Show me Sunday- Laurel and Goofy 2014

Ok, here’s my Show Me Sunday!!

Hi! My name is Laurel and I blog at From Pennies to Yennies (www.penniestoyennies.com). I was beyond thrilled when Ashley asked me to write a guest post for Show Me Ashley because we have a lot of the same hopes, dreams and goals when it comes to running and wellness!

For today’s Show Me Sunday I wanted to show you all how I dreamed big- with my experience at Run Disney’s Goofy Challenge. For those unfamiliar, Goofy’s Race & a Half Challenge is a 39.3 mile run spread over two days- a half marathon Saturday morning and a full marathon the next day. I began running in January of 2012, and had reached half marathon distance by June. Looking for a new challenge, I decided Goofy was it! I signed up for the 2013 Goofy Challenge, which was 6 months from then.

I got overconfident though. I had some vacations planned, had some issues with finding good running shoes I was compatible with, and before I knew it the holidays were here. I was really slacking off with my training. I was still confident I’d be ok though… but before I knew it, it was January! I had no game plan, and without even realizing it, just after passing the 13 mile mark of the marathon, I saw the sweep bus parked across the race course. I cried and cried. I felt so defeated. I wanted to blame everything around me. Disney. The awful heat. My ankle pains. But I knew deep down, it was completely my fault.

I was upset about my experience for a long time. Months, even. I didn’t want anyone to know, and I never talked about it. By May 2013, I was back on track, running regularly and feeling better. After a talk with my husband we decided to sign up for Goofy 2014. I knew I couldn’t fail again. I don’t think anyone really knew how badly I wanted to cross that finish line. I downloaded a training plan. I signed up for a marathon relay and other distance events. Of course there were times I got off-track a bit, but I always bounced right back. And most importantly, I never missed any of my back to back distance runs.

Two weeks ago I landed in Orlando with a tickle in my throat. I was getting sick! It all felt so unfair. I was trained. I was prepared this time. But by Saturday morning I felt like garbage. I knew the half would be no problem so I went for it. I felt yucky but I finished and went back to my room to rest. All day though, I fretted about the marathon the next day. Am I well enough to finish? Should I try if I’m just going to get swept again? It was agonizing!

By Sunday morning I figured I had to at least try. By the time I got to mile 13, I knew I had it. I knew I was going to finish. I still felt absolutely awful, but I knew it was my training that was carrying me through. All those hours of running laps in the park were being put to use. I was doing it! And eventually, I crossed that finish line. I can’t even describe to you what it felt like.

Tears filled my eyes but this time, I promise, they were happy tears. I collected my marathon medal and my coveted Goofy medal. I got my picture taken and met with my husband who had finished before me. My body hurt. My head felt stuffed up. But I still had this feeling that felt so incredibly good, I didn’t know I could be so happy.

The moral of the story? I definitely won’t say I’m glad I got swept in 2013. There was nothing good about that at all! But I learned SO much from that experience. It made finishing this year so incredibly unforgettable. You have to work for something if you want it. From the time I first signed up for Goofy Challenge June 2012, to receiving my medals January 2014, I learned that goals don’t happen over night. Completing Goofy Challenge has given me more strength than you can possibly imagine. It started as a dream nearly 2 years ago. My dream just came true. What do I do now? Keep dreaming! I’m not sure what my next goal will be for myself. But I’m going to continue to dream big!