Triple Trouble: Happy New Year! Marathon Madness... Part 3!

First, I will start by answering the BIG question!

Did you finish?

Yes, we both did... without CPR or a call to 911!

AND IT WAS AMAZING!!!!!

On Saturday morning we left Tampa and headed to Lakeland to spend a little time with Great Grandad and Gigi and, yes, I was a little preoccupied and forgot to take any photos!

After a nice visit, and a stop at Applebee's... which has a great new BBQ sandwich by the way, we were on our way to DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!

I gotta be honest... at this point my excitement/tension/stress level was off the charts... Dat Dat even threatened to make me walk if I did not calm down... he said it was even starting to get to him...

I wanted to cry, scream, laugh, jump for joy... we had trained so hard and for so many months... we had been through more than you can imagine and here it was 26.2 miles laid in front of us just hours away.

Finally, we had arrived a the place ... where dreams really do come true!

And from the back seat you could hear Grant take in two huge excited breaths and yell....

"Good Job Daddy!!!"

Our first destination was the ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Here we had to pick up our race packets and get our start times.

There were lots of people and vendors and the excitement was everywhere!

Our next destination was our resort...

After checking in... we checked out our rooms.

Cute, cute boys!

Luckily we were able to get adjoining rooms... it helped with the sleeping arrangements!

After getting unpacked, it was time the head to dinner...

And when you are about to run a marathon, you need to "carb up!"

And what better place than....

And it was yummy, as usual...

Then, heavily laden with pasta, it was time to get some shut eye!

Morning would come all too early.

Yes, y'all.... that is AM.

And in Eastern time zone.

We live in Central.

Do the math.

Todd and I had set everything out the night before and we were quickly ready to go.

We chose not to carry the camera with us since it was our first race and um... I didn't have anywhere to put it.

We arrived at the staging area around 3:45am, God Bless Disney Transportation, checked our bags and made our way.... like cattle, to our corral... yep, cattle.

It was interesting to see all the 17,000 people moving toward a same goal.

People of every size, shape, fitness level, age, nationality... all there to put one foot in front of the other for 26.2 miles.

It was chilly and Todd and I were ready to get started.

The Professional Runners began at 5:35am and the rest of us began in waves.

We crossed the start line, cloaked in darkness, right around 6:00am.

There were fireworks, Disney Characters, music... it was amazing... I was giddy.

My sweet, sweet husband stayed with me for about the first 3 miles until we got separated at a bathroom break inside Epcot.

Never seen so many men and even some women peeing in unison on the side of the road!

Yeah, I wouldn't be drinking from any water ways around the Walt Disney World Resort any time soon... or ever!

Our journey took us through Epcot first...

Then down the road a ways to the Magic Kingdom...

A part of journey that included what Todd and I now call Hell Hill.... that "dip" in the road near the Contemporary for our Disney Family!

Past the Grand Floridian and down a back road to "Home Sweet Home," Disney's Animal Kingdom.

After exiting DAK we headed up some hills, down some hills and waaaaay down the Osceola Parkway to The Hollywood Studios... still so hard not to call it the Disney/MGM Studios...

Our path then took us back into Epcot and just out side the front gates to end our 26.2 miles.

Straight into the arms of my loving husband!

He had finished in 5 hrs 18 minutes.

I made it in 6 hrs 4 minutes.

We had both hoped to do better, but this was our first marathon and truly, finishing within the allotted amount of time was the real goal.

Check out the BLING baby!!!!!!

I think my Mom said it best... I am so fortunate to have had such a wonderful experience and yet again, Disney played a huge role.

Also, I want you to know that I gained so much more than bragging rights while winding my way on foot through the Walt Disney World Resort.

For each runner, I believe it was more than just running 26.2 miles...

There were reasons why...

Like Bonnie, who I met while running toward the Magic Kingdom... she had run all 18 WDW Marathons and loved meeting new people along the way... I think she was a bigger chatter than I am... is that possible??? But her enthusiasm was infectious.

Like the man who was running in memory of his daughter, Ellie, who had passed just before her 4th birthday, we never spoke but I understood, I know.

And the young woman from Kansas... who, in late October, finished her last round of Chemo for Hodgkin's Lymphoma (yep... same one)... still sporting peach fuzz was running the marathon because she had already overcome a much larger hurdle. I was glad to share a Survivor's High Five with her!!!

Why did we run?

I think the reasons are too numerous.

We want to be healthy.

Smaller Jeans (BTW I am in single digits!)

To set a good example for our children.

Better late than never.

Because, even if you won't admit it, everyone of you were skeptical.

We never thought we could.

For Todd Jr... who has started running also.

For Grady Joe... who loves his Mommy and Daddy so much.

For Grant... because he is a rascal.

and...