Goofy '08 Trip Report - Part Two
Of course, the half marathon was the complete opposite.
Here I am about 4:30am on Saturday morning...
We had a BLAST out there!! We both felt very strong and had to hold ourselves back in order to save strength for the full on Sunday. Our plan of finishing around 2:45 quickly became "let's keep jogging", followed by "wow...that was another fast mile"...and we soon found ourselves crossing the line just under 2:30.
Check us out coming through the castle...
Pretty much everything about that race was a total blast. Sitting listening to the pre-corral band was fun (major kudos to them for getting out there at 4am and rocking out!)...getting photos with the characters was fun...finishing at 8:30 in the morning and realizing we had the whole day ahead of us was fun. It's the reason why I get out there. To have fun, relax and be part of the festivities. It didn't matter what time we came in with, we just set out to have a good time.
Woah.
That's it...
In searching for a reason as to why I race, as to what the point of running Goofy is...as to what I proved by doing it...it's all because I like it. I enjoy it. I have fun out there. I love setting out my race gear the night before, making sure my chip is tied to my laces...I love waking up early and being part of the massive line of people ants making their way to the starting corrals...I love the excitement surrounding the pre-race festivities...I love the start, the race and of course the finish...I love receiving my medal and then wearing it around WDW all day, getting contratulations from cast members, fellow runners and regular tourists...most of all I love sharing it with my running partner Amy. It's a common interest that we have, that we've done together since day 1, that we've helped each other out with weather it be nutrition, injury or training plans...there is no one I'd rather have out there with me than Amy. Thanks buddy for being such a great friend to me!
Me and my buddy...
So despite the cramping and walking associated with the full marathon...overall Goofy '08 was a tremendous experience for me that I'll never forget. I had fun. It reminds me of what I wrote last year after the full....the stuff about it doesn't matter what time you did it in, but the time you had out there.
See, we had fun!! Here we are with our friend Donald after the Half...
So there you have it...at least the part about the racing...I mean, that was what I was there for right?? Ohhh, but oh so many other things happened that I must report about!! So here we go....Goofy '08...The Highlights...bullet point style!!
---> The Food -- Oh my! Let's just say I give two big forks up to Narcoosee's, Mama Melrose's and the Hollywood Brown Derby! From appetizers, to entrees to those yummy desserts...fueling up could not have been much better! The Pepper Market at Coronado Springs provided some much needed protein, pizza and mexican (and super yummmy cookies!)..but the servers there all seemed to be in need of a serious siesta.
---> CM's named David -- We had two of the BEST Cast Members and servers in general that I've ever had anywhere. David the bartender at 50's PT Cafe was INCREDIBLE. Not only did he make the most awesome Pear Martinis (YUM!), but he felt like a friend we'd known for years. We talked football, Disney unions, marathoning & cycling and life as a whole. I could have sat there all night and rapped with David (almost did!)...I highly suggest popping over to see him next time you are around Disney Studios (he is off Fridays & Saturdays, but works every other day
). David the waiter at the Hollywood Brown Derby provided the best service you could ever imagine. We were seated at 6:40, the park closed at 7:00 and we were NEVER rushed. As a matter of fact, we were there 'til around 9pm...some of the very last people around in the park...they even had to provide specialized bus transportation since they stopped regular service to the park way before we exited
---> Post-marathon Sunday night -- I'll keep this short, but it included the 50's PT Cafe experience described above, the Hollywood Brown Derby experience described above, along with a pretty awesome night at Jellyrolls on the Boardwalk. Yes, if you hear rumors that two Goofy medal wearing fools were summonsed on the stage to perform the tree dance for a packed house...well, let's just say I know who those two people are
Special thanks to the super drunk conventioneers who bought us a few rounds...and to all four piano players who included us in the activites all throughout the night.
---> The WISH Journal Lunch -- What a pleasure it was to meet Laurie, Gregg, Stacie and Matt! You guys were great!! It was sooo cool to associate faces with names...to hear all about the awesome race experience that Stacie and Matt had...to hear about Laurie's excitement for her race and her spectator logistic plan for Gregg. Hopefully we will cross paths again at future races or meets...and we'll definitely stay in touch thru the boards.
---> Jungle Cruise and ToT -- Test Track breaks down. Everest breaks down. RnRC breaks down. Splash Mountain breaks down. But Jungle Cruise?? Tower of Terror?? Jungle Cruise, post lunch meet, we turn the first corner and there was a break down just two boats ahead of us. We had to sit there (could not go back to the dock) and listen to the CM attempt to keep us occupied for 15 or so minutes while we waited for the broken down boat to be towed away...that poor guy had no material...but it was fun anyway! We all were given an all attraction fastpass to the MK for the inconvenience that it caused. On Sunday, the Tower of Terror ran through it's normal ride cycle until the part where you are waiting to drop...and then it never did anything....talk about tense! We were stuck "hanging" there for 5 or so minutes until they had to pull us backward, out of the elevator shaft. We were then escorted out of the ride vehicle and got to walk through the attraction with the lights on! SPOILER: It's all mirrors...mirrors everywhere! We all got into a real elevator and were given a priority ride on the next available load (on the side that was working of course!). Pretty odd but cool stuff!!
---> WISH Team support -- Holy Cow!! WISH'ers were everywhere along the courses each day! Handing out water at water stops, ringing cowbells, providing wet towels and food and making tons of noise for every person on the race course. A huge THANK YOU goes out to each and every one of them. It was so cool to be a part of a well organized group like that! Meeting a few faces at the POP meet was pretty neat too. I hope to continue making friends with this group of super nice folks all out there for a common cause.
--- Final Thoughts ---
While there are some negatives to running a Disney World Marathon Weekend event...(having to get on a bus around 3:30am, be ushered to a holding place, then walk what seems like miles to the starting corrals, wait there for nearly an hour...having to run through a VERY PACKED crowd at the start...so many uneven stretches of pavement along the course, where it's nothing but banked circles that are hard on the legs)...they do get most of it right. The water and powerade was abundant this year, the course support was incredible, the organization was top notch. I do have to say though, the most awesome thing about running a WDW event is that it's the only place in the world (I THINK) where you can wear your medals around for days afterwards and be totally rewarded by CM's, fellow athletes and regular tourists. It makes the whole experience totally worth it!!
For me, it was a week that will live with me forever. MANY great times, a lot of great people and a personal achievement that can not be taken away from me. We set a goal 9 months prior of completing the challenge and we did just that...we avoided injury, we listened to our bodies, stuck to the plan and were rewarded with an awesome experience.
So where do I go from here...
I sat on the bus last Sunday and swore off ever doing Goofy again.
This Monday I plan on signing up for Goofy '09
:
AND (possibly)
Minnie Weekend this May
AND (probably)
the
Disneyland Half in August
Sprinkle in some 10k's or 5k's (maybe even a half), and I think it's going to be a productive year for Team Phoenix.
(more on that later!)
--- Special Thanks ---
Thank you to every one of you who posted in this journal over the last year. I know I tend to be a little over the top, a bit odd at times, and a little over dramatic...but I'm just having a good time and it's all in good fun. I honestly would not have attempted this goal or come close to completing it without your support and kind words. I am energized reading about everyones goals and accomplishments, thrilled that anyone even reads this thing in the first place and honored to call you all friends.
I'd like to close with a special note to a special person in my life....
Thank you for being there for me through the thick and the thin. Running partner, best friend, journal buddy, however it gets labeled...I would not be where I am today without you. Thank you for the laughs, the tears, the training plans, the nutrition advice, the smack-downs, the great times and the struggles. You inspire me every single day and bring out the very best in me. I'm honored to know you and I'm proud to call you my friend. Two years ago we set a goal to complete a marathon and it ended up being one of the greatest triumphs I've ever seen anyone experience...last year we set a new goal, a huge challenge...we perservered, struggled and eventually triumphed...as I was there for you in '07, you were there for me in '08...there is no one I'd rather run beside. Goofy '08 is in the books...our medals shine brightly, our minds are filled with memories I'll never forget...we can look back now and say we did it. We did it. Job well done Amy. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thanks again to all of you out there who have been a part of this journey. It has been a wonderful ride