My mom, in celebration of her upcoming 60th birthday, is going to do the Walt Disney World half-marathon. She'll be walking the whole distance, and just trying to stay ahead of sweepers, but she'll be out there. My fiancee, in an act of solidarity, will be right there alongside her. I've found training plans online specifically for those beginner walkers taking on the challenge of the half. It will take a lot of work, but they'll both be more than ready once the day comes.

I can't wait to see their faces when the Donald medal is hung around their necks. It might get a little dusty that morning. (I'm getting a bit choked just thinking how proud I am for taking on the challenge.)

A while back I threw out the idea of getting a bunch of folks together, heading to Florida next January, and all of us running the Walt Disney World races: some the half-marathon, some the full, some both, some the 5K. The response has been ... underwhelming. So far, it's just me.

But that's OK. People have a lot of things going on, and a year in the future is a long time to commit to anything. I'd like to think people are at least intrigued by the idea, but there's something holding them back from joining in. I'd imagine that there are two main objections, and maybe I can do something to help set those aside, and folks will want to join the fun.

One of the most obvious objections is cost. A trip to Disney is never cheap. Include the marathon cost, and the price is even higher. Luckily, there are a couple of ways around the cost. I know of two organizations (and I'm sure there are more) that will pay your way if you do fundraising for them. Team in Training (lymphoma and leukemia research) and Joints in Motion (arthritis research) both use the WDW races as goal events. I believe the fundraising target is about $4000 for the trip to Disney, which includes airfare, hotel, and the race cost, as well as coaching and gear leading to the race. You get a supportive environment, since almost everyone in these groups are first-time marathoners as well. $4000 seems like a lot of money, but it can be surprising how quickly that can be accumulated, especially with a corporate sponsor or two.

The other objection is "I can't run a marathon." Frankly, that's not right. Everyone CAN run a marathon. Not everyone can run it today, not everyone can win, not everyone can run sub 3 hours. But everyone can get to the finish line. The delineation isn't "people who can run 26.2 miles" and "people who can't". It's "people who are willing to do the work to finish" vs. "people who aren't". Some people need to do more work than others. What might take one person a couple of months to get ready for a 4 hour run could take someone else two years to be ready to finish in 7 hours. A long road shouldn't discourage you from a goal that you'd like to attain (whether it's a marathon, finishing school, or anything else. This lesson applies across the board). It should empower you. Knowing that you're committed to your goal, and that you WILL accomplish it should bring a sense of purpose to every day, and everything you do. It can be a tough slog, there can be setbacks. Nobody thinks training for a marathon is easy. But the feelings on that start line, and once you cross the finish, those are things you'll carry forever.

I spend a bit too much time reading WDW race reports at Disneyrunning.com. Most of them are by people who never imagined they'd do it either. Read a few, then think again if you'd like to join me on another Disney journey. It's a trip I'd like to share.

The question, as always, is "How stupid am I?" Let's establish some background, so that we can figure this out:

1. I've suffered numerous concussions in my life, many before I was school-aged. I've gone head first into concrete at least 3 times, and have gone drinking rather than to a hospital.

2. My usual reaction to pain is laughter. There is a wiring problem in my head. The more it hurts, the harder I laugh. When I thought I dislocated my hip, I was on the ground hysterically laughing for 10 minutes (admittedly, part of the "on the ground" was because I thought my hip was out of joint.)

3. I drank.

4. Lots.

5. My only real athletic talent is in low-coordination, long-distance sports. These are not events of skill. These are events where to succeed, you have to absorb (and almost enjoy) the suffering. Whoever suffers the most, wins.

6. One year ago, I ran 40 miles in two days, so that I could have a limited edition shiny object. Ooh, pretty!

Well, as of 10 minutes ago, I will be repeating my effort of last year on January 12-13, 2008. I know how much work this will take. I know I'll log miles in the rain, in the cold. I know how much I'll have to suffer through the miles of training, only to lead to the miles of the races.

And yet, I just spent $225 for the privilege of doing it again. So the question must be asked, "How stupid am I?"



(Did I mention the special 15th Edition WDW Marathon medal? Ooh, shiny!!)

Over the summer, I was having a conversation with a friend who's trying to get back in shape, and offered the suggestion of running a marathon. I'm a goal-oriented person, so I know that that type of thing works for me. If my sights are set on accomplishing a task, there is little chance that I won't take the steps necessary to see the job done. My own marathoning experiences bear this out: finishing NYC in 3:31:26, and doing a forty-mile weekend in Disney were both great accomplishments. However, I'm almost more proud of the my consistency in training. Six months without ever missing a scheduled run, and running every mile that I was supposed to. Cold outside? Dress warm and go for a run. Torrential downpour? Wear old shoes and go for a run. Traveling out of state? Bring your gear and go for a run. Christmas? Wake up early and hit the treadmill, and go for a run. This is what focusing on the task at hand does for me.

From my initial suggestion, there's been something of a groundswell. At the time, the 2008 Disney marathon was 16 months away, plenty of time to get ready for most people. The initial listener has taken the idea and started building toward it. A few others have shown some interest in the full and half marathons, even in the 5K fun run. My mother, who wanted Claire and I to be in Brandon for Christmas and her 60th birthday next year, is heavily considering running the half-marathon. This, about 20 years after her first bout with cancer.

Now, for the reason behind this post. Registration for the 2008 event will open on Monday, January 8th. I learned today that this is the 15th anniversary of the race, so I'd expect registration to move quickly. The details are here. I'm planning on running the Race and a Half again, possibly the 5K along with it. To everyone committed to the plan, I'd say put your money down as quickly as possible. I'll be signing up minutes after I get word that the person who first witness the lightbulb going on has their money in. To anyone thinking about joining us, I wouldn't wait too long to decide, and put your money down. I can talk with my sister to see if she can get us any deals for packages there. As Claire and I are quickly becoming experts on Disney travel, I'm offering my services to help plan the vacation. As a somewhat experienced marathoner, I'm offering my services to help with any coaching, race-day, or training partner issues you have. Since I'm not planning on running competitively, I'm happy to join anyone on the day of the race for someone to run with.

I know it seems like a long time to have something planned, and maybe you feel you can't stick to training for something like that. I say, you can. Put your money down, then print out the registration confirmation. Put it on your fridge. Use the race logo as your computer wallpaper. Tell people you're doing it. These things are what will force you to do the work, until it becomes a habit, and you can't imagine NOT doing the work.

I'm already getting a little excited. Maybe we need some shirts or something...

In the interest of making this readable for those people who don't get geeked out by mile-splits and hydration strategies, I'll try to stick to more descriptive measures with the mile-split recap at the end.

In all, this was two great days of racing. My times were far from blazing, but more than acceptable. The course was a blast. Organization was comparable to New York. I enjoyed almost every minute of it. I would highly recommend Disney for anyone pursuing their first attempt at either distance, especially if they have any affinity for things Disney.

Saturday, The Half-Marathon:
The day before was fairly low-key. Claire and I went to the Wide World of Sports complex to pick up race packets and check things out at the Expo. The expo was a bit nuts, but I found a nice shirt of "I did it!" for the Goofy Challenge, and risking the bad juju, picked it up. Just to be safe, I left it untouched in the bag until after Sunday's race. We spent a few hours in Epcot, checking out some of World Showcase, and our favourite rides in Future World. The day before beginning my journey was NOT the time to ride Mission: Space, so we passed on that. A nice dinner at the hotel, and a better than expected night's sleep set me up well for the morning. I was up before the alarm at 3, and after a quick change of clothes and a good-luck kiss, I headed out to catch my bus. There was a crowd waiting for the bus, and luckily I got on the first one to arrive. It was a cool morning (low 30s), so while nibbling my breakfast (Powerbars and mini-bagels) I tried to stay warm. We were called to the start area at 5, so I checked my bag and clothes, and lined up in Corral A (right behind the Elites. They must think I'm fast.) The hour of waiting in the cool weather was a bit unpleasant, but there was loud music, and a giant screen showing some pre-race interviews with folks in the crowd. Before you knew it, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy all appeared to send us on our way. A countdown from 10 ... and right at zero there are fireworks overhead (well-timed, very cool).

And, we're off. The first few miles are from the Epcot parking lot along the highway on the way to the Magic Kingdom. Surprisingly, there were people cheering along the roads here at 6 in the morning. High school bands, members of running clubs in ridiculous outfits. The energy is great. As we passed a band, a woman beside me commented that it's crazy for these kids to wake up early to play music by the side of the road. I said it was crazier to wake up early to run 13 miles. (Since this was mile 2, it was still funny. At mile 11, that joke would probably get me punched in the head.) With the bands and cheerleaders, those first few miles passed quickly. Around mile 4, we could start to see things from the park, mainly Space Mountain peeking out from the distance. A few characters would pop up, mainly Captain Hook and Mr. Smee at a water-stop manned by Disney Cruise employees. We entered the Magic Kingdom around mile 5 through a backstage area at the start of Main Street, USA, and were welcomed by screaming supporters. Just like at NYC, this will always pick you up. The Christmas tree was still up and looked nice in the early light, then you turn and see Cinderella's Castle, all lit up. It was something to behold. The course took us into Tomorrowland, where I knew the bathrooms were open and made a stop (Powerbars and bagels can move quickly through the system). Back on course, it's through Fantasyland and Frontierland, before leaving through another backstage area. Disney employees were in packs through the park, and characters along the route included Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the Queen of Hearts (by Tea Cup ride), the Country Bears and Woody (from Toy Story). In the backstage area were all the floats from the Disney parades. Now begins the slog back to Epcot, as the sun is starting to come out. The course now is mostly roads, with lots of people from the resorts out to cheer (huddled in jackets, drinking coffee ... the bastards). I haven't had any difficulties so far (minus the bathroom break), and the pace is manageable. Again, we sneak into Epcot through a backstage entrance. Just entering the park I almost killed a squirrel. It ran out from the bushes, stopped directly in my path, skittered back and forth trying to juke me out until it stopped directly under where my foot was going to land, and only a spasm to change my footstrike saved his life. Folks around me commented on my agility to avoid disaster. These last miles are an out and back through Future World to the edge of the lagoon, then back to the parking lot. At the Mile 13 marker was a gospel choir, which was nicely uplifting for the last few meters. I hit the line, stopped my watch (thus ruining my finish line photos) and started the process of recovery. Got my Donald medal, exchanged my Goofy wristbands, ate some recovery food and went to meet Claire near the entrance to Epcot, to meet her Dad and cheer for her in the 5k fun run. Thus ends my half-marathon adventure.

The splits (goal time: 2 hours=9:00/mile avg):
1- 9:00
2- 8:23
3- 8:22
4- 8:17
5- 8:08
6- 11:17 (bathroom break)
7- 8:22
8- 8:18
9- 8:14
10- 8:12
11- 8:16
12- 8:12
13- 8:16
13.1- 1:05
Chip time of 1:52:11

Sunday, the Marathon:
After running Saturday, we had a quiet afternoon, a little more wandering around Epcot, and a nice dinner at the Wilderness Lodge (lots of protein and carbs from pulled pork and mashed potatoes). Another good night's sleep, and again I'm off to the start area shortly after 3. This time there was a line of buses, so I jumped on the first one, and relaxed on the road to the start. More bagels and Powerbars for breakfast. Today we were called to the line at 4:45, meaning over an hour in the corral. This time I wore my sweatshirt and sweatpants to the corral, knowing I could throw them away (to be donated to charity) right before the gun goes off. Here's where my mind started playing little tricks: Was I halfway done because I finished 1 of the 2 races, or was mile 7 the halfway point, after I'd covered 20 of the 40 weekend miles? How was I going to feel today? Would any stiffness work itself out, or would it cripple me in the late miles? Again, the characters come out for the countdown, and fireworks start us off.

The first two miles use some of the highway of the previous day, before doubling back towards Epcot. Again, there are people bearing the cold to play music and cheer by the road. Folks who come out in those situations should be nominated for sainthood. Mile 3 passes through Epcot on almost the same path as mile 12 the day previous (the "out" of the out and back), before leaving the park after passing Norway. My only real moment of irritation was here, when three members of Joints in Motion were running side by each on a narrow stretch holding up everyone behind them. Another runner elbowed his way through, and I passed through the new opening, saying to them, "Could you please (I made sure to phrase it as a question and say Please) leave room for others to pass?" The response was "Just let us know", which doesn't work, because based on their speed, they were going to be passed 5000 times. After leaving Epcot, the route was the same as the day before on the way to the Magic Kingdom. More bands (including another round of Rocky's Theme, which makes me run too fast) and lots of fans. I had to make a port-a-pottie break around mile 6. At my pace, there was a good number of people around me, but we weren't elbow to elbow. I'd imagine it was a bit more congested further back. As we passed mile 8.5, on the other side of the road was a lone runner coming towards us. This was the race leader, just past mile 13. That puts my speed in perspective. The entrance to MK was the same, but now the sun was out when we arrived. More fans lined the street, and I spotted Claire among the crowd. I mouthed that I loved her, and gave a little thumbs up, and continued en route with a big smile. Another break was required in Tomorrowland. The cold weather was keeping me from sweating, so all the fluids I was taking down had nowhere else to go. Most of the same characters from Saturday were out again, but were joined by Mr. Incredible, Elasti-Girl, Buzz Lightyear, and Goofy and Pluto in colonial dress. I wanted to slap hands with Goofy, but he started to run alongside the woman in front of me, so he wasn't paying attention as I passed. No biggie, still 15 miles to go. Once more, the roads after Magic Kingdom were more isolated, but lots of supporters, including some soldiers from a local base. The Grand Floridian had a huge group of couples in wedding dresses and tuxes, wearing the bride and groom mouse-ears. This is the road towards Animal Kingdom, so you pass by a water reclamation plant. Not a pleasant smell. I guess they drove a number of characters out to these miles, since I passed Darkwing Duck and Launchpad, and a few others (I can't quite recall right now). Once entering Animal Kingdom, there were lots of employees cheering, in various styles of African or Asian dress, including a few people on 5-6 foot stilts. The park has unlevel footing, so I was careful through here, and ran past Expedition Everest, a new roller coaster they're building. The mountain is huge. A quick glimpse of the Tree of Life, and we exited the park to the cheers (and sometimes just polite applause) of the folks waiting to get in. This is another long stretch of road heading towards MGM Studios. Mile 19 required another pitstop, but my pace has felt great, and I'm passing people pretty regularly now. With the sun out, it's a nice day. Just before arriving at MGM, around mile 22, I had an urgent need for another bathroom break. Number 2 was beckoning. I was slightly distracted through the park, while scanning for somewhere I could stop, and finding nothing. The urgency passed and I figured I could survive to the end. I told you that to tell you about a sign held by a fan just outside the park: Don't Crap Your Pants! It's mile 23.5, and I'm laughing. I feel great and will finish strong. Mile 25 goes past the high-end resorts, and the road is lined the whole way with enthusiastic spectators. One nice thing Disney does is put your first name on your number, so fans who are paying attention see this and cheer you on by name. Lots of "Go Drew"'s and "Looking good, Drew"'s in this stretch. Then it's back into Epcot right at the United Kingdom, a quick loop around the rest of the countries (except Canada, what's up with that?) and the same finishing stretch as before. The knowledge that I was going to finish this thing carried me through those last miles. I hit the line, posed for this photo, got my Mickey medal, traded my wristband for a Goofy medal, more food, and met up with Claire, getting a big congratulations hug and kiss for all my efforts (even if I was probably pretty stinky). That's the end of the running. Thanks to all the people who supported me, or didn't laugh at me (to my face) when I signed up for this. As I said, lots of fun. A great race, and an accomplishment I can look back on with pride. Not only am I amongst the few who finished a marathon, I'm among the fewer who've done a half and a full in two days. And I have the shiny objects to prove it!

The splits: (goal time: 4 hours=9:00/mile avg)
1- 9:18
2- 8:31
3- 8:31
4- 8:20
5- 8:25
6- 9:15 (pitstop)
7- 8:16
8- 8:26
9- missed (didn't I miss 9 at NYC too? What is my aversion here?)
10- 16:39 (8:19 avg)
11- 9:37 (pitstop)
12- 8:16
13- 8:13
14- 8:23
15- 8:20
16- 8:25
17- 8:31
18- 8:30
19- 10:50 (long lines at the port-a-potties)
20- 8:13
21- 8:12
22- 8:18
23- 8:24
24- 8:00
25- 8:35 (not sure why slowed down here)
26- 8:00
26.2- 1:36
Chip time= 3:44:15

I'm sure this is the moment everyone has been waiting for, my mile-by-mile, step-by-step description of the events of November 6th. Well, wait no longer. Most people who are reading this have a vague sense of the day, based on my finish time and placing, but there is Oh so much more to tell. So let's backtrack a bit, to Thursday, and the start of the weekend.

Thursday: I decided against going to work, so I could go to the marathon expo and pick up my number, and be available to coordinate the travels of Sarah and my Mom. I figured I'd beat the crowds, get to the expo by 10:30 (it started at 10), be in and out in a flash, and continue on with my day. When I arrived at the Jacob Javits Center, I found myself promptly in a line that extended two blocks outside the building. If this was the crowd in a beaten state, things didn't look good. It took about 30 minutes to get through the combination of lines to get into the building, my race number, my goodie bag, and my shirt, then I wandered around the expo for a bit, signed up with the 3:30 pace team, and bought a DVD of myself. (Oh, the vanity!) The rest of the day was pretty quiet, with a short run, some eating, and only minor problems with Mom and Sarah's flights (Mom was delayed about 2 hours in Minneapolis). Went to sleep at the usual hour, and got a decent night's rest. (I had cut out the coffee for the last couple of days to make sure I could sleep. The nerves were bad enough, nerves+caffeine would kept me up for hours).

Friday: Still no work, since Claire arrives in the afternoon. We spent most of the day inside, and met up with my family for dinner. I think things went well (Claire and/or my family might disagree). Nobody said anything too offensive, Claire seemed comfortable with them pretty quickly, and we could mostly joke around and tell old stories. A good evening.

Saturday (the last day): Now is when my memory starts to get a bit foggy, since my focus was nearly 100% running by now. I don't think we did anything in the morning except for a short run to shake out my legs. For an afternoon treat we went to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. This was a first for me, and I was quite impressed. It was a great show, even if it was a bit early in the season for such things. Lots of dancing (obviously, with the Rockettes), and a neat 3-D movie opening to the show. An excellent distraction before the race. Claire and I went home, and I had PB & honey sandwiches, a longstanding preferred pre-race meal. Good sammiches. I watched the first half of the Texas Tech-Texas A&M football game, and went to bed about 9, with a 4 am wake-up call. Surprisingly, I actually was able to toss and turn my way to a few hours sleep.

Sunday: Alarm goes off at 4. Second alarm goes off 30 seconds later (you know, just in case). Now it's up and at 'em.I had already packed my race bag, so I just need to get dressed, have a quick bite for breakfast, listen to some psych up tunes (more on them in a second), and I'll be out the door. It's hard to describe the emotions running through the body at that point. On one hand, I'd like to say it was like a river, calm on the surface, but with a roaring current underneath, but that's not quite right. I was, within the span of a few seconds, calm, jittery, focused, nervous, happy, excited, panicked, and determined. My preferred tunes for the morning (and thank you to Claire for not minding me playing music at 4:30 am) were Cake's "The Distance" (if there ever was a song for racing, this is it), and selected Muppet tunes (more on THIS later as well). Fully prepared (or as close as I was going to get), I marched out the door. I had to go to Lower Manhattan to catch the bus to Staten Island, so I caught a cab at the end of the block, and set off for Battery Park. Unfortunately, the cabbie let me off at the wrong end of the bus line-up, so I had to hike a few blocks to get to the loading zone, but soon was on the first bus of the day headed for the Start line. Some people on the bus were very chatty, others were completely focused on the task at hand, barely looking around. (At this point, I'd like to make an aside and pledge my undying gratitude to the volunteers who make the NYCM happen. I can't thank these people enough. If I'm still here in 12 months, I'll be volunteering. These are the true superheroes of the day.) Upon unloading from the bus, there was a walk of about 2 city blocks to the entrance of the athlete's village, and this entire walk was lined with volunteers whose only job was welcome you, wish you luck, and tell you how great you are for what you're about to do. Once inside, I hit the breakfast line to grab a Powerbar and a bagel for later. It was now 5:35, and the race didn't begin for 4.5 hours. I found a spot under a tree, and sat with my thoughts for the next few hours. I had a minor scare at about 7:45. I was going to put my keys and cash in my race bag to be checked. When I stood up I found that my apartment keys were no longer in my pocket. I checked my other pocket, and it didn't have them, it also didn't have the Metro card and cash it was supposed to. I scoured the ground for a minute, even enlisting the help of another racer. I checked in my race bag, and there they were on top. I had outsmarted myself once again. I was to meet some friends who were also running, but we never connected. After checking my bag, I went for one last wait in line for the port-a-johns. While waiting, I heard, "Hey! Texas Tech!" which assumed to be me, since I was wearing my Tech cycling jersey. I ended up talking with a guy from A&M, discussing the results of the previous night's game (a 56-17 victory for the Red Raiders!) Time soon came to join your corral, then get led to the starting. With a number in the 10000s, I wasn't going to near the line, but still relatively close. I found the 3:30 Pace Leader, and got ready to go. I have to say, there was too much going on to be nervous or excited at this point. It was what it was. After the national anthem and some speeches, the cannon goes off to start the race. And this is how it went: (I apologize to the people reading this, I'm sure it's taking almost as long as the actual marathon)

My goal: 3:30=8:00/mile average

Mile 1: 9:46 -The first mile is all uphill, up the Verrazano Narrows bridge, to the highest point on course. I was expecting to lose some time here, but 1:46 was surprising.
Mile 2: 7:15 -Coming down the other side. Now we start getting it together.
Mile 3: 7:31 -Still following the Pace Leader, but so is a whole crowd of people, and it's something of a clusterfuck. I've been elbowed in the arm or chest about 10 times already. The crowds in Brooklyn have been amazing. If you have any identifying feature, you get personalized cheers: "Go Texas!", "Go Texas Tech!", a guy had a loudspeaker on his fire escape and was announcing for the neighbourhood "Texas Tech! Go Red Raiders!" Of course I was surrounded by people so I hear "Run Dr. Dave!", "Go Kristin", "Viva Italia!!" (running with Italians in Brooklyn gets LOTS of cheering.)
Mile 4: 8:09 -Still feel good, still with the pace team, but annoyed with mob surrounding the leader.
Mile 5: 6:58 -OK, a few things here. I got sick of the mess of the pace team and figured I'd be better off solo, somewhat out of the muck. If I slowed down later, I could just catch back onto that train. I may have picked it up a bit much here, though. Fast miles early cause slow miles later. I really just wanted 7:50 pace or so for awhile, so this was excessive, but wasn't difficult at all, and I had to get back some time from mile 1. A guy named Hess asked to pace off me for awhile, and we stayed together until mile 20. I guess he thought I looked strong and able. I guess I fooled him.
Mile 6: 7:40 -Still a bit too fast. Slow down, Drew, or you'll be sorry later.
Mile 7: 7:38 -What did I say last mile, you idiot?
Mile 8: forgot to hit my watch. I'll take this moment to mention some of the bands on the side of the road. Very inspiring having them out there. There was one band around mile 5 doing a cover of Rancid's "Ruby Soho" who sounded so like the band that I did a double-take to make sure it wasn't Rancid. Of course, more than one band was playing Eye of the Tiger, and Rocky's Theme. Rocky's Theme got an inadvertent speed-up from me before I caught myself.
Mile 9: 16:00 for 8&9 -This is a bit better. I feel great for 9 miles in.
Mile 10: 7:40 -Some downhills here, so I accepted the pace increase.
Mile 11: 7:59 -Good pacing.
Mile 12: 7:43 -I'm thinking maybe I can keep this kind of pace for a while and it won't cost me later. It's not a hard effort doing this. I may be on my way to a 3:28 or better.
Mile 13: 7:56 -Hit the half-marathon point (13.1) in 1:43 and a bit. That should make a 3:28 VERY attainable. Still feel strong. The crowds in Queens aren't as big as Brooklyn, and not as loud, but there's still lots of cheering.
Mile 14: 7:56 -Look at my consistent pacing! I'm a Swiss watch, I am.
Mile 15: 8:14 -Started up the Queensboro bridge. This is a long bridge, and with the crowd of runners, you can't see the top. You just keep going up.
Mile 16: 8:22 -Still going up, with the mile marker about 200m from the apex of the bridge.
Mile 17: 7:41 -What goes up, must come down, and comes down right onto the large crowds of First Ave. Loud and inspiring. I try to check my speed and not get caught up in the rush.
Mile 18: 7:43 -This is my home turf. My cheering section was here. I couldn't see them (Claire, Sarah or Mom), but I'm pretty sure I heard my Mom after I passed. I feel surprisingly good at this point. 7:43 was not an effort.
Mile 19: 7:58 -On my way to the Bronx, still holding a good pace. The time lost on the bridge was regained in the last few miles.
Mile 20: 8:18 -A bit slow, but again crossed the bridge over to the Bronx. I've got time in hand, no need to panic. I lost Hess here. We went through the water station, and he fell off the pace. Never saw him again.
Mile 21: 8:18 -They say in a marathon you hit a wall around mile 20. You'll be going good, and suddenly it collapses. I didn't believe it. It was all mental, I figured. I've done my fastest miles of the day in training as miles 21&22. Right about now, I'm thinking they may be onto something.
Mile 22: 8:19 -I like that I'm consistent, but not that I'm consistently slow. My cushion from earlier is disappearing. I try to do the math in my head to figure out my pace to salvage the 3:30, but the blood is in my legs, and 1+1 would be damn near impossible.
Mile 23: 8:17 -I'm coming apart. I don't even notice the crowds on Fifth Avenue. I don't hurt, but I can't go faster. The 3:30 Pace Leader catches me, and drops me like a hot rock.
Mile 24: 8:31 -The climb up Fifth Avenue to Central Park. It's not steep, but it's long. It bites into the legs, and make it hard to keep going. My best motivation song for the last four months was "Happy Feet" by Kermit the Frog. I start singing it in my head, but hecklers shout down the inspirational message. "Happy feet. I got those happy feet." "Bullshit! Your feet aren't happy. Your legs aren't happy, your lungs aren't happy. Ain't nothing happy."
Mile 25: 8:25 -My second encounter with my cheering section. This time I can see them (must be because I'm going so slow now), and I try to draw some inspiration from them. It works for a bit, but a minor climb kills any momentum I had.
Mile 26: 9:01 -The wheels are officially off the truck. There's nothing left I can do. As I said, I don't necessarily hurt, I just can't get anymore speed out of myself. Mainly at this point I'm trying to quiet the voice requesting to walk. I won't walk. I can't walk. Not now, not after this far.
Mile 26.2: 2:08 (10:40 pace) -A climb to Tavern on the Green. There is no gas in the tank. I'm past running on fumes. You know how the needle can sometimes fall past E on the guage? Well, my needle is so far past, it's directly pointed at D. I try to manage a smile and double Guns Up for the camera as I cross the line.

The aftermath: Final time of 3:31:26. Missed my goal by less than 90 seconds. Lost too much time on the first bridge, and if I held together at all in the last few miles I would've had it. However, I'm not the least bit disappointed. I left everything I had out there. Did I make tactical errors, leaving the pace group, running too quick too early? Maybe, but since the Pace leader was running without anyone from the pace team, I don't think I was the only one to fall by the wayside. Could I have run faster if it was cooler than the 68 degrees it was? Maybe, but I ran a lot in 80-90 over the summer. I finished in the Top 10% overall, and the Top 13% of my age-gender group.

Post-race: Since this entry is getting long, I won't bore you with many details. I got my medal, recovery drinks and food, and made my way (slowly) to baggage claim and family reunion. As I did, I thought about the people who were cheering for me, and supporting me through all of this: The people there in person (Claire, Sarah and Mom), the people getting updates, those who just sent their best wishes, and I got choked up. I had to stop and regain my composure. This happened a few times before I got to them. (If you ever ask, I'll say it was the cramping in my legs.) All of your support means the world to me. My finisher's medal is a testament to you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The rest of the weekend was kind of a blur. Food, warm bath, more food, attempts at sleep. I'm mostly recovered now, except for some minor pain in my right Achilles tendon. I had a HUGE blister on one toe, but popped it Sunday. Now the preparation begins for the Goofy Race and a Half.

Thanks for reading all of this (if you did). It was a literary marathon I had to put you through. Again, thanks for your support. I never could have done this without it.

(There should be marathon photos, but they aren't online yet. When they are, I'll edit this so people can see me in my glory and misery.)