Toughness is a hard word to really define. There are so many variables that can be used to define a person as tough or not. My father was one of the toughest people I ever met. If he was alive today, it would take him about 3 minutes to pin a Grizzly bear. Why 3 minutes? Well, he would have been 82 so I will cut him some slack.

Lisa has a different kind of toughness. If we were to use the same parameter, it may not show up quite like my Dad. If she was in an ultimate fighting championship with say, a chipmunk, though I love her dearly, my money is on the fuzzy little rodent. However, there are many more important aspects to toughness. Ones that impact life to a significant degree. In these aspects, she is a master. Today at the Minnie Mouse weekend 15K, Lisa proved it yet again.

To complete the distance was not that difficult for Lisa. To do it as well as she would like . . .that is where one of the challenges would come into play. Also it would mark a return to a section where her Dad last saw her race. Internal struggles can be the toughest battles of all. Today would be a big one.

We arrived at around 5:30am in the Animal Kingdom parking lot where the Third Annual Minnie Mouse 15K would begin. 67 degrees with modest humidity was a warm welcome, so to speak. Lisa was unusually quiet on the ride here but you could almost hear her thinking. And wondering. And worrying. Probably a dozen other things as well.

As a spectator, it is an interesting vantage point to see the reactions of the 3000 runners. A mixture of nerves and excitement filled the air like raindrops during a thunderstorm. Last minute checks included filling up water bottles, checking the ChampionChip and making sure the Cliff Shots were secure. Then the moment of truth. Fireworks accompanied the countdown and the race is off. I caught a glimpse of Lisa about 100 yards from the start, looking all chipper and happy. It would be a “long short”day; that is, a medium distance of 9.3 miles but a lot of personal obstacles along the way.

For me, it was jump in the car and drive off to Epcot to wait. And wait and wait. Unfortunately, there are no viewing areas along the route other than start and finish. I stood just outside the entrance of Epcot in the shadow of Spaceship Earth or as the locals call it, The Ball with a 3 month old Chocolate Laborador using my Asics as a chew toy.

Disney truly is a magnificent place. Yes, one can find a thousand and one things wrong with it — it is expensive, the lines are long, they could be better at XYZ etc., but at the end of the day, it is the most inspiring, lively, upbeat place around. We both love it and are extremely grateful that we have access to it 365 days a year. I could not even begin to count the number of memorable experiences we have had here over the years. Walt was truly a special soul.

I also thought about Lisa’s Dad. He too was a huge Disney fan and undoubtedly would have been beyond proud to have seen his daughter doing this race. Ironically, one of the most enjoyable memories was of Lisa’s parents at mile 21, playing part crew and part saints by brining us supplies at our first marathon together. This experience was one of the sources of inspiration for him to run. Had his final chapter in life taken a different turn, we most likely would have been returning the favor at the Disney Half marathon by crewing him. After that experience, he may juuuuuust have then taken the plunge and gone for the full. These are the beautiful memories the Disney races inspire, even if they are fantasy.

Lisa set a 1 hour, 50 minute time goal and this would be challenging. But toughness is something she has embraced, chipmunk fighting notwithstanding. If I thought of her Dad, I was sure her thoughts would be even more powerful, more emotional. 1:50 would be maybe too. . . before I could finish the sentence, a soaked but smiling Hobbit sized runner with big green eyes came bounding up the hill. She had the look of a strong determined runner, one who covered a lot more than just 9.3 miles. The finish line was still 50 yards away but that distance was covered in a hurry.

The clock read 1:45.

PR achieved. Mission accomplished!

I never saw toughness look so good.