I kept a small journal of my trip to Disney World to run my first marathon. It's a bit long so be warned.
Here's what I wrote:

Friday January 5, 2007
I got all the stuff packed in the van and loaded everyone up to go. Shelby and Micah were staying at Virginia's house so that was our first stop. Then we drove to JM's work so I could wait for PawPaw to pick me up and take me to Birmingham, where my flight leaves from. Blake,Brooks, and Tyler rode with us. JM had to work or he would have brought me. My flight left at 3:05. We got there around 2:00. I kissed all the kids good-bye and went thru security. I had no trouble getting thru other than having to throw out the bottle of water I had just paid $2.00 for. The flight was a little bumpy, to say the least. But I survived, got my bags and met my cousin Kaci, my aunt Diane, and cousin Erin outside. It was so great to see them! I haven't seen them in 2 years! Everyone looked great as they always have. We headed straight to the mall so my Erin could pick out an outfit for a modeling thing she was doing the next day. I think we spent the next 2 hours looking for something. While we were there my other cousin Kelli met us there. After Erin found "the perfect outfit" we finally got something to eat. We all had a great time at dinner, laughing our heads off and talking about everything. The mall was closing so we left, said goodbye to Kelli, brought Diane and Erin to their hotel and then Kaci and I headed to her house. By then it was almost 11:00. I called JM and talked to him and the kids for little bit. Shelby sounded like she was about to cry when I talked to her. It's now 12:30,and I'm in bed watching CABLE. I know I should be going to be sleep b/c we are running in the morning and have a busy day planned, but it's not everyday that I get to watch cable tv!

Saturday January 6, 2007
Kaci and I got up this morning and went for a 3 mile run around 8:00. It was already very humid out. By the time we got done running, we both were dripping with sweat. I went in to take a cold shower. That didn't help. I was still sweating. So much so that I had to take a cold bath. After about 45 minutes, I was able to finally stop sweating enought to put my makeup on without it melting off my face. Oh, before we went out to run, I finally got to meet Kaci's little boy Preston, who's 21 months. He is such a cutie but when he first saw me he screamed and hung onto Kaci. I don't know if he thought I was a babysitter or what but after a while he got used to the idea of me being around. Now whenever he sees me he points and yells "BOO!" 'cause that's what I say to him. He's so sweet.
After I finally got myself ready, we went to Winter Park so Kaci could show me where she runs with her group, and at all the amazingly beautiful houses there. We also did a little window shopping and then met Kelli for lunch at a cute little deli. When we were done, we headed to Disney to pick up our race packets at the Expo. We got our race numbers, and chips, and then walked around to look at all the race stuff. I needed a shirt to wear for the race b/c I only brought down long sleeved stuff. It's January so I thought the weather would be a little cooler but it's 85 today! Anyway, we both ended up buying a white tank top and some long distance running shorts. I also bought a shirt that says "Marathon Mom" and a sticker that goes on my suburban that says "26.2". By the time we got done at the Expo, it was around 4:00 so we went home, got some of our things ready for the big day tomorrow, and then got ready to go eat. We went to Perkins with Scott (Kaci's hubs) and Preston. We thought it would be best to carb-load on some pancakes so that's just what we did. We got back to the house and started getting everything ready for tomorrow. I got my clothes ready, and our bags packed. I called JM and talked to him for a while. He wishes he could be here with me just to cheer me on. I want him here too but I know he would be bored out of his mind with all this running and girl stuff that's going on. I'm in bed again (even thought it's only 9:30) and I know I'm going to toss and turn all night. We have to be up at 2:30 and have to leave the house no later than 3:00. They start closing the roads down at 3:30 so we need to make sure we are in the parking lot in time. I think we are going to try and sleep some in the car b/c the actual race doesn't start until 6:00!! Insaine. I know.

Sunday January 7, 2007
I DID IT !!!!!! I made it 26.2 miles and I'm still standing! That was the hardest thing I have ever done. Not physically. MENTALLY. The race itself was pretty good. But boy was it HOT! It was 87 with lots of humidity. We were sweating at the start of the race, before the sun was even up. We started out running with 2 other girls from Kaci's running group but one of them was having severe stomach cramps and finally had to walk at around mile 6. They told us to go on so we did. I struggled from mile 19 until 24. It was down a lone streatch of of highway, with no shade what so ever. Pure misery. Everyone around me was walking so I just gave in and walked more and more. Kaci kept trying to keep me going but just wanted to walk. I also started to feel like I was going to throw up but it could have been my head playing tricks on me. I finally told Kaci to just go on and I would meet her at the finish line. That was around mile 24. After she took off, I realized what I had done. I snapped out of my mentalness and took off. I never did catch her but I only finished 7 minutes behind her. I crossed the finish line and there was Kcai, waiting for me. We got some water and our medals, then went to get our hands on some food. I was a bit disappoined in the choices we had. Other races I've been in have offered a huge spread from pizza, cookies, donuts, fruit, even beer. The only choices we had were banans, oranges, and muffins. A little disappointing when you are starving! We met up with Kelli, Scott and Preston in the parking lot, streatched, I called my husband, and then headed to the car.

Kaci and I then headed to Diane's hotel room ( she's staying on disney property) so we could shower and then go eat with them. We drove around for 45 minutes looking for her hotel. The roads all look the same and some of them were still blocked off from the race. We finall got there, showered and then left for Bahama Breeze for get some yummy margaritias. I'm not much of a drinker but I felt I deserved that one! By the time our food arrived, exhaustion had set in. I got too tired to even chew my food. I was still very hungary, but sooooo tired. Looking back, the margaritias might of had something to do with my sleepiness. Kaci was tired to so we went back to the house and took a nap. I slept from 5-7 and then woke up hungary and very sore. I talked to my mother in law and JM and the kids. Everyone is so proud of me. I'm proud of me, too! Now I'm back in bed, hoping that I can walk in the morning!

Monday January 8, 2007
I think I was looking forward to this day more that I was the marathon itself. And for good reason! This was the most wonderful day ever! Kaci had booked us full body massages and a foot treatment at the Ritz-Carlton. All I can say is that I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. I felt like royalty. It was like everying thing you would see in a movie, only I was actually there! Fancy robes and slippers too! We had the foot treatment first and that was amazing but then I got the massage and OH. MY. GOODNESS. Words cannot express how wonderful that was. It was a little uncomfortable when she was working all the soreness out of my muscles but it was a good feeling. We also got to sit in the hot tub, sauna, and steam room. The steam room seemed ot really help loosen up our muscles. We also got to swim OUTSIDE b/c the weather was so nice. It was sorta weird, laying out in the dead of winter. I felt like I was in some other tropical country, not Orlando, Florida.
We finally had to leave our little tropical gettaway and come back to reality. We were both hungry and I had to get to the airport. We ate at a cool place called Sweet Tomatoes. It's a salad bar buffet. It was so yummy. I never thought I could get stuffed from salad. But I did and I wish there was a resturant like that in our area. I also stopped to get souviners for the kids. I bought myself some jeans and a pair of pj's while we were in T.J. Maxx using the bathroom. Kaci dropped me off at the airport at 5:00. My flight didn't leave until 7:30 but she said that getting thru security could take a while, better safe than sorry. I got thru pretty quick so I bought myself a starbuck's frappichino and sat down and read a book Kaci had given me called "The China Study". I am facinated by this book. It's definately going to have an impact on how and what we eat. The plane ride home was much better than before. JM and the kids picked me up. I was so glad to see them! I missed them so much! It was already almost 9:00 and everyone was hungry so we stopped at Pizza Hut for dinner. The kids all fought over who was going to sit by me. It was cute. I felt loved! I drove the rest of the way home (2.5 hours) b/c JM was tired.

Now we're home, the kids are in bed, and so is JM.
I'm heading there myself.