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1/29/2009 - Trapped In An Elevator
1/27/2009 - The Close Call
1/14/2009 - Tom McCoy
12/23/2008 - Political Science
12/09/2008 - Grinch
10/08/2008 - 30th Birthday
7/25/2008 - Installing Blinds
6/03/2008 - The Great Wall
5/30/2008 - Rudeness
5/22/2008 - Sick Days At Work
4/09/2008 - Home Warrantee
3/31/2008 - Animal Crackers
3/17/2008 - Green Beverage Day
3/05/2008 - I Should Write A Novel
2/26/2008 - The Evil Oak
2/18/2008 - A Tribute To My iPod
2/11/2008 - Criminology Textbooks
2/04/2008 - The Surgery
1/31/2008 - WDW Marathon Part V
1/25/2008 - WDW Marathon Part IV
1/19/2008 - WDW Marathon Part III
1/17/2008 - WDW Marathon Part II
1/16/2008 - WDW Marathon Part I
1/12/2008 - Marathon Details
1/09/2008 - Running From My Run
1/04/2008 - The Holidays
1/01/2008 - First Blog
WDW Marathon Part IV
Part IV: Running is Easy . . . It's been a week and a half since I ran the marathon, and my memory is starting
to fade. I probably should have written this a bit sooner, but I don't want
to get started on all the things I "should" be doing right now (i.e.: cleaning
the house, paying some bills, wearing deodorant) …
Without any further ado, here is the latest installment in my marathon
chronicles:
Part IV: Running is Easy
The instant Mickey finished his countdown, streams of fireworks shot into
the night sky. With an hour or so before the sun came up, it was probably
good to use them up now. I doubt those sparklers would have been quite as
glamorous during the daylight.
It was a few minutes before I was able to move. Hordes of excited runners
were crossing the starting line, but I was several hundred feet behind them.
I knew we weren't being timed just yet, so I stared at the fireworks and
let the sentiments of the moment take over.
My mind raced (since my legs could not), overwhelmed with sensations of
excitement, boredom, and a certain undeniable fear. The apprehension was
caused by growing sense that, if I didn't run fast enough, some crazy Disney
employee would grab those fireworks and aim them at my backside.
I know now that this was irrational and unlikely, but I had never run a marathon
before. Have YOU ever run a marathon? How do you know they wouldn't do that?
As my mother always said: fire is a powerful motivator (I never really understood
what that meant, but she said it A LOT).
Anyway, the people in front of me started moving, followed by the people
behind me. I figured it was a good time to join in, since I everybody loves
a mob. That, and I didn't want to get trampled.
At the starting line, a creepy lady in a green shirt was dancing to Disney
radio. Soft rock music pumped through several speakers that were each the
size of a small train, engine to caboose. The sound level was comfortably
set slightly higher than a baby screaming next to a fire truck in the middle
of a jet engine. Over the ringing in my ears, I heard hundreds of little
beeps as the chips in our shoes were activated. Watching for incoming fireworks,
I thankfully made it out alive. I can't be sure about those who were behind
me.
I distanced myself from the starting line as quickly as I could, darted past
one runner after another. "Slow down" I told myself. My ears were still ringing,
so I still couldn't hear a thing, but I could read lips well enough to know
what I was saying.
I slowed my pace and ran with the crowd. We were running on a divided highway,
and even with the multiple lanes, we were still packed in like shoppers on
the day after thanksgiving. Thousands of spectators lined the median of the
road. I watched constantly for Shannon, but with so many faces whizzing by,
I worried I might not see her.
After a mile or so, the ringing in my ears had stopped, and I was able to
make out a few sounds from the outside world. I heard surprisingly little
huffing and puffing from my fellow runners-apparently, they had all discovered
the benefits of training. Instead, a monstrous collection of footsteps echoed
throughout the street and into the surrounding woods.
I took a moment to place my iPod in one of my ears-not an easy task while
attempting to watch your step. I had bought one of those Nike sports kits
for my iPod. It did a decent job of tracking my time, distance, and (through
the magic of math) pace. It was the "pace" part that most interested me.
Listening devices were supposed to be banned, but I decided to be a rebel.
I would have felt a bit guiltier about this, but the ten thousand other rebels
on either side helped ease my conscience.
We circled around the front of Epcot center, and headed for the park. Outside
the main entrance were thousands of enthusiastic spectators. They were cheering
and clapping and clapping and clapping. At what point in human history did
slapping one's hands together become an acceptable form of showing appreciation?
Their hands seemed tired, and it had only been a few minutes. Running is
one thing, but those clappers had a loooong way to go.
I looked both ways for Shannon. Nothing. She should have been there…
somewhere.
After a leisurely run past the crowds, we entered Epcot Center. Mid-nineties
techno music blasted throughout the park. The low thumping of the drums made
for a very cool experience. I took my iPod out of my ear to listen. It was
uncomfortable to cram the whole device in there anyway, and I probably should
have merely placed my earbuds in my ears.
Our run took us through the main entrance of the park, continuing into the
world showcase. It was barely past six, but Disney characters and employees
(who were characters themselves) lined either side of the racecourse. They
cheered us on with remarkable enthusiasm. I wondered if my office could muster
the same sort of fervor at that time in the morning, concluding that we would
be promptly fired for standing around without working.
Epcot's World Showcase is a collection of restaurants and rides that display
the wonder of different cultures. Throughout the run, we passed one ride
after another, each one dramatically lit to taunt us. The Disney employees
may have cheered us on, but inside their jovial exterior, they were mocking
us.
"Oh, you want to enjoy the splendor of Mexico? Sorry, you'll have to wait
for the park to open… in three hours."
I had been there many times, but never was I more tempted by theme park rides.
Sadly, the Epcot experience was over within just a few minutes. We ran into
the backlot area and out of the park, circling back to where we originally
lined up.
By this time, the fireworks had stopped. The course took us by the starting
line a second time, where the music seemed to have been turned down. The
creepy green shirted lady was still dancing, and it appeared that she was
even more animated then the last time I saw her.
The spectators had tripled on this pass, but their clapping seemed a little
weaker. Some people carried cowbells, a hand-saving device that I believe
every household should have.
"JEFF! JEFF!"
At first, I thought it was merely one of the many many readers of this blog,
but it turned out to be Shannon. She was holding a sign complete with my
name (Jeff), a bearded smiley face, and an astoundingly accurate stick figure
portrait. She smiled and waved at me, and I did my best to look like running
had suddenly become fun.
It meant so much to see her supporting me. I wanted to say something meaningful,
something that would reflect both my appreciation and affection for her,
but in the .75 seconds I had to respond, all I could come up with was "It's
Shannon!" I turned around to wave as she quickly disappeared behind me.
She might have had a confused look, but I think she knew what I meant.
Be sure to tune in for the exciting episode of Jeff's Marathon
Adventure...
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