Wow! What a weekend. The atmosphere before, during, and after the race nearly defies explanation and the run was unexpected. I am not sure, looking back, what I did expect. Whatever it was, I now know and want to do it again.
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| Wide World of Sports Stadium |
The weekend started with our Friday afternoon flight. We arrived on time and hopped the express bus to the Beach Club Resort. We were assigned a room on the main floor just off the lobby which ended up saving me many a step before and after the race. I was initially concerned the lobby noise might get to us, but it was never really a problem.
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| Jeff Galloway and I |
After checking in, we rushed over to the expo at the ESPN Wide World of Sports area to check in. We found the Runner's World Challenge tables set up in a convenient location and received my race packet, number, and final instructions. As we would soon find out, this luxury was just the beginning of the challenge's perks. When then went into the first building to retrieve the chEAR squad packets for my wife and kids. After finishing this task we stopped into the expo to see what I couldn't live without.
The crowded expo was a runner's product dream. We wandered around for a bit, but after the flight, check-in and no dinner, we cut the visit short and headed back to our resort. In retrospect, the tight quarters for the expo discouraged us (and others) from staying longer. Did help us save some money!
The next day I stayed back in the room to save the legs while the family went into the Animal Kingdom. The race directors issued heat warnings Thursday as record temperatures and high humidity were expected all weekend. Saving my legs and staying out of the heat seemed prudent at the time and I can only surmise that it paid off the following day. I spent the time watching tv, preparing my stuff for the race, and generally trying to stay off my feet while not going stark-raving-crazy.
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| Bart and I |
Late afternoon on Saturday Runner's World hosted a strategy session for challenge participants. Hosted by Bart Yasso, we receive great advice from a panel of experts and had the opportunity to ask questions. As you can tell, I also took the opportunity to snap a few pictures with a couple of running legends. The advice did alter my race strategy, with the most notable change in targeting an even slower start pace and leaving my running hat in the room. After a enjoyable and uneventful pasta dinner, I went back to the room to catch a few zzzzs prior to the bus departure at 3 am.
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| Race Expo Stage |
Next Up . . . the race report!
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