Shhh… do you hear that?
Yes, it’s silent. Everyone is sleeping.
But not me. I’m waking up over a nice cup of coffee before I complete my FINAL TRAINING RUN of this marathon training cycle.
Before I do that, I’m kicking off this trip report!
This trip has been a couple of years in the making. In January 2020 I “watched” my little-sister-turned-marathon-partner finish her first marathon, at WDW. I watched other friends and acquaintances do the same that year, and they all inspired me tremendously. I was envious of their accomplishment and developed a serious case of Disney Marathon FOMO. And I thought to myself - I could do that thing.
So I joined OrangeTheory. When you join they ask you what your goals are, so I let them in on my secret. I had only told one other person on this earth about it (we even talked about doing it together!) – I wanted to train for the 2021 WDW Marathon! So it began, secretly and quietly. I had about 6 months to get into running shape again before the training plan would start. I went to class 3-4 times a week and began to feel like myself again, having become very un-fit over 2019. Then the pandemic hit, and we all had to stay home for days and days and there was nowhere to go (including OT) and nothing to do. I took to the treadmill to kill my nervous energy and anxiety about the whole thing, and I did OT at home. Over time that year I ran a little further, and a little longer. And it eventually became apparent that, indeed, I was… not going to run the 2021 WDW Marathon because it wasn’t going to happen. Thanks Covid.
But I didn’t let the dream die. I still hadn’t told anyone else about my plan, and I had broken up with OT because, well, pandemic. But I kept going. I felt powerful. I felt strong. I felt unstoppable. And then my sister said something to me that she might have come to regret. She said, “If you do it, I’ll do it with you.” I told her now way. I still didn’t tell anyone, and I still didn’t commit. But I kept running.
Eventually it was officially announced that 2022 WDW Marathon was going to be a thing! Right away I reserved a room with both of our names on it. And then I called her up. I told her I wanted to talk to her about something that she said. Nervously, she said, “Okay…? What did I say?” It was rather a loaded statement, after all and anything could have followed. So I asked her if she would really do it with me. And SHE SAID YES!! 
Oh wait, no, sorry. This wasn’t that kind of proposal. But she did say yes 
She also said that just that morning she had told some running friends that she was never doing another marathon. She was done with the distance (she had done 3 by then) and was not doing a single one more. Except now she was 
I don’t believe in coincidence. Timing is everything!
I still didn’t tell almost anyone but my family (who had to know because money and stuff) and the runners who are in this forum. I was so afraid we wouldn’t get bibs, with pent up energy and desire from a year without a marathon. But then on 7/27/21 I sat in my office at work with four different screens going to try and secure bibs for my sister and I. And I did it!
Suddnely it became real!! I shared my plans far and wide. I posted up the training plan. And I got to work. I did all but a very few training runs, which I missed only for illness and injury. I kept myself accountable to my marathon partner and I posted every.single.run to Instagram and FB (sorry, not sorry!) to make sure I was accountable to all the eyes on me. When it got tough, I remembered my promise to myself. And I completed the whole dang thing.
Well almost, anyway. Still one small training run to do. Which happens to fall on THIS morning - which is the very same morning that the WDW 5K goes off! And given the timing of my day, I’ll be running right alongside the participants, including fan faves from this very forum!
After that, my sister will pick me up and we’ll head on down to BOS, put our bums in some seats, and make our way to the MCO. We’ve rented a car and will either hit up the expo or Publix or both before landing at BCV where we’ll spend Thurs and Fri night. We’ll transfer over to Poly on Saturday where we’ll be until Monday. We’ll visit 3 of the 4 parks as well as DS and we will run our #sortasweetsortasavage asses off on Sunday morning. I cannot even wait for all of it!!!
I’ll be Disneybounding for the race, and if you’ve read the Ready to Run thread, you probably know who I’ll be running as. It’s important to me to share how that choice came to be.
Even before this dream was born, I became Moana. I was heading out for a run one day, quite some time ago. I had been growing my distance, and it was a gorgeous day out. DH asked how far I was going that day, so as to know when to expect me home, for safety and such. And I said, not missing a beat, “I don’t know. I have just 3 planned, but if it feels good I might go further. I don’t know how far I’ll go … When I go there’s just no telling how far I’ll go.” And just like that my running costume was born before the race was even a thing for me.
You see, Moana reminds me of me in so many ways. She has a strong sense of responsibility in fulfilling her role(s). But she struggles with that sometimes, too. She wants to go further. She wants to push the limit. She’s stubborn. She’s determined. She wants to see what she can do and what’s beyond that line (will I cross that line?). And that’s every bit of me.
When I was younger, I used to think when I accomplished this goal or that goal I could just relax, take it easy, not challenge myself. But that’s not who I am. I always need to do the hard thing. I always need to see what I’m made of. I always need to see how far I’ll go.
Come Sunday, I’ll show myself. And I’ll show you too. And that, my friends, will be just the beginning.
When I go there’s just no telling how far I’ll go!
Stay tuned. I’ll check back in later!
