Well the marathon was almost two weeks ago already and I still haven't updated my blog!! I've tried to write about it in the past week but the experience is just so hard to describe. It was one of those life moments that is beyond words and explanation. But I'm going to do my best because I don't ever want to forget a moment of that day! So hang in there, maybe go grab a cup of coffee, because this is going to be a long one!
Sunday morning, January 11th, 2:15 am:
Rob and I wake up to the sound of the dreaded alarm clock! It was time! No turning back now. I rolled out of bed in what seemed to be, and actually was, the dead of night. No one should be even be awake at this hour, let alone preparing to do a 26 mile run! But we did get up and thank goodness the adrenaline kicked in almost immediately. I didn't feel panicked, just excited. We had laid out all of our marathon gear perfectly the night before so we wouldn't be scrambling for anything in the morning. That was a great idea. You don't realize how many little things you have to have ready - socks, band aids, running chips, I pod, elastics, visors, sunglasses, glide, sports bra, gel packs, the list goes on and on!! But we had it all, got dressed and sat down to enjoy our first meal - bagels with peanut butter and lots of water. I was praying so hard for no stomach problems...of all the potential problems that could arise on race day this was the ailment I was most worried about. After our breakfast we walked to our hotel lobby, made some last minute trips to the bathroom (last time we would see a flushing toilet for awhile...you take advantage of those last moments in a working restroom..believe me!) By 3:20 we were on the bus and headed to Epcot for the start of the race.
We arrived at Epcot and man was it dark! There were thousands of people walking in groups to the white tents we could all see in the distance. It all just felt so surreal. We finally got to the tents and the area opened up to a giant party. Some crazy 80's hair band was playing, people were checking their bags, and stretching on the cold ground. There was energy in the air. I was so happy that we weren't freezing our butts off too. It felt a little chilly but man were we lucky. It was in the low 50's already and the forecast called for a sunny day, with a high in the 70's! We seriously could not have asked for a better day for this race. Once we were in that area, we waited around for a long time. The race was not due to start until about 6:00 and it was only barely 4:00! The good thing was that it left us plenty of time to wait in the LONG lines for the port-o-potties! Gosh I hate those things!! We probably waited in line for about 30 minutes! After that we started our 20 minute walk to the starting corrals. I was actually glad to have the long walk because it kept the blood flowing and prevented us from sitting around and getting tired. Once we got to the corral's Rob's dad had to go to a separate area so said our goodbyes and walked off to our own corral. Their were two starting lines for the race so we were pretty sure after that point that we wouldn't see Rob's dad until the end of the race.
Once we got to our corral it started to get really exciting. The energy was intense! There was a huge video screen playing scenes from movies, and tons of music blaring in the air! The wheelchair race started a few minutes after and we could see on the video screen as they took off. What an incredible sight! After that we had our own countdown, with all the Disney characters and of course the fireworks that I had been so looking forward to!! What an amazing way to start the race! After the national anthem I had already started to get really emotional and so the start of the fireworks really brought tears to my eyes!
We were on our way. It was 6 am and still dark as night, but that actually felt great to me. I really liked the feeling of running in the dark. Rob and I weaved our way through the crowds, and began our trek into the Epcot parking lot. It was incredible the number of runners you could see in all directions. It was so powerful and motivating to know that we were all in the same boat and that we had all worked to hard to get to this moment.
Before I knew it we were in Epcot, running underneath that giant silver globe! After that we ran through the front of the park and then off into the world showcase! It was amazing to see it all lit up! You could see China, Japan, and even the Eiffel Tower in the distance! So cool! We got about halfway through the world showcase and at that point our path directed us out of the park and into the back lot area of Epcot..definitely and area I'd never seen before. We were only about 2 miles into the race and I knew our next park, the Magic Kingdom, would not come up until about mile 10. This would be a long stretch. But I felt good. Right before the start of the race Rob told me about something he read in Runner's World magazine. The article said that the first 10 miles of the race are physical, the second 10 are mental, and the last 6.2 are all heart! I loved it! That was a great way to think about it. I knew my training had prepped my body to easily handle those first ten miles. The physical first ten went great. We even miraculously met up with Rob's dad right around mile 5 after the two starting routes merged into one running group. All three of us running together for a couple miles was awesome!
Before I knew it we were at the Contemporary Resort, and I knew we were getting close to the Magic Kingdom. As I was running I was noticing all the great costumes people had on. There was even a couple dressed as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell! They were awesome. We also saw a Jack Sparrow in the mix too. I think my favorite marathon outfits I saw was from an Asian couple running together. They had their names on the back of their shirts along with a logo underneath that read "Team Ugly Shorts" and man were their shorts HIDEOUS!! They were bright neon colors and short enough that they only left a little to the imagination. Hysterical!!
As we started to near the Magic Kingdom, the crowds of spectators just absolutely amazed me! There were belles ringing, music playing, crowds yelling and screaming, signs waving in the air! This was my next emotional moment. This sight once again almost brought me to tears. It also recharged my battery and gave that next boost of energy to keep going. We ran down main street USA and could see Cinderella's Castle in front of us as the sun was rising! Amazing moment! We rounded around future world and then cut to the back of the castle. I knew that most eagerly awaited moment was approaching...we were about to run through the castle! I turned around and grabbed Rob's hand and we ran through the castle together! So cool! We all cheered as we went through it and emerged through to the other side. One of my most favorite moments of the race. We kept running through the remainder of the park and out to the back lot.
We were at mile 11 now- the physical first ten was over and it was time for the next ten - the mental phase. This would be our next long stretch - 8 miles until the next park! I still felt pretty good. Rob and I had managed to stay together this whole time. Our goal was to finish the race together, but somewhere towards mile 13 we got separated. I thought for sure we would meet up again, but decided to just keep going on alone. And man did I feel alone! It's hard to imagine feeling alone when you're surrounded by thousands of runners and screaming crowds, but I did. This part would for sure be mental. I was starting to get tired, felt alone, and it was due time to start using some positive thinking to pull me through this part. I just wanted to get to Animal Kingdom to get that next burst of energy. The crowds along the way were great though. More screaming fans, more Disney characters, and a bunch of different high school bands playing! Such great crowd support, but man this road felt long. Like it would never end!
Finally I was almost at Animal Kingdom. Once I was through this park I would be a mile 18! As I entered the park there were groups of goats, and all sorts of other animals...kind of cool but they seriously had some barn yard stank! Not exactly what you want to smell when you're already feeling a little nauseated! But oh well! It didn't matter because I had made it into the park. It was beautiful. We were running through a remake of a rainforest. Bright green plants all around which shaded me from the now bright hot sun that had risen and was beating down upon us all. I ran towards the Everest ride (one of my favorites)! For those of you who have not seen Everest...it's amazing! Before I knew it, I was out of Animal Kingdom and on to my next trek to Hollywood Studios.
This is where it got tough. I started to loose momentum soon after mile 19. I wanted so badly to meet back up with Rob. Mile 20 would be the start of those six miles that were supposed to be all heart...how could I run without my heart? Up until this part I had not stopped at all...no walking! I had my own water with me so I had no need to stop at the water stations. But I was getting tired now and I was hungry. I had already had some gels, and a banana, but my energy was low. I decided to walk for minute. That way I could restore some strength and maybe even find Rob. So I stopped and expected to have pain immediately. My knees were a little sore as I took my first walking steps but not awful. So I walked for a few minutes. I got some energy back but no luck finding Rob. I would have to start my 20 miles without my heart. But I gave it my all and started running again.
The good news was that I was getting closer to Hollywood Studios and only had about 5 miles left! I was getting so close!! A that point I had reached a part in the course that had a little loop around...and that's when I saw Rob in crowd! Course wise we were still about a mile or so apart from each other but seeing him and getting a wave from him gave me a burst of energy that I really needed.
I made it into the next park and got some water, Gatorade and another banana I took a few more walk breaks in these last few miles 1.because they helped and 2. because I really wanted to finish this race with Rob. But I knew if I walked for too long it would be too hard to start running again. So I kept my walking stints brief. As I passed out of Hollywood Studios (which is now a blur to me) I knew I had only one more park to go before the finish line. The crowds of spectators were getting more and more awesome. I ran along the boardwalk and someone in the crowd yelled out "Go Amanda". It was no one I knew but it felt like I had just gotten a huge hug from one of my best friends. Someone else told me I only had a mile and a half to go!! Wow!! I was almost there!
I rounded the corner and was back in Epcot. Now I just had to run around the world...well the world showcase...but it seriously felt like it would be that long! I took one last brief walk break, but still no Rob, so I started to run to the finish line. I saw the big Epcot silver globe again and knew I just had to make it out to the parking lot. But suddenly I saw someone familiar...no it wasn't Rob, but it was the same Peter Pan and Tinkerbell that I had seen in the first 10 miles of the race! I told myself that there was no way I was going to let Peter and Tink beat me so I picked up the pace! That's when I zoomed past them and saw in my viewing distance the most beautiful sight....THE FINISH LINE! The crowds were huge, the sun was shining, and I was almost there...this was my moment! I high fived Chip and Dale in the last few moments and then victoriously crossed over that line!!! IT WAS AMAZING!! I was done, I did it, dream accomplished! Very few moments in my life could compare to that.
Soon after I had the absolute joy and privilege of seeing my hero, my husband, cross the finish line!! I threw my arms around him and thanked God for that incredible moment. WE DID IT!!
After that we went to get our medals (so awesome by the way!) and immediately went towards the medic tent to get ice. My stomach was starting to really hurt after that so I sat in the parking lot and tried to calm my body down. We wanted to go back and see Rob's dad cross the finish line though, so I tried to get up and start the walk back towards the finish line. That's when it happened. I stopped walking, Rob looked at me and just started saying, "No, come over here" but there was no controlling it....I was puking!! Awful!! Rob grabbed a medic going by on a bike. They came over, sat me down, but I was fine Just a little shaken up and a tiny bit embarrassed! They took me over to the medic tent and Rob went to find his dad. I was on my way over to the tent when I saw that Rob had found his dad and he had crossed the finish line! That sight made everything perfect again. All 3 Keller's finished!!! WE DID IT!!
What a journey! We trained, we ran the 26.2, and we survived! We even got "26.2" tattoos to commemorate the occasion!!! Thank God, thank my family and friends, and thank my husband!! I love you all!!!
