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|week 9| marching on + back to nature

wdw marathon weekend: expo

January 16, 2015      11 Comments

I woke up before the alarm on Saturday morning. I know Mr PugRunner would have enjoyed sleeping in but I was anxious to be on the road. I wasn’t sure what the crowds at the expo were going to be like, and I knew I would feel better if I could just collect my packet, get checked into the Dolphin, have a leisurely dinner and relax.

Relaxing isn’t really my thing, but I was going to try.

We grabbed bagels and coffee on the road and began our southward trek, rolling into the Wide World of Sports at around 10:30.

Kristin and Mr AMOTR were already there and established and we planned to meet them at the Expo, then go to lunch and return to WWOS to meet up with the rest of our friends.

Packet pickup was remarkably smooth. In fact, the building where runners would collect their bibs and race handbooks was almost empty, probably based on the fact that people had been picking up over the past few days. No complaints, here.

I even managed to get a complimentary souvenir finish line picture.

There were a few vendors set up near the bib pickup, but we had to go across the way to the Josten’s Center for my shirt and to experience some of the shopping.

The whole thing was pretty overwhelming. I was very lucky that Andrea had picked up an official “I Did It!” shirt and 26.2 car magnet for me on Wednesday, because both were sold out in the runDisney merchandise area, and those were pretty much the only things I wanted. I also ordered a photo package from Marathonfoto.

It was fun to wander the booths with everyone, and I scoped out some things I might want to order in the future.

For lunch, we went to House of Blues in Downtown Disney. I usually enjoy a burger as my lunch before a big race, and today was no exception. I wasn’t really that hungry, especially after a piece of their delicious jalepeno cornbread, so I skipped the bun and the fries.

Back at the expo, we met up with A and M, who had just arrived. They decided they wanted to check out Taken 3, but I really wanted to pop back inside and see if I could grab a photo with Sean Astin, who was running the Dopey Challenge. I happened to see him walk into the Expo building, and hoped that I could sneak a quick minute before he started his speech. After all, I had two pieces of music from the Rudy soundtrack on my marathon playlist – if I could meet the man himself, that would be pretty much epic.

I was lucky! He was doing great, after having run a 5K, a 10K and a half marathon in three days, with the marathon to come. He was also extremely gracious and friendly, even though he must have been exhausted.

At that point, I wanted to check in, organize and rest before dinner. We were staying at the Walt Disney World Dolphin, one of my favorite hotels.

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We had a nice quiet room and we were able to relax for a bit. I had everything I needed for the next day, so really, all there was to do was eat and sleep.

Dinner was scheduled at Giordano’s. When we arrived, the pizza oven was broken (oh, the horror!) but by the time the rest of our 11-member party was seated and we got our drinks, things were up and running again. Mr PugRunner, A and I split a pepperoni deep dish, and it was quite delicious. Once again, my appetite failed me. I couldn’t really do more than one slice, even though I probably should have tried for some more.

We were out a bit later than I planned (so worth it to spend time laughing and chatting with such great company), so we went back to the hotel to try to get some sleep. The plan was to meet in the lobby at 3:50AM so we could drive over to the marathon staging area in plenty of time to get gear checked and make the trek to our corrals. Absurdly early, but what could we do?

I did a last double check of my stuff and turned in.

Sunday was going to be a big day.

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Comments

  1. Karen Loves to Run (@karenlovestorun) says

    January 16, 2015 at 11:39 am

    I had a great time at the expo, too. Packet pickup was smooth and it wasn’t very crowded. I wonder what it was like on Wednesday?! I love the Dolphin too 🙂
    Karen @karenlovestorun
    Karen Loves to Run (@karenlovestorun) recently posted…Friday Five 1/16: 5 Winter Running Must-HavesMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 16, 2015 at 12:55 pm

      I have a feeling it was bedlam. Then again, maybe because the New NB shoes weren’t quite the hit everyone thought they would be, things were a little more calm. I’m not a shopper by nature, so I don’t really go gaga over all the merchandise. Most of the stuff I can get elsewhere after the fact, and the LE stuff… if I get something, great. If not, that’s ok too.

      Reply
  2. Amy @ Mama Running for God says

    January 16, 2015 at 2:39 pm

    I always wake up early and anxious for a big race, and I don’t sleep well the night before! And I’ve only run 5Ks and one 10K. I cannot imagine the mess I’d be running Disney! Glad you had a good time and that you were able to get a tshirt and sticker!
    Amy @ Mama Running for God recently posted…4 miles in the books & Got my glasses back!!My Profile

    Reply
  3. She Is Out Running says

    January 16, 2015 at 2:40 pm

    Sam Gamgee!!!! That’s so cool!!! He looks so chill in that picture. Looking forward to your race report.

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 16, 2015 at 3:00 pm

      It’s so funny how everyone sees him differently. I’m not a big LOTR fan, so for me, he is Rudy or Mikey. Mostly Rudy. I think the poor guy was just exhausted.

      Reply
  4. Stacie Seidman says

    January 16, 2015 at 3:38 pm

    ahhhh! Cliffhanger! Can’t wait to read the rest!
    I had a few friends that ran the Goofy Challenge (the half and full). I can’t even imagine that, let alone the Dopey challenge!
    Stacie Seidman recently posted…Thursdays Threads: Shades of Gray (but only like 5, not 50)My Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 18, 2015 at 7:45 pm

      I am all about a good cliffhanger! Stay tuned… 😉

      Reply
  5. Anne @ CandyCrazedrun.com says

    January 17, 2015 at 12:41 am

    That is so cool that you ha so many friends running, how awesome is that!?!?

    I am crazy jealous that you met Sean Astin! I am a MAJOR LOTR nerd and might have died before the race even started haha!

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 18, 2015 at 7:45 pm

      Darn cool! We had so much fun!

      LOL! He is at a lot of the runDisney races, and very approachable!

      Reply
  6. Matilda says

    January 20, 2015 at 9:39 am

    Mikey! I love the goonies. Nice work on getting a photo with Sean.
    And I like your forward thinking of getting a friend to get your shirt. That’s the first thing I did when I did my last Tough Mudder, cause when I went to get one in Melb they had sold out on all the ones I liked.
    Matilda recently posted…Fitspiration Series – Finding CarolMy Profile

    Reply
    • runswithpugs says

      January 20, 2015 at 12:37 pm

      Everyone loves the Goonies! He was great!

      I am all about the preplanning for stuff like that. Mr PugRunner thinks I’m crazy, but hey. I got what I wanted 🙂

      Reply

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Welcome to Runs With Pugs. My name is Jenn and this is the story of my love affair with running and finding myself through fitness. From C25K to marathon, from triathlon to SUP, from broken leg to the recovery journey... I'm sharing it all. I'm a wife and mother of one, living in NE Florida, in love with travel, adventure, and food. Oh. We have pugs and a hedgehog, too. Thank you for joining us! We're glad to have you along for the ride!
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