e-mail: January 16

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marathon home

January 16, 2000

Some post-marathon thoughts:

It's been a full week since I completed Disney. A couple of those days were spent in the haze of success - such an awesome experience that you can't wait to capture it again. The rest of the week has been spent in bed. Unfortunately, one side effect of doing 26.2 miles is that your body believes that you've done a bad thing. As a result, the immune system says "nuts to you" and takes time off leaving you susceptible to just about everything. When I returned to work as scheduled on Wednesday, I quickly progressed down hill and came back home at noon, hit the bed and didn't surface till Friday night. Being sick is not fun..fever, chills, aches, cough, you name it. This was the first time in my entire adult life that I've been really sick and let me tell you, I didn't take kindly to it at all. And yes, I am being rather a baby about it all. This was not included in my training schedule. But enough…..you're all waiting to hear about the race. I'm sitting here rather at a loss for words because they all seem so trite. But here goes the last emotional brain dump that I plan to share with all of you.

I was so spooled up the entire week before but amazingly relaxed and calm once I hit Disney on Saturday morning. We stopped first to pick up the race packet with number, electronic chip that attaches to your shoe and tracks your time, race shirt, etc. That evening, we all met for a huge pasta party and then back to the rooms to get to bed early. Wake up was at 2:45am on Sunday. I slept well and tried to prepare the next morning as though it was my usual Saturday session. Buses took us from the Wilderness Lodge to Epcot where we basically "hung out" for about an hour. The biggest excitement at that point was the line for the PortaPotties.

At about 5:15, we started moving to the start, which was quite a little hike (my guess is at least a half mile away). Temperature in the high 50's. It was a very strange experience as everyone was starting to get pumped. The area was very wooded, tall cypress with tendrils of moss, and very foggy - sort of X-fileish!!! Incredibly atmospheric. Probably created by the special effects people. We kept moving slowly and in typical Disney well-controlled fashion to the start. The race was to begin with the wheelchair athletes at 5:55am. It was about 5:30 when we reached our section. Since we are seeded last, we're way at the back of the pack and can't really see the start. But there are loud speakers everywhere with voices pulsing through the fog creating more excitement than you can imagine.

Then the music starts, something from the Lion King and on an overpass just ahead, there are dancers on the tall stilts with extravagant costumes. With the fog and the adrenaline flowing, everyone is ready to explode. SO I did the only thing possible, I started to cry and proceeded to boohoo for the next 10 minutes or so. I can't even begin to describe the overwhelming emotion. So then everyone else was weepy and hugging and generally having an emotional moment. Those who weren't doing that were off peeing in the bushes from stress.

Time to start. First the wheelchairs. Music and fireworks as everyone starts to move forward. Then the runners and we know that it's showtime. Even thinking about how I felt brings back tears and more goosebumps. Emotional overload for sure. But at last we pass the start and are on our way. It's good to finally be doing what you've spent five full months training to do. The beginning of labor pains.

It's quiet but then you hear a DJ off in the fog with heart-pumping soul-moving music that has you dancing down the road. After we move past the DJ, we see something off to the side of the road up ahead. Someone comments that it looks like there are people doing CPR on someone…..which in fact turns out to be a fact. One of the racers has died and is being worked on as we pass by. Talk about an emotional 180 degrees. But as with anything else, those of us who are here find a way to distance ourselves and move on.

Eventually, we revive our spirits but the shadow remains for a while. But the race proceeds as do we. As I've mentioned, there is a time limit on completing the race. We're measured at 10K (and passed) and again at the halfway point. As we pass the Contemporary Hotel (10 mile point), one of the volunteers yells to us that we're in jeopardy of being swept from the course. Too many bathroom and photo stops no doubt. Talk about throwing the switch!!! It was a full throttle sprint for the next 3 miles, through the Magic Kingdom (nothing magic about it) to the Grand Floridian. This was the worst part of the race. Not only were we terrified that we would be swept (want to see a crazed person beating the crap out of mouse employees?) but that the exertion in the heat (middle to upper 70's) would leave us too little for the last half of the course. Needless to say, we made the time.

SO - half down and half to go. From here on, it becomes rote. You drink lots, eat some, and keep the pace going. And the next mile you do it again. I think of you at home, hopefully sending me positive energy as you read the Sunday paper, and it picks up my spirits. The heat makes the last 5-6 miles very difficult for me as I have a low tolerance and am afraid to push too much for fear of heat exhaustion. Our coach Beth tries to tempt me with an old ploy - one of our group has been an imaginary thorn in my side for months (for undisclosed reasons). She starts out very fast and then drops way back later on the course. I play little mind games and always feel that the day is a success if I pass her. So far she's still ahead. Beth keeps tempting me to find and pass her (it's been affectionately called "acquiring the target".) At mile 20, however, I'm too hot and cranky to be tempted. However, when, at mile 23 I spot her in my sights, it's all I need to kick it up a notch and move on by, never to see her back again! Yee Haw!!! Small pleasures.

And then we hit the last mile and enter Epcot. It's one lap around the lake and we're home. But I have to tell you that is the longest mile of all of them. People are well intentioned but when every one of them tells you "It's just around the corner" and you turn the corner, but its just the next person telling you "It's just around the corner", ad nauseam. But finally, it is just around the corner and there is Bill yelling you're here and you see the finish about 100 yards ahead and Bill asks how you're doing? And without your wits to make some wise and memorable long remembered comment, you say for the world to hear, "I feel like shit!". Now, that's going to be recorded in history as something worthwhile. You're sprinting ahead and finally cross the finish line only to be shrouded by a Mylar blanket wrapped around you by a volunteer, have the chip removed from your shoe and finally, have that most beautiful of all medals, the MICKEY, place around your neck. Did I tell you that Mylar and Mickey are my colors?

From that moment on, things are a little furry. I remember most everything but somewhat dimly. Bill thinks I was AWOL for part of the time. I walked around the parking lot hugging any and everyone, while Bill took care of the administrative stuff for me like retrieving my warmup jacket from the storage tent and finding the bus back to the hotel. Getting on the bus was a trip - climbing steps isn't really fun post marathon.

Back in the hotel and time for damage control. Soaked in Epsom Salts for a while and was even able to get out of the bathtub myself - alright, it wasn't pretty but I did it. Major pain area was my feet. Incredibly, the stiffness that I've experienced during all of my training didn't happen. And I've come to the conclusion that I had never been drinking enough water or Gatorade. I sure picked a great time to get it right.! If I tell you I danced the Conga that night would you get some idea of how quickly we all recovered? And no, my dancing wasn't pretty either.

Looking at the event from the distance of a week, it seems to be receding quickly. I spent the day putting my scrapbook together (the only one I've ever done). I'll be happy to share it with you when I'm done. Tomorrow will be my first full day back at work without my Queen designation. Bill said I could be queen for a few days but then I got sick so I extended it a little longer. I really don't mind giving it up because it's time. I can take the sights and sounds and friendships out and dust them off and remember when I accomplished my goal. Would I do it again? In a minute but I'll have to think about the impact on others time and resources. Right now, I'm going to continue training with the group and will probably do a half marathon in Alaska in June. After that, we'll see. I think Team in Training has a triathalon team. Oh, I'm just joking. I hate bicycles.

Thanks for sharing the ride….you're all part of my memories too.

A couple of PS's:

Adam Lamin, I ran three consecutive miles (minimum). Now pay up. For the rest of you who have been planning to send a check (and you know who you are cause you keep telling me you're going to send it), it's not too late. Get that pen and checkbook and get it in the mail!