Wine and Dine Half Recap 2014

Well. I did it. If you want the chilly, damp details read on..
It all started on a high note. Dinner was a light pasta dish added to the Harvest Bistro menu at the Hilton just for runners this weekend. Then as part of the Marathon Weekends program at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek, runners were sent off in grand style. Staff with signs and enthusiastic spirits greeted us with excitement on our way to the shuttle. Upbeat music played with a Marathon Weekends photo op and the nicest amenity of all was the snacks. Water, bananas, PowerBars. Anything a runner might need to fuel up. I’ll have more on this in a post about Marathon Weekends soon.

The Weather Channel said it would rain around the time the race started and carry on through the wee hours of the morning. They were right. Waiting in corral H I started to feel the drizzle but then I hit the lotto. A nice lady by me had trash bags to share, it became a life-saving poncho/jacket, and a nice guy had plastic baggies which allowed me to use my phone. I brought a small Disney bag to put it in but that would have taken away the functionality. When it was time for take off I was dry and looking forward to warming up when I started moving. The first mile or so was fun. I ran with friends and had lots of energy. Then the rain started to weigh me down. Really. The light drizzle turned into enough water to drench you if you stayed in it long enough. Once I got to Animal Kingdom a few puddles did my shoes in for the night. They were soaked and heavy and I started to walk often and for longer periods than normal. So the rain really put a damper on things but it also made me accomplish my goal. I wanted to take my time and enjoy the race and I was forced to. It was great! I hated being cold and wet but made the best of it and really enjoyed meeting the characters. Buzz and Woody and Darth Vader and Boba Fett together were such a treat! The lines were shorter than normal and moved quickly.

Running through Hollywood Studios was definitely the highlight for me. It felt like we spent so much time in the Park and I got to see all my favorite things. The green fountain, the hat and even backstage areas that I used to frequent as a Cast Member. Nothing trumped finishing though. I was so ready to be done after being cold and wet. It just got so uncomfortable. I was an hour slower than usual so it felt like the longest half ever.. because it was for me.

This beauty is mine. It’s actually one of my favorite medals. I have no more races in my line up at the moment. I’m thinking I might take a break from races but I would like to start a run streak and see how many days in a row I can run at least one mile. This is usually one of my favorite races! I highly recommend Wine and Dine, especially if you like running at night or want to have Food & Wine fun post race. Did you run this race? How did it go?

 

Disclosure: I was an invited guest of the Waldorf Astoria Orlando for the Marathon Weekends program to share my experience here on my blog.