Mission I'mPOSSIBLE: Officially Goofy

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney

It is extremely hard to put my race weekend experience into words. How can I list everything that happened over two magical days? This race was in fact was hardest thing I have ever done but yet I finished with a new found hope, a bright smile and more inspiration to do amazing things with my life. I only hope that my race recap is enough to get some of my followers moving and achieving their dreams. Who knows maybe some of you will enlist in the Goofy Challenge with me next year?!?!

Donald Duck's Half Marathon

Start time 6:15 a.m.

The only unhappy moment for me in this whole trip was getting up at 2:45 in the morning two days in a row. In order to get to the starting line by 5 o'clock we had to leave the hotel no later than 3:30. Crazy right! Image 30,000 runners/walkers, their family members and volunteers all trying to get the same place at the same time. It was a MESS but Disney does a great job flowing people in the correct directions and getting people to where they need to be. There was over 30,000 runners/walkers each day. That is a lot of healthy active people!!

All runners/walkers had a little over a mile hike to the starting line from bus drop off. That gave me enough time to really envision what the day would look like and allowed all my nervous to kick into full gear. You would think someone who has ran over 17 half marathons, 2 full marathons, triathlons and 4 tough mudders nerves wouldn't be an issue....but like I said before nerves are a good thing!!! It was my body telling me that I was about to do something epic and simply amazing!

Disney started each race with a HUGE fireworks display. Saturday morning I got really emotional when the fireworks went off. As tears came to my eyes I finally realized that this was it! This was my moment to achieve the i'mpossible. To conquer the Goofy and to prove to myself that my hard work was worth it.

It was awesome in person I swear!

Corinne and I started in the back of our Corral Saturday for the half. We soon realized that wasn't such a smart idea... many walkers were in the back which meant we had to run around them. It kind of felt like we were dodging people the whole race. It really was crowded but it allowed me to soak every single moment in.

The first few miles we ran in complete darkness. We were entertained by some amazing kites, Jack Sparrow and some really loud music. I could feel the excitement and joy around me as we ran into the Magic Kingdom. As we approached the the park I couldn't help but think of my childhood. My first trip to Disney was when I was in 4th grade. The park still had the same magic to me today, as it did back then. I had to believe that all the people surrounding me felt the same way as I did...on top of the world.

When I turned the corner on Main Street I was able to see a full view of Cinderella's castle. This is when my smile turned into glee! How exciting was it to run on the same street millions of families walk every single day. Those families all stop and take pictures to remember this moment...so I also had to stop and get my photo moment. This is what I will always remember... I was beyond excited!

I am a little to excited :)

We ran a little in tomorrow land saw the teacups, the new part of Disney (fantasy land I believe) and got to run right in the middle of the castle. Extremely awesome is the only way to describe this moment! After the excitement in the Magic Kingdom came the boring part of the race. We ran close to 4-5 miles before we hit more excitement in EPCOT!

There was some really cool things to look at in boring ville but I don't want to bore you will all that. All I know is that Corinne and I talked the whole time! We laughed a lot but mostly talked about our plan for Marathon and of course our goals for the year. Boring ville was even a little therapy session for me...This has to be one of my most favorite things about running!!!! FREE THERAPY!

As we got into Epcot we realized that we were just about finished with day one. We posed in front of the giant golf ball, did our traditional pose with Goofy, got our medal and headed towards the bus to refuel for day two. It was super HOT when we finished so we knew that marathon would feel like complete hell...literally.

Mickey's Full Marathon
Start time 6:15

We knew what to expect day too! I felt like a Run Disney pro! We didn't stay to the back of our corral this time, which helped with the crowd issue and running into walkers. The first 8 miles of the race was the same as the half. Nothing new to report but a new costume and some sore muscles...oh and let me not forget about the heat. It was humid and extremely hot...skipping water today was NOT an option.

Starting line Day 2

The course became new when we turned into Disney speedway....we ran a full lap on the track. They had some really fancy cars on the speedway and some loud music to keep us entertained. Some runners were starting to struggle and some even had to sit off to the side to cool down. It was sad to see this so early on. We just keep trucking alone praying that wouldn't happen to us.

This was even one of the cars on the speedway :) Love the movie Cars!

The next four miles was again another Boring ville but this time Corinne and I didn't talk. I think we both were thinking about our own personal struggles and what this race meant to us. Corinne was in charge of telling me when to walk and I was in charge of the pace. We work really great as a team!!! We know when to talk and when to just remain quiet. This is extremely hard for me because I enjoy talking but I have had a lot on my mind so running in silence was just what the doctor order.

Next up was Animal Kingdom....There were animals along the course for runners to pet and take pictures with. Of course there was a giant snake which Corinne felt the need to take a picture with. I am deathly afraid of snakes so I stood on the other side of the road to wait for her. The best part of this park was the Roller Coaster. Yep! You read that right!!!! We rode a ride in the middle of our Marathon. It took us exactly seven whole minutes to enjoy this part of the course. It gave us our second wind and cooled us off.

I love this tree in Animal Kingdom...it is BEAUTIFUL!

Roller Coaster in the middle of a Marathon....Now that is MAGICAL!

The next part of the race was the hardest...as it should be. Miles 14-17 was all highway, which meant no shade. Corinne wanted to start bitching but I wouldn't allow it till we reached the bridge on the other side of the road. This gave her time to focus on the positive as it was 4 miles to "Bitch Bridge." We ran around ESPN wide world of sports complex....ran on the track, around the baseball field and on some really nice soft grass. It felt like heaven on my feet as they were in a lot of pain.

Field of dreams :) We ran around the baseball field at the ESPN complex

Our pace really slowed down around mile 19...this is when I told myself that it was okay to stop and take pictures. Let the fun nature of the course keep me moving forward. Corinne kept running as I messed around. I would always catch up with her! She looked strong and determined as ever. Corinne has helped me so much during my weight lose struggles but during the marathon I knew that I was her coach....I was going to get her to the finish line even if I had to carry her on my back. I just kept moving forward and she followed alone.

Here are some of the pictures that I took when I was messing around!!

Bitch Bridge could have been Corinne's breaking point but she was strong enough to not allow it to break her. We had five miles left to go... the only thing that would bring us down at this point was the heat. Luckily Disney knew it was going to be super hot...they put out more water stations and volunteers were throwing water on us to keep us cool! It was awesome to get a quick bath after sweating and working so hard in the heat.

The last part of the course was the best! We ran in both Hollywood studios and Epcot. Families were cheering us racers on as they walked their children to their next rides. This really is what kept us focused and moving forward. Disney Magic is what I would call it!!!

Probably my favorite picture of the day! This is my favorite Disney movie as a child :)

Then there it was... the finish line. I got a little emotional thinking about what just happened. I had just ran a half marathon and a full marathon in extreme heat. I was about to mark the Goofy challenge off my bucket list. I was doing it!! I never believed that I would feel so strong in the end of 39.3 miles but I did! That is when I realized that I wasn't that 195 pound girl anymore... I was the athlete, the teacher, the friend, the daughter and the person that inspires others to do amazing things.

I took my pictures with Goofy, Minnie and Mickey before crossing the finish line. As soon as I stepped over that wonderful line I knew that I could final leave the ugly past behind me. I am now ready to move forward with my life! Ready to conquer the things that scare me the most. I left behind on the course a girl that didn't believe in me....it feels nice knowing that I will NO longer allow her back in my life!

I got crowned my Mickey Marathon medal, as well as the Goofy Challenge Medal! We headed to our hotel to spend the day relaxing in the pool!

This race was extreme but this race is probably the best moment so far in my life. My Dreams are not just dreams anymore...I was able to put them into action! I got my happy ever after ending in the most magical place on earth! I even got to kiss the mouse that started it all! What an amazing experience!!!!! I plan on signing up for 2014 Goofy's Challenge....ANYONE want to JOIN?