It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Worst of Times -- But It's Over, Thank Goodness!!

I told you yesterday's pictures were a preview of today, although I think my gorilla friend is not as sore as I am. Yes, I finished the Disney marathon. I am able to post because my fingers can move easily, unlike everything below my waist.

This marathon was very important to me, because I had decided awhile ago that it would be my last. I have completed 12 marathons in 10 states since September of 2000. The physical, mental, and emotional toil of preparing and participating in marathons has become something I no longer choose to have as part of my life. So, I decided that I would go out by completing the only marathon I have repeated in a place that I enjoy so much.

It started at 3:15am, when I could no longer sleep, so I decided to get up and catch the marathon bus from our hotel (the last one would leave at 4am). Arriving at the staging area, I then waited for about two hours until we were directed to walk the half-mile to the actual start. Finally, after Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy appeared and we all counted down, we were off to a burst of fireworks. We ran in the dark until sunrise, beginning at Epcot, moving on to the Magic Kingdom, then to Animal Kingdom, to the entrance of Wide World of Sports, to Disney Hollywood Studios, to Boardwalk, and ending once again at Epcot. Mind you, there are buses and monorails that go these places, but for the third (and final) time, I wogged.

I finished and received my medal, which was worth the 7 hours (although they decided to turn off the timers at 7 hours, 12 minutes, and I finished three minutes later, so I have no finish time). Perhaps doing a full marathon 4 months after surgery wasn't the smartest idea, but I finished. This marathon was a good one to end on.

I will continue to wog, just with races of shorter distances (think HALF-marathons). I'm fifty and completed another marathon. But I also decided that at 50, it's time for me to retire that activity and go on to other things. That's the great thing about being 50 - you're able to decide what's best for you, just for you, and only for you.