t move up at all. We needed a new plan.

We decided that we would all go to the Disney Wide World of Sports and I would run in and pick up my packet. Which meant that I would have no time to browse the expo floor at all. That would be a big bummer, but what can you do?

Doug and the boys dropped me off and I went in. The complex is huge. And the Milk something or other where I picked up my packet was very large, too. I found the pick up place, and there was just one person in front of me in line. I was surprised to see that so many packets (100s, maybe 1000s) had not yet been picked up at such a late time. Who would pay $90 to register and then not show up?

Once I had my packet in hand, I started to feel the reality of the race that much more. A veteran racer gave me some words of encouragement. I went over and had my timing chip tested, and then took a quick walkthough of the expo floor, which I had to cross to get back out of the building.

I picked up a shirt for post-race “26.2 miles. Been there, ran that.” I also ran into someone wearing a Colorado Running Company t-shirt from Colorado Springs.

Doug called as I was leaving the floor, and I went out to meet them. We checked in to our villa(!) with a shorter wait time this time.

We unpacked, and got settled in. I started laying out my clothes for the race, and definitely started with the pre-race jitters. As I got ready to lay down, Doug asked, ” Did you call your ride for the race?”

Crap.

It was 8 PM, and I was sure she would be in bed by now. I called. No answer. I left a message.

I set my alarm for 3:05 AM. UGH. I slept fitfully, of course. I think I woke up every couple of hours.

RACE MORNING
I got up and got dressed just before 3 AM, of course. I sat around and waited until 3:35 AM to call my ride again. Still no answer. I left her a message that I would just call a cab. Which I did.

Shortly before 4 AM, the cab arrived. It was a nice ride, and since I was in a cab and did not have to park, I got there fairly quickly and my fare was just over $20. I tipped him well and got out. It was cool, but not really cold. I just wore my shorts, sports bra and sports tank. Others were in sweats, but i figured they didn’t just come from 20 degree weather.

I followed the crowd to the pre-race place. I found my baggage check in tent and dropped off my after race bag. Then I wandered around. At the concession stand, I picked up a disposable camera. While waiting in line, I met two guys who flew in from Columbia for the race. The cashier was this slow flaky woman who the woman in front of me and line and I mocked and rolled our eyes at.

I headed back over the the P-Sm tent and just hung around. Then someone came up to me and asked if I was part of the DisneyRunning.com group. Turns out there were a bunch of them right near where I was! We did some quick intros and just started chatting as familiarly as we did online. That was nice. I tagged along with another woman runner for the walk towards the start line. The LONG walk towards the start line. We chatted about football - she was a HUGE Packers fan, and we discussed whether or not he would stay on another season. She was in Corral B, and I was in Corral E, so we split up when those corrals went different directions. I stood in line at the port a potties near the start and chatted up the girl in front of me, and the couple behind me.

Then I went over to my corral and worked my way to the middle of the pack. There were emcees and so forth chatting and being generally emcee-ish with the banter. There was lots of fun energizing music playing on the speakers, so that helped pass the time. Another girl asked me if I would take her photo, and then she took one of me. Then we chatted a bit about the race and our goals. It was her first marathon as well.

Someone sang the National Anthem, and I started feeling overwhelmed with emotion during that song, and just before that when they did a tribute thanks for the troops. Then they introduced Mickey Mouse, who was starting the race.

THE RACE
Then there was a big countdown, lots of fire/torch type effects and then the start of the race. Our corral shuffled along until we crossed the Start Line - lots of beeping as the timing chips were recognized.

About 200 yards in, there was a steel drum band playing. That was really cool.

Good God, the humidity. It was sticky. I was drenched in sweat after half a mile.

Close to mile one, a DJ. Very energetic for 6 - something AM.

But the humidity. Unbelievable. And it was very warm.

Throughout the course, there were so many things to distract me. The sheer number of runners. Everyone’s t-shirt slogans. The costumes. The spectators and their signs. The first 5 miles were a loop, so we passed by the same drum band, the same DJ again.

After a while, I noticed that my Nike+ iPod was off - my pace and mileage didn’t match the mile markers. So my gait here was very different, somehow.

And I also noticed that my pace was right on with the race clock. Which was odd because my start time was a few minutes AFTER the race clock started. Which meant that I was going too fast. But it didn’t feel too fast. I wasn’t really pushing myself any more than I thought I should. I chalked it up to the extra oxygen and kept going. I tried listening to the iPod, but my one speaker was all crackly, and I kept taking it out so I could hear what was going on around me with all the bands and the djs and speakers and whatnot.

One thing that was SO noticeable to me was hearing other people running. The ones that shuffled (pick up your feet!). The ones that stomped (Tread lightly - don’t use so much energy). The ones that chatted incessantly about themselves to some other random runner who looked like they didn’t care (shut up). The weird breathers.

Unlike the Ascent, I didn’t feel the need to talk to too many people. the pace was different. I was actually running, instead of briskly hiking.

I really wish I had spelled my name phonetically on my bib, though. I could see spectators looking at my bib and not wanting to chance a mispronounciation. But of the 5 people who actually attempted to say my name, 3 out of those 5 actually pronounced it correctly. It’s MY-da, not MAY-da, in case you didn’t know. I particularly remember a cute little blonde high school cheerleader in purple who said my name correctly very early in the race, and that gave me a little boost.

Finally we reached a park - the Magic Kingdom! Seeing the castle was so exciting! A spectator was happy to take my photo (twice) in front of the castle. Then a quick photo of chip and Dale in Tomorrowland before I took a photo just before I entered the castle itself.

Then another photo with Woody in Frontierland, and some penguins as I left the park.

The miles went by and I felt pretty good. When we went through the Animal Park, I got a lot of photos with characters. Rafiki. Minnie, Donald and Daisy (blurred by vasoline on the lens), Mickey…

I know that they say never to try anything new on race day, but I did. First, Bodyglide, which I used one other time (The Ascent) but not for my regular running. second, Biofreeze. On race day.

I think after mile 12, I used BioFreeze at every medical tent after that. On my calves at first. Then my lower back. And quads. And my right shoulder. Biofreeze became my brand new friend.

Right after mile marker 16 I got a text message from Candy. Yay! That was motivational for a mile or two.

Around mile 19 I hit a wall. I seriously wanted to just quit running. I was calculating in my head how much longer it would take me if I just walked the rest of the marathon.

I have to admit, between miles 19-22, I was ready to throw in the towel and just walk the rest of the way. I walked a lot through those miles. More than I thought I would.

When we hit the Disney/MGM Studios, that perked me up a bit. I ran through there, but also took photos with Leo from Little Einsteins, Tow Mater from Cars and Mike and Sully from Monsters, Inc. Around that time, there was an aid station with chocolate bars. I took one bite of the fun size Butterfinger and chucked the rest.

When I saw the traffic coming into Disney, I called Doug and told him to get in the car now. We were only 10 minutes from Disney on a good day, but that traffic! About Mile 24.5, I knew they weren’t going to be in the park for the finish. Which made me feel like I should just walk the rest of the way just so they could see my finish.

This is also when the 5:30 pace group caught up with me, and I snapped out of it. No way was I going to let them pass me. So I ran. And kept running.

About this time is when I caught a glimpse of the secret medal. An earlier finisher had come back along the course and I noticed it, all shiny and big. I kind of wish I hadn’t, I really wanted to be surprised at the finish, but I was running at the time, so I didn’t see it in detail.

I think I walked a bit, checked the clock, and ran some more. There was a gospel choir singing. I ran past them and then through the finish line.

I actually choked up a bit as I crossed the finish line. My heart was in my throat, and I half sobbed with relief. I was FINISHED!

POST RACE
After crossing the finish line, there was a young boy who was looking for someone to cut the chip cord off of. Of course, I had woven my chip in my laces, so first I had to untie, then have the zipcord cut. I had trouble getting back up again, and a very nice volunteer tied my shoe for me so I wouldn’t have to bend back down.

I was handed one of those solar blanket dealies (too hot for me to put it on), and then finally, the coveted special secret medal was hung around my neck.

I headed for the goodies tent. A beeline to the lady handing out Diet Coke! Yes! Then I was given more than a handful of goodies from the treats tent. Mini Power Bars, banana, orange, some kind of muffin. Then an Tentire bottle of Powerade.

Then I put it all down so I could have my picture taken with my medal. I thought about going to the massage tent, but there was a line, so I headed over to claim my sweats bag - of course, it was too hot and I was in too much pain to change clothes.

I walked over to the family reunion tent (which was the same tent I was hanging out by before the race) and hung out, looking for Doug and the boys. Finally I called them. They were behind the grandstand by the finish line, and no one was able to tell them where the family reunion tents were.

So… after some lengthy descriptions of landmarks, we were able to determine a place to meet. I walked along the tree line and then saw the friendly faces of my family. We took photos, and headed back to the villa so I could get into a cold bath and rest before we hit the Disney parks.