It is not often that one is referred to as “Goofy” and considers it a compliment but such was the case this weekend. Lisa and I were two of 3000 goofy runners in a field of 32,000, doing the Disney Goofy Challenge – a half marathon on Saturday and a full on Sunday.

The Half Marathon

Saturday was supposed to be the easy day – a short 13.1 mile jaunt from Epcot to Magic Kingdom and back. When you get up at 3am and it is already in the 70’s with very high humidity, nothing is easy on such days unless you are a cactus.

We live only about 25 minutes from the theme parks but during this ride, I had time to wonder about the upcoming run and reflect on the prior months. Starting in June, Lisa and I participated in a wonderful marathon training group from the Tri & Run store in Winter Garden. It was led by an elite marathoner and Ironman, Bob Brubaker. For months and months, we pounding the blacktop on the West Orange Trail, slowly building up endurance and fortuitously, heat tolerance. Little did we know the sweating and newly learned hydration strategies would come in handy in January. Welcome to Florida!

The Half Marathon began with an unwelcome introduction — a 3 mile walk to the start line. We had 39.3 miles in a 24 hour or so period. The last thing we wanted was an added “bonus.” Unbeknownst to me, this was to be a microcosm of upcoming events — more difficulties, greater challenges and choice points. Do I continue or turn around? Complain or contemplate? Walk or whine? It would be onward and upward all the way!

Before long all 16,000 half marathoners would in settled in their various corrals, separated by time estimates but joined by similar desires. Finishing ranked at the top.

The fireworks illuminated the darkness, officially signaling the beginning of a long journey, one that began many months ago. Typically the event is never as difficult as the training. Lisa and I logged some 500 or so miles over the past 6 months in preparation for this. That is often the most difficult obstacle to overcome — months and months of long, hot, lonely runs. No fireworks. No crowds cheering you on. No Mickey Mouse. Just Run. Rinse. Repeat. It is also during this time that the outcome of the race is usually decided. Put in the training and the results usually manifest favorably. Cut them short, skip them or believe that somehow, one will magically channel the spirit of Dean Karnazes come race day and a different story will be told. I am reminded of a powerful message from one of my aikido masters, Hiroshi Ikeda sensei. Ikeda sensei is one of the highest ranked aikidoists in America. His skill level is off the charts. I once had the honor of having lunch with him. I wanted to know the “secrets” of being a great aikidoist like him. His response was simple and direct. “Practice everyday for 30 years like I have and you too will develop the skills that I have developed.” There it is. The “great secret” to success. The “great secret” to life — train, train and train some more. Never give up and you too can achieve anything over time.

The most important line was finally crossed — the starting line — and we are off into the darkness and mist, snaking along the back roads of Disney. Normally, the beginning is one of the most enjoyable sections. You are filled with energy and enthusiasm. Such was not the case here. Narrow roads and walls of walkers blocked up a good section of the first 6 or 7 miles. This made it difficult to establish and maintain any kind of rhythm.

These are some of the unknown factors that you cannot prepare for. Some are minor such as the aforementioned while others like the intense heat and humidity are more challenging. Today, we covered all sides of the spectrum.

Despite the encumbrances of the first half, the second half was a more pleasant experience. The lines thinned for the most part and the roads were wider, thus creating more space, a rhythmic pace and breathing room.

Our goals was to go easy on Day 1, saving the bulk of the energy for the full marathon. By our accounts, this was accomplished.

It always strikes me as odd when the actual race miles seem so much longer and more challenging as compared to training miles. In training, Mile #1 or Mile #10 feels like we cover 5280 feet. In races, a mile feels extended, as if someone transported us to a land where the concept of time and distance are distorted and a mile is around 9000 feet. At least.

One of the most valuable lessons we learned from our training sessions is how to recover properly. We spent the bulk of Saturday doing just that – recovering. L-Glutamine and hydration were on the main course, along with rest and reflection. Why was this run significantly less enjoyable than others? The crowded path? Yes. The heat and humidity? Again, yes. There was a bigger reason however. I found that when you are preoccupied with re-creating, you do not have the focus nor energy to create. I wanted this year to be identical to the wonderful experience last year. This was impossible of course. Different time. Different event. Different body. Lesson learned – be in the moment and create anew.

Armed with new insight, Sunday began in a different fashion. It would be the farthest we ever ventured out of the Shire. Our longest back-to-back training run was a 13/20 miler under ideal conditions. No clock. Starting time was whenever we decided. Ditto, the finishing time. Not today however. 3 am was the wake up call. 6 am was the start and 7 hours was the deadline.

The Marathon

The marathon was a dramatic contrast to the half. The road way was wide and the human barriers were absent. It was easy to get into a steady pace and this certainly was the case. Though Lisa was familiar with this particular entry way into Epcot, it was unique for me (I had a different one the 2 prior marathons). Emerging from the fog was the huge, metallic globe, complete with animated pictures of the world. Not even the fog could prevent the beautiful images of giraffes running across the African plains or the Olympians carrying the torch, from bursting through. The countries in Epcot danced with light and life. People of various ethnic backgrounds cheered enthusiastically for people who they never met. Such moments are a blessing – to feel the sensation of oneness with everyone. These are the gifts the marathon offers to its runners if they choose to accept them.

The spirited sprint through Epcot is soon followed by one of 3 major connecting roads. This one is a 5 mile gap to Magic Kingdom. These are the demanding sections. They test the body and toy with the emotions. They make you aware. . . aware of the circumstances both externally and especially internally. They also produce a temporary schizophrenia. It is where a normal person becomes Gollum, but instead of the Ring, it is the Miles. The logical part is cognizant of the long hours of training. It is also aware that others have completed this and much, much longer runs. The Western States 100. Badwater (135 miles through Death Valley). Run Across America. Another part Feels. It feels the soreness, the tightness, the heat, the strain and is aware there are some 20 more miles of this. Another choice point, one that reflects more than this race. It is a reflection of how I want to live my life. If I fail, I can throw it on the heap with the thousands of others accumulated over 4+ decades. That is fine for over time, failures are eventually reframed into powerful learnings. If I quit. . . . Some sentences are better off unfinished. Again, onward and upward.

Magic Kingdom is the next major stop. I have always loved running through the parks. They are a visual treat and along with the crowd, somehow serve as a source of energy and rejuvenation. The characters always bring with them the side-effect of a huge, long lasting smile. The endorphins are in high gear and Animal Kingdom is the next goal. Along this next stretch, another of the many marathon gifts is presented. A platoon from the army is standing along the wayside, wildly cheering on the runners. They epitomize what is good and honorable in America and in humans as a whole. Here are men and women who voluntarily put their lives on the line but are now standing in blazing heat and humidity and providing encouragement for people who are simply running. It is both a humbling and rewarding experience. After all, how often do you get to shake hands with heroes?

We have covered 15 miles and the more Mother Nature turns up the heat, the more participants fall by the waysides. Runners are now dropping like sawdust from wood being cut with one of Home Depot’s finest. Typically about 1/3 of the participants do not finish for a variety of reasons. Heat exhaustion is the reason du jour.

Talk about a welcoming committee for Animal Kingdom! A sheep, goat, snake, lizard and angry looking turtle are the official Greeters this morning. Quite frankly, they seem to be more interested in the shade and the water. Who could blame them at this point?!

At Animal Kingdom, Lisa and I take turns pulling each other through difficult stretches. We are at the 18 mile mark and the 31-mile-in-2-day checkpoint. It is ironic that we are at Animal Kingdom at this point as the primal emotions and deep energies start to emerge. I am reminded of an email from our friend and elite marathoner George which read in part, “I know you will dig down deeply on Sunday and find what it takes to get through this. To finish the race for those who cannot do what you are doing.” Some people have no idea the deep and powerful impact they have on others. This was one of those moments. Thank you George.

The last stretch is to MGM Studios and I affectionately refer to it as the Road o’ Death. It is unforgivingly hot and uneventfully bland. It is 4 miles of black top and nothingness, only to be taunted at the end by a steep incline of a ramp. I remember saying clearly, “I don’t think I can finish.” Normally, this translates to “Of course I can finish but I don’t want to do this any more” but today was different. I really do not think finishing is possible. It wasn’t a God and Elvis at the end of the tunnel of light scenario but about 2 clicks removed. I never felt that way in my life and have no desire to repeat it. Black spots flashed in front of my eyes and lightheadedness made speaking a test. On the bright side, I do believe I invented some type of new language as a temporary amnesia (or bottoming out of glucose) inhibited me from speaking English. Without Lisa’s help, my day would have ended at mile 21. Period. End of run. As mentioned above, the marathon gives you many gifts. This one I get to take home.

In spite of my worst efforts, a red carpet pointed the way into MGM. The building provided some shade and the wonderful volunteers provided liquid and candies. The latter had been off my eating list since training began in June but were nothing short of ambrosia now. In no time, I had my wits, if not my legs.

Speaking of no time, we were pushing the time limit which evoked a most strange, unpredicted emotion – anger. I found myself unexplainably angry. “We may not make it on time” somewhere along the path morphed into “They are not going to give us our medals. After all of this training. All of these miles yesterday and today. NO MEDALS!” It sounds rather foolish in retrospect, but that served as a great motivator to kick in into a higher gear. My friend Patrick, a former IBM computer whiz came to mind. We were working on a project once and could not correct an icon. He then smiled and said, “At IBM, they would say, ‘if you can’t fix it, feature it.’” So, anger was featured and became a raw source of relentless determination. After all those months, all of that training, all of these miles, WE WILL FINISH! (This was the edited version. We are doing a Disney family event after all.:))

MGM was at our backs. Epcot was in our sites and the Boardwalk was under our feet. Running become more like shuffling, but the direction was forward. The clock was ticking and so were we.

We reached the last of the 21 water stops which we “converted” into shower stops, pouring cups and cups of cool water over our heads. Our bodies lost 6-7 pounds of fluid but our sneakers were the unwanted recipients. Why not.. . . Lead legs. Lead feet. Matching sets.

Despite ourselves and the elements, we saw the most beautiful words in the runner’s dictionary only a few yards away — F I N I S H L I N E. A long journey had come to a conclusion. A few hours back, it could not have come soon enough. Now that we were here, it passed too quickly. Funny how that works.

Conclusion

This was without a doubt, the most difficult and demanding event I have ever participated in. When the ‘05 and ‘06 marathons were completed, I was on Cloud 9, having just conquered my version of Mt. Everest. Today, I was humbled and introspective at what occurred.

For those who have completed such an event, no words are necessary. For those who have never started such as event, no words can describe this.

Despite the challenges presented by such events, the lessons I learn from these make them invaluable. They are therapy. They are religion. Some people meditate for years to experience this. Some walk on fire. Others go to counseling or go from event to event in search of what already exists inside. This weekend, I went 39.3 miles to find it. Now the next challenge is even greater – the application of these lessons. This makes the 39 miles seem like a walk in the park.

A relative emailed me and after hearing about the event and my participation in it, said: “You’re crazy. You will feel so much pain if you finish and knowing you, you’ll feel worse if you don’t finish.”

This weekend, I received more gifts than any child at Christmas time ever has. I witnessed courage. A blind woman completed the Goofy Challenge as did an 81 year old.

I witness beautiful acts of kindness. Volunteers standing for hours passing out water and cool sponges. People spraying water over others in an attempt to stay cool, even though they knew they would not have enough for themselves.

I witnessed nature. Magnificent trees, song birds and those angry looking turtles.

Humor was another of the gifts. “If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you!”

I received the wonderful gift of opportunity – the opportunity to give assistance to others. The opportunity to let others help me. The opportunity to have my mind tell my body what I wanted it to do.

I received the gift of awareness, particularly of perceived limitations. I did not think I could do this but did. What other areas have I sold myself short? Or sold others short?

The gift of appreciation was another special one. While other runners ran with prosthetic limbs or with signs saying, “This year I am counting miles. Last year it was chemo treatments.” I appreciated the exhaustion and soreness that comes from covering miles in a strong, healthy body.

Pain? The only pain I would have experienced is the pain felt if I did not participate.

That one would have hurt.

–David