Disney

Well this weekend went great...although I was even more nervos because Friday morning I woke up with a scratchy throat and didn't feel 100% on Sat. I kept saying of all the two years I haven't been sick and you pick this weekend! But I went to bed at 6pm on Sat and felt great when awaking @ 3am to be at Epcot by 4:15. Yep you read it right.
But foremost I would like to thank all of the wonderful volunteers and Disney workers who were awesome. They were so eager and happy to cheer, even on one of the coldest mornings of the year so far. The race would not have been if it weren't for these people. Since I had never run a marathon before I really didn't know how the start takes shape. My parents were amazing enough to wake up and drive me. So we get there and stand around in the cold for a couple of minutes and then I said my goodbyes as I headed through the tents and on the the 20 minute walk to the start. There were 4 different corrals to start from A being the closest to the starting line and so forth according to proof of time. I had originally been placed in the last corral since I had no record of running in a marathon but showed them my time in the OUC half marathon and I was moved to corral A. They had placed a sticker on my race number and when I went to show them it had falle off somewhere. But luckily I ran into my high school cross country buddy's mom and her cousin was running so I went to corral B with her. Farther back then where I was supposed to be but who cares I had someone to talk to for the hour we had til race time.
Gun goes off and I was pretty much numb from the cold for the first 4-5 miles. The entire race I felt great and had a pace of an average 8:28 per mile. We ran through the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Wide World of Sports, MGM, and then back to Epcot. Now I was trying to qualify for Boston and I know I needed to get 3:40...the last mile marker I saw was 19, still seven miles to go. So I new it would be a close call. I started to feel my legs stiffen by mile 23 and this is where I should have picked up my pace. I waited til the last mile or so and hauled it into the finish. I did not know I had that much left in me but I was literally sprinting my way there since I was seconds away from not qualifying. I crossed the finish line and my watch read 3:41:11....didn't qualify. Although you can still get a 3:40:59 and qualify. I did not let that get me down I was happy with the way I pushed myself. Then I heard people yelling my name and it was my cousin and her husband and my other cousin and his wife, Meredith and there two kids. I was shocked because I didn't think anyone was coming out to watch me. They had made hats that had my nicknames that all of them call me on teh front and in the back they had stapled yarn that looked like my hair to the back. And Meredith and Joey made a huge sign that was cut like the shape of a running shoe that read "I finished the Disney marathon" on it.
My family rocks and I was so happy that they came. Meredith was so creative and thoughtful. I love them so much!
Anyway I read online my official results this morning and my time was 3:41:04. Yes folks, 5 seconds away from qualifying. I could say man, if I had just sprinted it in a little harder...but no I can't because I gave it my all at the end. I have emailed the Boston org. to see if they will waiver those 5 seconds but I doubt it. In the world of running 5 seconds is alot.
But it was such a great race to be a part of and I can't wait til my next marathon.
PS-Sorry this was so long