It Is Done

Ready to run

I had intended on posting the whole time I was in Disney for the race but, unfortunately, I got caught up in the excitement surrounding the event and failed.

Well .... I did it. 13.1 miles. I'm still in shock.

On the other side of the race, I will tell you it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. You know, one of those experiences that when people ask you to sum up your life in milestones you turn to like your wedding, birth of children, etc. Yeah, one of those kind of moments.

The halfway marker with my prince,
um, princess

Going into the race I still had my doubts. Had I trained enough? Would my legs hold up? Could I overcome the fatigue?

Make it to the castle, I kept telling myself. And then I made it to the castle. Make it to the halfway point, I said. And I did. Sometimes I ran (more often than I thought I could) other times I walked. And that was O.K. Before I knew it I was nearing the finish line. Then there it was. I crossed--hand in hand with my princess hubby and with a 14+ minute mile. And then I cried.

After the race, when I had gotten something to eat (other than the healthy stuff with no taste that they give you along the race route) and taken a nap (what's up with a 5:45 a.m. starting time?), I finally had time to absorb what I had done. Wow. Did I really do that? Me? Wow. And I cried again.

A week out from my accomplishment, I have gone back and read the posts in this blog and rewalked my journey. To say I'm proud of myself is an understatement. It has changed me in ways I can not explain. And it has changed the way I see things--and people. I am 100 percent certain I could not have, would not have done this without the love and support of so many people. I felt that as I was running. And saying thank you seems so totally inadequate. But thank you anyway to all those who cheered me on, encouraged me, helped me get to the finish line. This is your victory, too.

Now, I'm contemplating my next challenge. This one will be hard to top. Will I return next year? I'm not sure. I don't know if it would be the same. So maybe I'll look for something new. One thing I do know, though, is next time I will be checking the mileage for any adventure before I throw my hat in the ring.