Disney World Chapter 7 of 7: Wine & Dine Half Marathon!

Saturday, November 10, around 6:00 pm, we divided (and therefore conquered) the boys to spend the night with their grandmas as we set off for a quick pasta dinner and then to catch the bus to the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex for our first ever half marathon!

Jon's mom snapped this right before we took off.  We're carrying the bags Disney so brilliantly allowed us to check.  They took the bags from the race start to the finish line so people could clean up a little bit before the after party.

Excited and nervous at the pre-race party

Pre-race posers

The flat, FUN course: through three of the four parks. Wasn't bored once and loved it.  Didn't even take the earbuds.

Official starting line is up there with the lights and 14,000 other runners.  Blurry cell photo due to movement and nighttime.  Look at all the other runners taking start photos!  Funny.  There was amazing, blaring music.
And there were starting fireworks. 

Characters and other interesting distractions were strategically placed at about every mile. Ah, the conundrum: sacrifice pace by waiting in a short line for a character photo or two?  For me?  YES.  Jon, not so much.

No way was I passing up a photo op with this guy.

Hollywood Studios lights.  Only a few miles left at this beautiful point!

Jon was amazing.

Out of 14,000 folks, I happened to pass by two of Jon's band parents who were taking photos of each other on the Hollywood Studios backlot around mile 10.  We knew they were running the race and we had been talking about it for months, but I was amazed to see them DURING!  I snapped their photo and then they returned the favor here. :)

Jon had the presence of mind to stop for a finisher photo as soon as he crossed the line.
I missed this opportunity as I stumbled to the food and drink table instead.  

Jon's stats.  He finished in an amazing 2:12.  

Did it!  Here I am crossing the finish line.  I smiled during the entire last mile. 

My stats.  I finished in 2:47 with the three photo stops. 

I am crossing the line here on the far left under Mickey's foot.

This is our only post-race photo, taken as soon as I finished,
met up with Jon  at the after party, and changed into dry clothes.
We "partied" in Epcot to the best of our  tuckered-out ability 'til 4 am.

Early Sunday morning, after minimal sleep, we were up to retrieve the kids and the fam and head up the road after quite an adventure.  We will definitely run a future Disney race - it was just too much fun.  We loved it.

Disney World Chapter 6 of 7: Travels

Sunday came.  And with it came the sadness that Disney World 2012 would soon be over.  We did manage to fit in one more fun time before the 7-hour drive North to SC: lunch at Planet Hollywood.

Mommy and Andrew (as Grandma Diana chopped up his spaghetti).
YES I DID wear my medal that day around Downtown Disney and I would wear it every single day if it were
(A) a little lighter around the neck and (B) socially appropriate.

Ethan totally appreciated Grandma's chips and his illuminated juice cup.

Both grandmas and a Bogs

total sweetness on the ride home

Awww... still wearing some of his lunch.

Disney World Chapter 5 of 7: Rejects

Here are the very worst photos from the trip.  Hope they give you a chuckle or two. There are so many things wrong with all nine of these photos that I have a million different captions in my head.  Just create your own.

Disney World Chapter 4 of 7: Hollywood Studios

As soon as the kids finished their races on Saturday, we were off to Hollywood Studios.

the boys always had the best parade views

front row seats for the puppet show

Ethan didn't make it to the end of the day

Amazed by the Beauty and the Beast stage show

This ride is not a favorite of Jon's.  But, since his 5-year-old wanted to ride (and LOVED it),
he thought he'd bravely go along.  This was the last thing we did before getting back on the bus
in preparation for the half marathon.

Disney World Chapter 3 of 7: Kids' Races

Saturday at 10 am, exactly 12 hours before the half marathon start, Andrew and Ethan ran their first ever races at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.  Ethan did the 100 meter dash and Andrew did the 200 meter.  They were FAST!  Everybody got a shirt, snacks, and a cool medal.

pre-race jam session

Ethan's start.  He is at 5 o'clock in relation to the green 100 start sign, right below the lady in the yellow shirt.

Now he's right beside the kid in blue.  I ran beside him and he was so fast that I lost him in the mix a couple of times.  This kid was not playing around.

Andrew was pushing it really hard for the 200 meter.
We are so proud!

High five from a spectator!

major post-race boogie time to the blaring kids' disney tunes