I’m Deb from Michigan, DebWDW and Mouseketeer #17. My first trip to WDW was five years after I got married. We were going to Florida (remember, we’d had five winters in Michigan) and decided to spend a few days at WDW. We had a good time, but I don’t think we fell in love with WDW on that trip. Our next trip was another five winters later. And I think the second dose of magic did the trick! After that trip, we started visiting once a year. I love the creativity, magic and escape from the real world – my husband loves the restaurants, thrill rides and the sun.
I discovered other Disney geeks when I found the All Ears newsletter, and then eventually Disney podcasts. I was an original listener of All About the Mouse and went to MouseFest 2007 to meet some fellow geeks. MouseFest itself was amazing – the camaraderie, the instant connections, the celebrities! It was there that I met Rae and Kate, Bryan and Jonathan, and a slew of other Disney fans. Meeting Rae and Kate, however, turned out to be a life-changing experience.
I’d known about the Disney marathon for some time, and had fleeting thoughts of doing the race. But I was not an athlete by any stretch of the imagination, so it was just a “some day” thought. When Rae and Kate suggested I train with Team Voice for the 2008 Half Marathon, my first thought was “no way.” But they really believed I could do it, and then I started thinking maybe I could do it, so I gulped and said “okay.”
In January 2008 I started training. My first run was .25 miles on the treadmill and it just about killed me. But I was part of Team Voice and had to keep going! I added.25 miles each week, and by Labor Day had managed two 12-mile runs, and finally, a 13-mile run. It was a slow 13 miles, but it was under the maximum time allowed by Disney, so I felt like maybe, just maybe, I could really finish the race!
The half marathon experience in January 2009 was amazing! I finished the race, and so did ALL of Team Voice. During my year of training, all of Team Voice was amazingly supportive, at times nagging, and ultimately the reason I accomplished this huge goal. And here’s why it was life-changing. When I started training, I really thought there was a good chance I would quit. You see, that’s what I had done for a long, long time – get interested in something, tackle it, and then quit. I had not really finished anything in a long time.
When I finished a year of training – and that was the real accomplishment – I realized I COULD set goals and finish them. You can’t imagine what a big deal that is for me. And that’s how Rae, Kate and Team Voice changed my life. And as part of Team Voice, I’ll keep moving forward, with friends and teammates beside me!
Thanks for sharing, Deb! I went through the same thing after the half in January. Once I got over the post-race trip let down I realized that this running thing isn't just a one year deal, it's so much more. The races will help me keep focused on the goal, but the continuing challenge of balancing life with training is the real goal and something to be proud of and celebrate very often.
ReplyDeleteTraining update for Sept. I'm at 33 miles for the first week and looking to beat my last months mileage output of 108.x Full marathon is only a month away now and I'm nervous, excited, but most of all....I feel like I'm almost ready. :-)
Well it's 'bout time! Thanks for sharing your story Deb. See ya in January.
ReplyDeleteaww Deb... I can't wait to see you in Jan. :)
ReplyDeleteDeb you are amazing! I know that you keep me motivated and are such an inspiration. It's going to be great meeting you in January!
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