On Friday, after the Jeff Galloway meet-up, I got a ride from my new friend Deb to the Race Expo, where I picked up my bib, race packet, shirt, and swag.
This expo was just as organized as the one for Wine and Dine, but it was so crowded! I wanted to wander around through the vendors, but ended up leaving right after picking up my things. It was pretty tightly packed.
Before leaving I snagged a quick pre-race photo though. I was getting really excited (and nervous!) at this point. All I could think about was my poor knee that had been giving me trouble since Wine and Dine, hoping that it would stay strong for this race.
I headed back to the Boardwalk, where I was staying, and grabbed a quick, fairly healthy lunch from the Boardwalk Bakery: a bagel and cream cheese, yogurt, banana, and a fruit cup.
The rest of the afternoon was spent napping and catching a few attractions in Epcot.
In the evening I met up with my friend James and about a dozen other runners at Il Mulino, at the Swan Resort. The Margherita Pizza was too cheesy for my taste (especially wanting to avoid too much dairy before the half), but the shot of limoncello at the end hit the spot.
At 2:00am my roommates’ (Pat and Cathy, above) alarms started going off, and while I would have easily taken another 20 minutes or more to doze if I could, once the first alarm went off, I was too excited to go back to sleep.
I had laid everything out the night before, got dressed, and slowly started eating my banana and bagel with peanut butter, and downed two large glasses of water. A 3:30am we caught the bus to Epcot, and awaited the race, and the crowds.
I made sure to get a shot with Lou Mongello, host of one of my favorite podcasts, WDW Radio. We chatted about being a runner – or non-runner – and joked about healthy and non-healthy food options at the parks. Hi Lou!
By 4:45am we brought out bags to the check-in lines, and walked the mile to get to the race start.
It was packed! James and I decided that we would run the race together, and finding him was not so easy. But eventually we met up, finished the rest of the walk to the start, and prepped ourselves for the long run ahead.
Come back on Monday for a recap of the half marathon race!
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
This is SO exciting! I can’t wait to see the rest!
Thanks, Ann! I already have the photos ready to go…just need to do some typing!
Cute photo in front of the “castle”. How did you resist the cupcakes at Boardwalk Bakery? Oh wait, that’s right… this is the Healthy Disney blog
Thanks!
Hehe. Yeah, come on, it’s all about health here. (Though if you read my post on my other blog, do note the two servings of fries over the weekend, which doesn’t include a third and final one at Rose and Crown: http://lisasfoods.com/2012/01/13/walt-disney-world-marathon-weekend-by-the-numbers/).
Looks like a great start to the race morning!
My biggest regret is not taking the pre race picture at the expo or buying the “goofy in training shirt” on Friday. those suckers sold out too fast!
Oh no. Yeah, I could see those shirts selling out really quickly. But there’s always next time!
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