After

I walked of my own accord into the family reunion area and was greeted immediately by Robin and Jill. I started pumping my fists in the air like a maniac when I saw them. This was perhaps the finest few minutes I've spent wearing running shoes. We were joined by my parents and sister.

I do this every year for a variety of reasons, most of them selfish. I feel self-conscious about my loved ones making a weekend of this event. I'm out a 3:30 am to get to the line and they are out at 6:00 am to get the shuttle for a good place along the fence near the finish line. They stand there for hours waiting to see (or possibly not see) me cross the line.

They tell me how great I did after my 3:28 and my 4:18. I've come to understand that this weekend in January every year is as much about our family as it is about 26.2 miles of running as fast as I can.

They gathered all my free post race bootyjunk and we rode the bus together back home. I did not see any of my buds at the post race area but heard later that all were finished and accounted for. We raided the ice machine in teams until the shallow little bathtub was sufficiently filled to the gills and I slipped in for a few very painful and necessary minutes.

We all went out for lunch as did my adrenaline high. I'm fading in the parking lot as we said our goodbyes and my family heads home. I'm nauseated for the rest of the day. Back at the hotel I lay in bed like a slug, unable to sleep deeply but unwilling to get up.

In the evening we get a bright idea to take the shuttle to Downtown Disney and spend the remainder of the evening walking about aimlessly for miles, up and down umpteen flights of stairs and finally choke down quite possibly the worst food ever purchased at a major theme park (Planet HollowWood).

No matter, Robin and I laugh our way through the cacophony and bone dry chicken and have a great time together as usual.

I'm spry in the morning for a change. We make it home in record time and make up for the lousy dinner with a fantastic lunch of she-crab soup and cracked conch at one of our favorite beach places.

I did one last running related thing when I got home that afternoon.

I registered for the Disney marathon 2009.