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.

MAIDA SCOTT #9535

Age: 39 Gender: F

Distance	MAR
Clock Time	5:28:19
Chip Time	5:25:45
Overall Place	7315
Gender Place	2912
Division Place	601
Age Grade	43.3%
5 Mile	57:09
10 Mile	1:53:55
Half Split	2:31:35
20 Mile	4:02:32

I don’t know if it was the humidity or the altitude, but apparently my gait changed quite a bit for the marathon, which is why it looks like I ran over 28 miles. I noticed the discrepancy as early as mile 6-7, I think.

More to come…

One last little 2 mile run before the big day.

And I procrastinated.

I worked through email. I packed. I made lists.

Finally I went outside and the wind blew right threw me. Brrr…

So at the last moment, I grabbed some clothes to change into afterwards and went to my parents house to use the treadmill.

Which was torturous. UGH. I hate the dreadmill. 2 measly miles and I got to watch tv, and it was still all I could do to stay on there. Every minute felt like 5 minutes.

I watched Kimora Lee – Life in the Fab Lane. It was entertaining. Wow. She’s really something. But after all the drama, I got all sappy when she came home to the notes and the cupcakes that her daughters made for her (with dad’s help). So sweet.

After I changed (and had to put my running shoes on because I forgot shoes!), I went over to Mountain Mamas to get some snacks and the gummi Bach’s Rescue Remedy for the kids. Then I went to WalGreens and loaded up on WalBornne (Walgreens brand Airbornne), Claritin redi-tabs, Pepto for the trip. Oh, and some mineral makeup and shine serum for me.

Then it was time for me to meet Candy and Tiffany for lunch. At Shuga’s. Which was awesome. Love that place. And my girls.

After lunch, I went over to Tuscany Day Spa for a fabulous Eucalyptus Body Wrap.

OMG – it was heavenly. I loved the eucalyptus, and the wrap was all warm and cozy, and the massage was fabulous! And I used my gift cards from the boys (via Doug).

Since then, I’ve been packing and tidying up like crazy all afternoon. I backed up all my work files to the external HD so I could bring them with me. Just in case. But I don’t plan on working. Except to launch the Legend Antiques galleries on Tuesday.

I have also decided to bring my marathon gear in a carry on – *just in case* the airline loses my luggage or something crazy like that. Then I would at least be able to run the marathon!

My mom brought over some of her delicious chicken soup for dinner tonight. Can’t wait to chow down!

Dad’s taking us to the airport in the morning… I can’t believe it’s finally here!

…and more critically, only 2 days to pack for the trip!

Started out with a 5k run with May on the Santa Fe trail. We took it easy, the weather was cold, but the trail had been groomed, so it was much nicer than the Tuesday run. We chatted, we ran, and 3 miles goes by SO much more quickly than 18 miles. Wow.

Afterwards, I had time to go home and shower before picking up the boys and heading over to Candy’s house for a playdate.

Wow. It was supposed to be a “smaller” playdate, but with 7-8 moms plus kids, it wasn’t exactly small. Zander had a little surly time where he wanted to be alone and not play with anyone. Zevan played boisterously, and then got a bit punchy.

I had a chance to hang out and talk with my friends, which is always good for me. Lots of well wishes and big hugs and positive energy for the marathon on Sunday.

And… Shanyn gave me an awesome little marathon gift bag with a massage ball, Clif Blok Shots, Luna Moons and a dark chocolate bar for recovery. Yay! I love it!

Well, I went through the stuff in the van and library and updated my listing of stuff for sale on the West Side Moms marketplace.

And today I delivered stuff to the east side – at the parking lot of WalMart on Powers/Palmer Park.

I shopped a bit and picked up 2 new sport bras and sport tanks. I know, I know, never try anything new before a race…

But all my sport bras are old and the straps are too thin and they don’t support me well. I’ll try these new ones on my run tomorrow and make sure I have lots of body glide for the race.

Today I got a box from LeapFrog with new LeapPad books, a LeapPad game and a new Leapster cartridge. I’ll be introducing 2 new Leapster games to the boys for the flight on Saturday.

I spent nearly the entire day and late into the night, working on Legend Antiques, Rocky Mountain ASHRAE and El Paso ASHRAE. Whew! And I’ve still got stuff to do, so I’ll probably work a while longer and then hit the sack.