Fast forward to 2013, January. My running goal for the year was to not run anything over 10 miles at a single time for the year. Enter: emails about the Disney Race in January. It is a race on my bucket list. I decided to sign up for the Marathon because I was a bit concerned that this item on my bucket list would not ever be checked off if I don't proceed with it. Enter: A Running Buddy and his email asking me to run the Goofy Challenge. He felt like I could do it and he has a way of making you believe you can run to the moon. So I signed up. I became a part of the Dopey Crew even though I was only running the Goofy.
Training went well, was fun, made new friends, felt a sense of being a part of something spectacular, solved some world problems on the road, felt good about myself, proved some things, etc.
Thanksgiving Day I ran the Turkey Trot and with no explanation as to why or how, I hurt my hip. One minute I was fine and the next minute I was tossing my leg over my shoulder and hopping the last mile to the finish. I tried to heal it by resting it for two weeks and no improvement. Saw a sports medicine doctor who diagnosed me with a severe adductor strain. He said my injury would take me out of running for 6 weeks. The problem with this injury is that it gets no relief during the running process. It is used for every movement in running so it will only get worse if I try to use it. I followed his instructions to the letter of the law and did not run. I skipped the Rocket City Marathon that I had registered for. It killed me. Disney was more important. I missed several "crucial" training runs. My head was feeling like I was a loser and I would not be able to run Disney if I wasn't trained.
Arrival in Disney, the discovery is made that there is an extra Dopey bib amongst the group I was with. What is another 9.3 miles? So I took the bib and agreed to run the Dopey. I did not wear my garmin for the 5K, 10K or half marathon. I enjoyed those races better than any races I have ever run. I felt so close to God as I watched the sun rise over the World Showcase in the 5K.
This is one of my favorite pictures from my trip. It was a selfie, but captured a moment for me. I love how the background is blurred with the iconic golf ball in the background as the sun barely began to shine on it.
In the 10K, I enjoyed the time I ran next to a lady who was pushing her leg in a cart because she was injured. We talked about how injury stinks and she wept as we talked stating that she just felt blessed to be there moving forward. I felt blessed from my time running with her. In the half marathon, my best running buddy and I enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We stopped and had our pictures made with every character and laughed in between. We had the worst clock time we ever have had in that race that day. But we had the best time we have ever had in a race. We smelled a lot of roses and solved a lot of problems. On Thursday, 5K day, My buddy and I bought a park hopper pass and went to 3 Disney parks.
We had the best time ever. Some were concerned that we would suffer come Sunday when it is marathon day since we spent the day going to parks. It was a truly magical day. We laughed until our sides hurt. We had the goal of riding all the roller coasters in the park. We were successful for the most part. We learned to read a map and that just because you can see the ride doesn't mean you are heading toward it. We filled our personal fuel tanks full to overflowing my visiting the parks that day. They are memories I will never forget.
When we got back to the condo, I threw a load of clothes in the washer. When one comes to run two races and runs 4 races, one needs to wash their running clothes. I accidentally washed my race bib. In Disney, you have to wear your same bib for two races. So Dopey's had two bibs, one for the 5K and 10K and one for the half and full. My bib was pretty mangled after a bath. You could barely read my corral number and the wording on the bib. I looked like Job's Turkey wearing my washed bib. But I decided I liked washed bibs. It made me unique.
The marathon had it's own set of challenges just because of the length of the mileage. I had a firm plan for success. I would run 3/1 splits, not pay attention to mileage or pace, but simply focus on running for 3 minutes. I can do that. I had already taken a lot of pictures so decided that there was no character that would make me want to stop any more. I would start the marathon and do my splits and not stop until I got to the finish line paying no attention to miles or how far I still have to go. I did not imagine that a roller coaster would be open. At mile 12.5, I noticed while running through Animal Kingdom that Expedition Everest was running. It was the one roller coaster that Caroline and I did not get to ride when we went to the parks. When I got to the entrance to Everest, I asked the cast member if I could ride. They said, "Of Course! Hop in the fast pass lane!" It was a no brainer for me. I HAD to ride. I ran all the way up the cue line so as not to lose any more time on my marathon. I rode the ride and had the most EPIC ride ever!
This is a selfie I took on the roller coaster ride!!
It was groovy to be able to distract myself with a little roller coaster reward for running hard for the first half. After the roller coaster ride, I ate my lunch that I had packed. For this marathon I packed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and chips. It was yummy and fueled my for the second half of my race. I finished strong in my marathon, Did not stop again until I saw the finish line. It was the most epic marathon experience ever. I got a PR in the marathon by 11 minutes even with the extra time it took to ride the roller coaster at the half way mark. I would not trade my experience for anything. It was the best day of my life.
The marathon was the best as far as scenery. You got to run through all 4 parks as well as on the Disney track for the Richard Petty Experience, and through the ESPN Wide World of Sports where the Braves have their spring training. We got to run on the Braves field(around the perimeter of the grass). It was incredibly entertaining scenery, very flat course, and fun around every corner.
After the race, I shopped at the Disney Running Merchandise booth at the finish line and then returned to the car. The others of course, were already there and were laid out from tiredness of running. I bounced up and said, "I have been shopping and I rode a roller coaster in the middle of the marathon and still got a PR!!" They all just looked at me. I thought they all would have ridden the ride but they didn't even see it.
This is my group of friends that I was in Florida with.
I rapidly realized that I ran a different race. I OWNED my marathon. I made it all mine. Riding a roller coaster in the middle of a marathon is totally me. Since I washed my bib, the writing was faded badly and my bib said the Nopey Challenge rather than the Dopey Challenge. Thus, the ride was open and no one else saw it, and the OWNING of my marathon. Jennifer Anglin-Queen of the Nopey Challenge!
I will be washing my bibs from now on.
Overcoming injury, healed by God Himself, smelling roses, going to 3 parks, running 4 races, riding roller coasters, laughing till my abs hurt, washing bibs-THIS is Jennifer Anglin.
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