Waiting for the Half Marathon start

Good news! I really didn't have to worry about over-sleeping. I wake up so pleased with my internal clock- it's 2:45 a.m. Perfect! Then I blink a few times and see the 1 in front of the 2. Great, it's just after midnight. I've been asleep maybe two hours. I doze on and off for the next hour. I spend my waking moments staring at the glowing lights in the room- thermostat, smoke detector, and my favorite, powerstrip under the desk. I give up at 2:30 a.m. and take a shower. Could my eyes be more bloodshot?! The first bus is at 3:00- maybe I can nap in the parking lot.

I get dressed, put on all my accessories (Garmin watch, iPod holder, stupid water belt thingy, etc). I add my "throw away" sweats in case it's cold outside. I grab my plastic "post-half" bag, my water belt, my extra bottle of water, the towel I'm going to sit on, and a sandwich. Why yes, I do travel light.

I go downstairs to the lobby. The only people I see are by a bus outside. I guess that must be for us and hop on. The driver takes maybe 8 of us straight to the parking lot. We get off the bus, and walk pretty much forever to get to the staging area. It's basically empty. Trying to adjust to actually being early to something in my life, I wander over to the concessions stand. I grab a Diet Coke. I have to say, as people start arriving, I notice that not many other people found it appropriate to drink a Diet Coke at 4 a.m. Alright, actually no one else is drinking a Diet Coke. Did I mention I'm drinking my Diet Coke in front of a big screen TV thing and there is a DJ playing Duran Duran, Van Halen and Aha videos? No napping in this parking lot, just vague memories of junior high.

I'm getting a little anxious now. I'm annoyed that I have all this stuff with me, and people are starting to gather in little groups. Keeping with the junior high feel, there are people sitting in circles. Very lunchroom. I wander through the baggage check-in area, and find a whole other section, blissfully less loud than the 80s revival in the front. And look! There in day glow yellow is my WISH team! So, I get to join a circle too- I feel much more secure. We all chat a bit and I drop off my bag. I feel a bit silly in my sweats, but at least the asphalt isn't bothering me. I eventually drift off from the WISHers to go into a portapotty line. When I return, I realize that my corral is heading out. I join the herd. They put you in corrals based on your estimated finishing time. I go find Corral C and sit down again. Man, I can't find any WISHers! Oh well, I kill some time dumping my sweats and towel in the big box that Disney gives to charity. Then I wait some more.

Oh, and some flamingos provide some distraction, as you might imagine.



Mickey, Minnie and Donald come out (I can see them on the screens, not in real life). Someone sings the National Anthem, the fireworks go off, and we're running. OK, walking slowly towards the Start sign...