So, I got nervous about meeting all of you and wasn't able to come to Pop...so I saw the group at the potties in the parking lot for the full and wimped out on saying hi. Now I am upset that I didn't, but I had the worst case of nerves that I have ever experienced! :D I didn't wear my WISH shirt because it seemed to heavy and the sleeves too long. I wish I would have just taken scissors to it, though...I kept seeing shirts and wishing I had mine on.

I did see someone outside of the GF and she took my picture...I'm so sorry I don't know who you are! :D It was nice to see you, though! And there was someone that I was just behind for the first 13 or so in a WISH shirt...we were both run/walking at about a 13 min./mile pace.

Just a little background because I feel I have to justify myself or something when I probably don't. But at any rate, I started training for a triathlon in June...not able to run more than a 1 minute at a time and needed to walk 3 to recover. I desperately wanted to run the full at Disney, but didn't really think there was any way I could. I found this board - yay! - and ordered my WISH team shirts and wore them and they helped me keep getting out the door to train. At the tri, I ran the 5 miles in an hour - awesome for me. So, the next thing on my list of trying was a half marathon in October. I did that, and from that point on, never looked back. I was going to do this thing!

Now, I was a good year off the recommended time for preparing your body to run a marathon as the good Penguin recommends. But, I am a stubborn girl. We had amazing weather in Michigan for training and I did all my long runs and felt great.

So, back to EARLY Sunday, I get to my corral and I am so nervous that my gums are tingling and I can hardly breathe! I worked on some calming breathing and if I would have seen any bright green shirts, I would have been there! I knew it was going to be hard because it was so warm, and that scared me. I had no real experience doing any run longer than 3-4 miles in anything warmer than 60...so I had no idea what my body would do.

The start was good...I walked the first two miles on purpose because it was so tempting to just take off, and I didn't want to do that. From mile 3-13 I had a great 13 min. pace and felt great...drippy, but good. Then, the food stop came. All during my long runs I had Gu...nothing solid-ish. But, my tummy would also get growly, and the banana sounded good, so I took a half. Bad move. I walked that mile to try to calm my stomach down and did feel a little better. I was slower now, but steady and still doing running intervals. I got into Animal Kingdom, which was great and started feeling good again. Then, I got outside AK and the sun was blazing down and the pavement was hot and I felt a little like I was on a death march! :D I tried to run, but ended up walking most of the way to MGM. There was one stop totally out of all drinks. That was hard. I took 2 Powerades and 2 waters at almost every stop in the second half...used one water to dump over me. I was so glad I had a hat!

Coming into MGM, I knew I was in the home stretch. I wasn't feeling awful and I was way off my pace goal anyway, so I decided I wanted to finish smiling and happy and not push super hard. So, I kept walking and just tried to soak everything in.

I came around into EPCOT the second time and starting crying. :D My dream was coming true. I was doing it! Then, at mile 26, I came around the corner and the choir was singing You are Good, which we sing at our church. I totally lost it there! I started making funny crying noises and looked around at these two other ladies finishing with me...who were doing the same thing. :D So, I didn't feel too odd. It was such a wonderful feeling to cross that finish line! I was smiling and so happy!

My migraine came on pretty quickly afterwards, there was some interesting starting and stopping on the way to the bus and then to our room with me trying not to throw up. I made it to the room, though. :D Mind over body twice in one day! I just had to lay down and let my medicine work...about 90 minutes later I was good!

It was such an amazing experience! I am definitely in for next year and want to go Goofy! :D

Thanks for all your support and encouragement...you truly helped me get there!