Disney Vacation Part Three: The Half Marathon

We started the Goofy Challenge off bright and early on Saturday morning--waking up at 3am to 28 degrees and rainy. Not exactly what we were hoping for, but we knew it was coming. We layered and put on our white rain/cold weather suits that we got at the Expo and headed out to grab our bus. It seriously felt like we were going out to run in the middle of the night--we kinda felt crazy.

Landon, full of energy and modeling our lovely white suits.

on the bus to the marathon site with all the other runners

We felt lucky because we got there RIGHT before the huge influx of people, so we were actually able to get on a bus really quickly.

We had to walk a ways to the marathon check in area, but decided to stop for a quick photo-op with Epcot in the background.

After checking our bags and eating our breakfast and doing all we could to stay warm, time came to check our bags (and thus take off some of our layers--sad moment!!) and walk the half mile to the start line. It was at this point that it started sleeting. :) You can kinda see it in the light in the picture below.

Finally, we made it to the start line and found our corral, just as they were singing the national anthem. It was a really fun start, complete with Mickey, Minnie and Goofy, singing and fireworks. Pretty cool.

And, we were off. I thought we were going to take it nice and slow to save our legs for the marathon--maybe even walk a little, you know, like we had planned. But alas, that did not happen. Which, in hindsight, I'm grateful for. :)

We did stop to take a picture in front of the castle though. :)

Once we started running, it warmed up really quickly and was really nice--and eventually it stopped sleeting, which was good. We ran together and enjoyed seeing the parks and the different people and groups cheering us on.

Somewhere around mile 7, Landon and I both realized that, if we kept the pace up, I could get a new PR and break 2:20, which is what I was wanting to do in San Antonio and just barely missed. Neither of us said anything to the other, but we just kept trucking along, speeding up a little at the end, because we were still feeling good.

Still going strong as we finished by running in to Epcot!

It was so fun running, and finishing, together. Thanks babe, for pushing me to keep pushing myself! :)

My husband is so romantic. :)

We were so glad to be done--and SO ready to get back to the hotel, because once we stopped running, it was even colder than when we started, and raining even harder too. I think after the race takes the cake for the coldest I've ever been--seriously.

But, overall, it was such a fun morning. And, because the race started at 6am, we were back at our hotel eating breakfast by 10am, even though it definitely felt like the middle of the afternoon at that point!