I AM A MARATHONER & FINISHER!!!!

The title of this blog literally speaks for itself.  I am beyond humbled from this experience.  Nobody could of prepared me for what I experienced while running this Marathon.  I am going to keep this short because I could write probably 10 pages.  There will be video posted below from my experience and also a series of photos that show my entire journey.

The Beginning of Race:

I was in Corral "H" so we started 20 some minutes after the race because they went from A-T.  In the video you will see the start of my corral and the fireworks that went off.  I was stretching and anxious while waiting. I had thoughts going through my head constantly: "Can I really do this?"
 Mickey Mouse counted down and the fireworks went off and I started crying because it finally started, and I began to run.

The Race:

I had my NikePlus Running watch on and I constantly viewed my pace.  I knew I had to keep a 15 minute mile.  The Disney Race said you must maintain a 16 minute mile or you could be picked up from the course for going too slow.  I knew I had to stay in a certain range.  I played around with running and walking.  I knew I had to go slow because I had to remain strong until the end.  At the beginning of the race you have the most energy, so I know I had to look ahead until the end and remain calm and steady.

The volunteers at Disney were the BEST I have ever seen.  People are looking you directly in the eyes and high fiving you and encouraging you.  I honestly felt I had family members there cheering me on.  There were so many funny running signs that people made that had me laughing out loud.

The Race Route:  

We ran through all four of Walt Disney World Theme Parks and the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.  We ran through the Magic Kingdom, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Epcot.

They had surprises along the way.  They had characters throughout the park where you could take pictures with.  They had live entertainment along the sidelines.  We got to run on the baseball field at ESPN complex.  They had live animals that you could pet and hold along side the sidelines.  They made sure you stayed entertained through the entire 26.2 Miles

When It Got Hard:

I was feeling ok until I reached Mile 10 and sure enough my right knee started.  My husband taped my knee in advance because I hurt my right knee during my Marathon Training and sure enough it made it's ugly face present during Mile 10.  My knee was aggravated when running, so I had to speed walk more than run.  Thankfully the Lord above let me speed walk without feeling the intense knee pain.  My first thought was "oh well, at least I made it to Mile 10 before I threw in the towel."  I continued speaking to Jesus during this race.  I started confessing scripture out loud and reciting it over me as I continued.  I asked Jesus to give me the strength that he had when he had to walk and carry the cross to be crucified.  I told him I would do this for him and that when I am weak then he is his strongest.  I continued and was able to keep going.  My husband surprised me at a couple of stops during the race.  I saw him at Mile 8, Mile 13, and Mile 19.

Hitting The Wall:

People always talked about "the wall" and I was curious to know what that felt like.  I felt it at Mile 20.  Mentally my mind was like "Katy, 6.2 Miles left this is easy you got this, almost done!"  But my body had another idea.  The pain I was in was so extreme, I don't even have words for it.  My body physically could not run.  I could barely put one foot in front of the other.  I was stumbling and in so much pain.  I thought I broke my foot at one point because of the pain.  I could feel all the blisters all over my feet.  I knew for sure I lost 2 toenails.  Both of my knees were DONE!!  My hands were extremely swollen.  It was everything for me to keep continuing for the last 6.2 miles.  I did these last miles at a snail pace.  At Mile 25 I saw a double amputee and I began to start weeping.  It was so moving to see him doing this Marathon and it was so encouraging.  I then got a rush of adrenaline and said to myself "I am doing this for my children and for those who cannot run."  I was in Epcot and approaching the fnishline.  Keep in mind the Disney Parks are open at this point, so you have people that are there for Disney watching this whole thing.  I had people shouting my name and cheering me on.  Their cheers kept me going and  I continued to cry at this point because I was in so much pain and was so moved from this experience.  I crossed the finish line and did it !!!!!!

What I learned:

I learned how strong I am mentally!!! My mental is stronger than my physical!!! I learned it was God and him alone who got me through this race!!! It was Jesus himself!!!  I learned I can do ANYTHING and ALL things are possible with Jesus!!! I am 31 years old and a Mother of 2 and I can proudly say I am a Marathoner and a Finisher!!! I am a woman who couldn't run 1 mile that set a goal to do one 5k.  I did that 5k then set a goal to do a Half-Marathon.  I ran my entire Half-Marathon and finished with a time of 2 hours and 18 minutes.  I then set a goal to do a Marathon!!! I have officially smashed and conquered EVERY single one of my goals!!!!!

Here is my video below:
(The Expo Event, Morning of Race, Jamming out to music to pump myself up (this song is from my brother "See-Z" song called "Work.") The start of the race for my Corral, Running during race at Mile 8, After race, and me walking to the car.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KU9oN2X5fg&feature=youtu.be

Here is a photo collage from the entire weekend!!!
 (Song by my brother "See-Z" called Fire in My Soul.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZPck3-9oiQ&feature=youtu.be

My First Marathon is 2 Days Away..

My Marathon Is Rapidly Approaching!!

I am literally 2 days away from running my First Marathon!!  I am anxious and excited at the same time!!  It honestly is an adrenaline rush because I have no idea on how I am going to do for this race.  I had a training plan set up in advance that I was able to stick to for a month and a half.  The remaining 2 months have had so many complications and issues from: getting sick back to back, injured, diagnosed with vertigo, etc.  My longest run to date is 17miles, My goal was to run 22 Miles for my longest run, but 17 will have to do.  I have rested now and not run for a few weeks and this is because my right knee gets aggravated when doing long runs so my goal is to rest my muscles and joints as much as possible before the big race.  I want the freshest pair of legs for Sunday!! I debated back and forth whether or not to even attempt this race because I know I have not put in the proper training needed.  The athlete in me though would regret it if I didn’t at least attempt the Disney Marathon.  It would hurt me to see photos from the race that others posted because I would of known that I should have been there.  It is better to attempt the race and have zero regrets.  I want to enjoy and capture every single moment, and if I don’t finish it is ok because at least I followed through with it.  We leave for Orlando tomorrow 1/8/16 and we will be staying in a hotel for the weekend.  The expo event is at the ESPN Sports Complex in Orlando, and I am super excited to see all of the fun stuff they will have.  At this event I will pick up my race bib and race packet.  The plan for Saturday is to relax and take it easy at the hotel because Sunday Morning we will be waking up at 2:00am to get ready for the race because the Marathon starts at 5:30am.  I am excited that I will have my Polaroid Cube with me during this run so I will be doing photos and videos throughout the race.  I will make sure to write a detailed blog post on my experience (like I did for my Half-Marathon race)  If you want to read my experience for my Half- Marathon the blog post is listed here: 

http://katy-katyrose.blogspot.com/2014/11/my-first-half-marathon.html

My husband is amazing and has been my biggest supporter and my biggest fan!!! He has helped me in training by taking care of the kids so I could go workout and run.  I honestly couldn’t of done this without him.  My man will be by the sidelines doing updates and posts during the race.  I cannot wait to see him at the Finish Line!!!  I am so blessed to have him in my life and excited that I literally get to run to him!!!!

 I want to thank everyone that I follow on my Instagram account.  It is so inspiring to be able to see other men and women out there in the world living in different states, putting in some serious training.  It is always encouraging to see others putting in the work, and it always motivates me.  I also wanted to thank all of those that follow me on my fitness account on Instagram.  The support I receive is overwhelming and it helps me to know that there are people rooting for me and cheering me on.  I am grateful and appreciative for everything.

 This will be my last blog post before my race!! My next one will be after Sunday!!!

Not Settling..

Many times we get in a mind-set of thinking we don’t deserve better, and we end up settling for mediocre.  I am hoping this blog post encourages you because it is speaking to myself as well.  We only get one shot on earth here and we need to remember to keep that in mind.  When you truly grasp that you don’t get another shot, then you are more careful and calculated with making decisions, relationships, career choices, health decisions, your faith walk, etc.  Many people get in the mind-set “oh I will do it tomorrow, or next week.”  Remember, that you are NOT guaranteed tomorrow or next week.  We are to take each day at hand and work with one day at a time and not get ahead of ourselves.  If you are a born again believer then you know that you have a new identity IN Christ Jesus and that you are made brand new!!  By knowing this, it should empower you to learn your new identity in Christ Jesus and learn exactly who you are by reading his word.  What good is it be a brand new creation and not learn about what has been purchased for you?  We need to learn the tools that we have received and how we have favor that surrounds us like a shield.  We are not alone anymore and we can do ALL things through Christ Jesus because he WILL give us strength.  We cannot settle when we are followers of Christ Jesus.  We are to be a light in a dark world, and share the love of Jesus with others.  We are to not be bitter and not gossip about others. We need to set an example at our job place, in our homes, and when nobody is watching.   As you are aware it is a brand new year and you can start making healthy changes RIGHT NOW!!!  Make a list and find out what is important to you and decide on what you truly want out of life.  DO NOT SETTLE!! Dream BIG, Pray BIG, and Believe BIG!!!  With God ALL things are possible and he can do anything!!  It pleases God when we put our faith and trust IN him.  We are to march forward and be godly and this should be modeled in our behavior and how we speak.  It is easy to say one thing with our mouth and have our actions show otherwise.  Start small, and then get to the bigger things.  I know when I read the word of God I find myself getting convicted on certain issues and realize I need to work on different areas on myself. This is an amazing gift!! It is a gift to receive revelation from the Lord Almighty when reading his word.  I have heard many say that they never hear God speaking to them, and my question is:  “How often are you in his word?”  God WILL speak to you through his word and he will be gentle when speaking.  We are to be people of God and know that we are different from the “world.”  Our values and morals should be the total opposite of the world.  Do not bad mouth others.  Love covers a multitude of sins, and we are to forgive because while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us and forgives us from our sins.  I want to encourage you to NOT settle!!! The bible says if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, then we can speak to mountains and they will be cast into the sea.  Start having faith in small things, read his word, and see the power of God Almighty!!!

God Bless,

KatyRose