Trip Report - Day VI

So I'm taking Deb's suggestion to heart. I'm going to Pooh or get off the Hunny Pot. (okay - an image nobody needed, right? LOL)

Let's face it, I've been a LITTLE lazy lately - and of course, I feel I've earned it. But yesterday I found myself feeling my pants a little tight. And I stood, very Scarlett O'Hara, and said to myself "As God is my witness, I will NOT go back to who I was." 

So I've already been to the gym this morning, and tomorrow I'm doing Team Voice's 3 mile challenge! Time to get BACK on that horse! Besides - June 27th (the RnR Half Marathon) is NOT that far away. And I have to have time to raise more money. :) And with the Team behind me - I'm SO ready for this! Let's kick it up a notch! BAM! (Sorry Emeril)

And after the trip reporting is done, the blog will go back to it's normal format - inspirational, motivational tales of my trials, tribulations, and successes! Fear not!

Day Six began with a great breakfast at Chef Mickey's - and I even got Donald to SIGN my Half Marathon Lanyard! Talk about something that'll make a great display! A duck signature on my lanyard with the medal! AWESOME!

This day was all about the Studios. We hurried to Toy Story Midway Mania, having never ridden the WDW version before. We grabbed fastpasses, and then hopped in the 15 minute standby line. Wow - what a queue! Have lots of pictures, but this one is my favorite. Amber REALLY wanted to tip the dominoes!

And despite THREE matches over the course of our trip. She beat me TWO out of THREE - our last game - by a mere 300 points. CHEATING I tell you!
I love the Animation Courtyard. And this picture here is a painting I would buy in a heartbeat if I had the cash. And a place to put it. I just LOVE this message. Don't you?
We had a nice lunch at Sci-Fi Dine in, and headed to Sunset Boulevard, where we did Tower, Coaster, and even found the REALLY REALLY REAL stitch! Causing trouble as always. That tower, is SCARY. :) 
Dinner at the 50s Prime Time, a few rides on the Great Movie Ride (subject of NEXT WEEK'S AATM) Star Tours, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Animation Academy, and LOTS of shopping. Yup - we stayed all day. Even until after dark....
And here's the REALLY talented thing.

We did it all while managing NOT to see the HSM Pep Rally! :)

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

Trip Report - Day V

Greetings friends! Just checking in before I get to Day five of the trip report.

I've gotten a lot of interest in those DVDs - you guys realize that they're just our vacation photos set to some music with some interesting subtitles? Sure, I'll include some stuff about my journey, but it's not a video. It's a slideshow. Still - I'm happy to send them out, as long as everyone who's picture I've taken doesn't mind. Do you? :)

And do you think perhaps a $20 dollar donation is too much? We could make it a gift with donation, like PBS. Sadly, I have no tote bags. :)

This week has gone okay - getting food in order and have been to the gym. Not perfect, but it's getting there. The goal is to start February strong with 6 days a week at the gym, and really push myself to lose some extra pounds before really training for RnR. 

Day five begins...and let me say - I have LOTS more pictures from Day five - but Blogger will only let me post five. You'll see the rest as the year goes on, and of course, on the DVD. :)

Breakfast was quick at the Contempo Cafe, and let me say - a really nice quick service place. Food was good, fast, and easy. Hopped a bus, and off to the Animal Kingdom we went.

At this point, I was having some real pain in my left foot, so we'd wrapped it. But I was still a few steps slower than I wanted to be. Still, we'd never done the Pangani Forest Trail, so we grabbed fastpasses for the Safari and headed to the trail. REALLY cool stuff. I mean - where else do you see a gorilla with a blankie? And he just grabbed it off a tree where he'd hung it and swooped it onto his back. AWESOME.

The safari was good, and even though I couldn't get a picture of it - I SAW the baby giraffe in the distance. Yup - he saw me and RAN the other way!

Then we headed towards Asia. The Maharajah Jungle Trek was next. Another WONDERFUL trail. Great pictures of tigers (coming in a future post) and they were...you know - RIGHT there. I mean...wow. Talk about a powerful cat. No offense Sam.

And then we decided to try out Flights of Wonder. 

Folks - this is a fantastic show. Filled with humor, amazing birds, and frankly - such a beautiful symbol of our country, it made both of us tear up a bit.

Now we headed BACK to the safari, grabbed another fast pass, and it was time for lunch. The Yak and Yeti had a wonderful atmosphere, and a nice asian flair for lunch. I highly recommend it as a lunch option.

Back to the Safari, and guess what I saw?
Yup - my very own giraffe! Eating no less. He must not have seen me! (In fact, every giraffe sign or picture Amber saw, she made me take a picture of - hehhehe)

Now, my foot was really starting to hurt, so we took a detour. We headed to the first aid station. The nurse there was REALLY awesome. She re-wrapped my foot/ankle and gave me a few suggestions. And her wrapping - WAY better than mine. It started to feel a bit better.

We ran into Stitch outside the first aid station, and actually watched a cast member SQUISH a bug as we were on our way to see It's Tough to be a Bug. YIKES! Talk about spoiling the magic!

A ride on Everest, Dinosaur, and Primevil Whirl later, and we were pooped. Who said Animal Kingdom is a half-day park. Do the trails and Flights and the other rides, and you'll take most of the day. 

So we hopped a bus to the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
If you've never been over here folks, go see it - it's beautiful! The whole lodge has a feeling to it that's just...amazing. There are REAL animals out in their private savannah. No giraffes, of course, but hey - I saw two today - I'm good. :)

We lounged around the lodge a bit, and then headed to Jiko for our dinner. A very nice dining experience. We tried some african appetizers and had a nice dinner overall. Not sure I'd trek all the back JUST for Jiko, but if I'm already at the Animal Kingdom, it's a great dinner option.

When we were done, we headed out to Downtown Disney to get our shop on. This lasted about 45 minutes because we were exhausted, my foot really hurt, and oh yeah, did I mention it was FREEZING cold?!? We were going to have to buy something to help keep warm...more on this later in the trip. :)

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

Trip Report - Day IV

Been a couple of days since I've updated - sorry - things have been a little hectic. I did get my butt back into the gym though, and man are my arms sore today. :) Food intake is back on track for the most part, and I'm getting my body back up to speed to start training for my next race! Sponsors - watch your mailboxes. :)

I'm also putting together a DVD slideshow of my journey to the race, including hundreds of vacation photos set to music with text narration. I'm doing this for me and family - but it occurs to me that some of you MIGHT want a copy. Just curious if anyone'd be interested.

Anywhoo - Day four began with some in room dining, and I must concur with Lisa and Trace - the Contemporary in-room breakfast food is WONDERFUL. I think I had a waffle. :) We wanted an early start because we were on a princess hunt this day. We'd promised our neices that we'd get them personalized autographs from Ariel and Aurora. (See above) And the princesses were WONDERFUL. Trust me, if you've never seen it - go through the princess meet and greet in ToonTown and just watch them with the little kids. Wow. THAT'S magic.
We hung around the Magic Kingdom all day. Lunch at Columbia Harbor. And then around 2 hopped on the world famous jungle cruise. Saw a pair-a-docks, a pair-a-ducks, and a pair-a-dorks. :)
Even managed to get our picture taken with CAPTIAN HOOK outside Pirates! Really cool! But no Peter Pan....yet. :)
Then at 3pm we met up with Team Voice again at Aloha Isle for our Dole Whip toast! Kate was running late but she hauled butt to get there, having just finished the goofy. When she arrived - we went nuts cheering and clapping and everything! And the founding members got a nice photo. After that, things kinda split up a bit - there were a lot of folks heading home in the next day or so, and Amber and I had ADRs in EPCOT, so we said our farewells. Gave hugs. Watched John Corigliano announce he would be running. And headed to the monorail.

And can I just say - what a WONDERFUL group Team Voice is. I'm so proud to be a part of this. I can't even express it.
Dinner was by far one of my favorite meals of the entire trip. Teppan Edo! What a wonderful show. And the food was pretty good too! Just beforehand, we managed to squeak in one of three performances we watched all trip by the Voices of Liberty. Holy Cats. They can make me tear up every time.

And what a wonderful dinner! 

But we went back shortly after. We had Animal Kingdom tomorrow - and LOTS planned. Needed sleep.

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

Trip Report - Day III

Most of January 10, 2009 occurs in my mind in flashes.

It was a very very early morning on January 10th. More so than I anticipated. I woke up at 1:30am with a slight acid reflux attack. Just what I was afraid of. But I got an hour or two more sleep, and met Lisa at the monorail at 3am. This was my first meeting of Trace, as well, who recorded some PRE-race moments on the monorail. 

Once off, what a surreal experience. Empty EPCOT. But the parking lot? FULL. Blaring music. Text messages to find Team Voice. A pre-race picture (see above). Frantically trying to find Kate to give her a hug, but she was in the retreat tent. She found us about 4 minutes before we headed to our corrals.

Speaking of which - it's about a 20 minute walk to the corrals. And then a 20 minute walk to the starting line. But let me say this. 16,000 people sounds like a lot. But when you're IN IT - it feels ENORMOUS.

I stayed with the team until we crossed the starting line. What a moment that was. Stepping over the line. Then we gradually found our own paces, and soon I realized I was at the back of our pack. But I was passing folks in the darkness. Talking to Team in Training folks. Listening to my iPod. Holding my pace. Pushing strong. Shivering!

Then we saw the first runners coming BACK the other direction. We cheered and screamed. The monorail honked at us! And then there it was - the Magic Kingdom SIGN. Who knew a sign would be so cool?

The sun was coming up, and we could see more. Already the coolest thing I'd ever done, I rounded the corner by the Richard Petty Experience and saw two things I'd been waiting for. The Polynesian, and Byron!

I walked with Byron for a bit, and then picked my pace back up. It was GREAT to see him on the course, and I know how hard he pushed himself. I'm proud of him. Hey - the music is getting louder.

The contemporary! Am I really going to make it to Main Street? Flora Fauna and Merryweather! I have to walk with them. Look! Space Mountain! We're backstage. 

When the gate to Main Street opened before me, I can't express what I felt. Here it was. It'd been waiting for me all this time. I turned and saw the castle and began to well up. Then I saw Trace. And Lou! And kept going...and there was Runny Bunny...and Amber. I hugged her tight, and kept on going. She kept telling me to stand still so she could get a picture, but I didn't have time. Into Tomorrowland. What a high. Cast members. Characters. High fives.

The castle. TRUMPETERS when I went through! They trumpeted for me! And there's Amber again! God, I'm actually doing this! Down and to the right into Frontierland. The Country Bears! Out the parade route - Captain Jack! So this is where the parade floats live.

Grabbed some more water. Thanked a volunteer. Tried to focus on the task ahead of me now. Survive the long trek back. Feet warming. Side stitch. Mary Poppins is outside the Grand Floridian.

The track seems to be sparser, but lots of spectators. And now I can see the Dolphin! It's waaaay out there, but there it is! Focus on that. Mile 8. Mile 9. The overpass. It's banked, and my footing stays solid, but slips slightly. As we get to the top, I look down over the crowd, and realize there IS NO crowd anymore. There's a bus in front of the overpass. A few straggling walkers. But I'm about 300 people ahead of the sweeper. Have to pick it up.

Feet burning more. Mile 11. My PHONE rings. It's Bryan. He's finished. He wants to know where I am.

Mile 11.5. I meet John "The Penguin" and Coach Jenny. I tell them my story. John says: "Now I have two rules for you: 1) you can't stop now because you know better. 2) you must tell your story - you're a success!" You got it! Then he pats my shoulder and tells me to run my race as we turn the hairpin towards EPCOT.

EPCOT?!?! I'm here? Lou is in the entranceway. I'm backstage. I find a girl who's running for her departed mother. I'm by Nemo. The music is swelling in my ears. I can see Spaceship Earth. I'm passing the fountain and coming back. "King of Pride Rock" is filling my head. I turn past Spaceship Earth. See Lou again. Tears are free flowing from my face.

The finish line is there! I can see it! Stitch! Dale! Chip! And the guy yells Go Team Voice! I CROSS THE FINISH LINE!

Rae and Eric and Matt are WAITING FOR ME. They scream and hug me. They point me to the stands. AMBER! I get my medal. We take a photo together.
Rae suggests I have some fruit. My exact words. "Forget that, I want my wife."

I collapse into Amber's arms. She whispers to me "You did it, baby. I'm so proud of you!" over and over. I cry so hard she has to ask me if I'm hurt. I'm not. I'm just....overwhelmed.

We walk back to the monorail to change for lunch. I call my mom. I cry again. I wear my medal with pride.

Dinner at Tutto Italia is WONDERFUL. We watch the World Showcase Players with Bryan and gang. We go to France. We see the MouseKateers!

Allyson and Riley give me all of Riley's hard earned "good girl" money. We all cry again and shower Riley with gifts. Illuminations plays.

Lou shows up. I give him a faux check for $3800+ (it'll be more next week when I make the donation). Lou and Pat cry. I cry. We all walk to Jellyrolls. We are exhausted. We can't hear. We're beaming with happiness. I hug EVERYONE.

Amber and I catch a cab to the contemporary.

I sleep hard and soundly for the first time in three weeks. All night.

I WAS ON MAIN STREET TODAY. I did it. 

Trip Report - Day II

Well folks, I've accepted the February Team Voice Challenge - and made my presence more felt on the boards. I'm still struggling a bit this week with some stress that's not letting me get back on track, but this weekend, Amber and I are going to buckle down and come up with a plan.

That being said - now onto day TWO of our trip....

We woke up quite early and hit the monorail for the Grand Floridian. 1900 Park Fare.

What a wonderful character meal! Highly underrated in my opinion. The biggest difference? The face characters can be SO much more interactive with you. Mary Poppins was wonderful! And the food was pretty good, too! Nice hot tea, as well. As of course you'd expect.

Then it was off to the Magic Kingdom. We weren't planning to do much today. Just kinda wander and take it easy on ourselves. We hung out in Tomorrowland most of the morning. Saw two kids talking to a trash can! Weird. Although if you've seen the YouTube video of Mongello's meet, you'll see just how TALL Push is....or rather, how short Mongello really is. :)

We hung out at carousel of progress - rode two times on the TTA, and I beat Amber soundly at Buzz Lightyear. Which as it turned out was the ONLY TIME I'd beat her at ANYTHING this trip. More on this in later days.
We knew we'd be purchasing the PhotoPass CD, so we made great use of them whenever we could. But our day was cut short. After a nice grilled chicken sandwich at Cosmic Rays, we headed over to the Contemporary to change. We had a Photopass Portrait session scheduled around 4, and dinner at 5 at Kona.
I can't say enough good stuff about these portrait sessions. I'll be posting LOTS more pics of them in the future, but Dan, our Polynesian photographer was WONDERFUL. And at the end, he says "Hey - you guys are up for this - let's do a picture by the statute. I've never done one!" 

I think it came out good. :)
The dinner we had at Kona was quite good for pre-marathon fare. I had a nice soft noodle with chicken dish - and felt jazzed and energized. After the sun set, and Kona was emptying, we headed back to the Contemporary. Did a little pin trading. (We are collecting the alphabet!)

And then it was off to the room.

I laid out my clothes. Tried them on. Took them off. Debated shorts vs. pants. Pinned my bib on. Put my shirt on. Amber re-pinned my bib. Stressed. Set two alarms. Worried. Fretted. Slept. 

My last thought before falling asleep?

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

Trip Report Part I

You know how much I love a good trip report!

But first, I want to touch on a few other items. 

a) I'm back in the Team Voice Forums after a slight problem with my password (i.e. - I forgot it!) so go say hi!

b) This week, thus far, has been rocky to say the least, both in food intake and exercise. I'm using this week to get past the Disney blues, past the jetlag, and back on track. I know many of us have put on some weight just before the race (holidays) and after (Disney) - and I'm included in that list - so let's focus on getting BACK on track folks! (I'll be updating my plans as they take shape)

Now - onto the trip!

I'll skip day "one" - since it was spent on a plane and checking into the Contemporary, which by the way was lovely. We did have a hiccup with our dining plan, but it was fixed quickly.

Breakfast on day two was at "The Wave". Nice new restaurant. I had an egg beater omlette. Not bad. Not spectacular, but not bad. And rather quiet, compared to Chef Mickey's. But on the whole, not our best breakfast. Give it a try, but only if you have time.

Then we headed out to the expo. Transportation was provided from our hotel, and it was perfect....albeit a bit late.

As we arrived at the expo complex, I found myself slightly intimidated by the crowds of "runners" - as well as the guy on the plane with the "Boston Marathon" cap. But Amber reminded me that I was racing against myself only - not them. And at the expo, when I asked "So...I'm really doing this, huh?" Her wonderful reply: "You'd better!" :)

As we headed towards the line, I saw these smiling giggling people, and one of them rushed to me and gave me a hug! We'd found Rae, Eric, and Kate! We snuck into line with them and all caught up, talking about our trips, our plans, and just generally hanging out and laughing. 

Inside the expo, we were able to quickly find our stuff, and then decided that we NEEDED to get in line for the limited edition medal pins upstairs! What a crazy idea! LOL We waited nearly 2 hours - standing. Just standing. At least we had good company!

Deb showed off her Team Voice pride by wearing her Team Voice shirt to the expo!

Before getting our goodie bags, we were given the opportunity to sign a big wall about why we were running. Rae wanted the medal! LOL I wrote from the heart. Little did I know that Amber had her camera out and ready. This is what she caught me writing.

By this time, it was after 3pm, and we were all exhausted from standing. We headed back to the resort, and rested a few minutes, and then headed into the Magic Kingdom for a bit. Just a wander up and down Main Street, and even had time to see SpectroMagic before dinner! We did a FEW rides (Pirates, Mansion, and that's really it), saw the parade, and took it easy.

Dinner was ALSO at the Wave. And dinner kind of disappointed. The food wasn't great - the service was, however. But without great food, why go? Breakfast is okay - but dinner I'd avoid.

Then it was early to bed (around 9) so we could get up early for our breakfast Friday at 1900 Park Fare! We didn't want to be late for Mary Poppins! :)

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

Harnessing Emotions

This is me. About 3 minutes after finishing the WDW 2009 Half-Marathon in 3:27:51. Under 3:30! I had my medal. I had my picture taken. And I wanted to find Amber. And when I did - I collapsed into a mess of tears. I was unaware of what was around me, except for Amber whispering to me "you did it baby." Thank goodness, my friend Trace had the foresight to snap some pictures of this incredibly intense moment. 

I have no idea how long I held on. But I know I had a few more crying jags throughout the day. Not from pain or sadness. Just from being overwhelmed. In fact, the tears started BEFORE hitting the finish line. Oh who am I kidding - the tears were there throughout the course. And I'll tell you about the course moment by moment in a future post. 

Today I want to focus on what's next. Harnessing this emotion and using it to propel myself to the next level.

Let's start with some basic propositions.

1. I did not lose as much weight as I wanted to in training. (and put some Disney weight back on)

2. I was unable to run much of the race, and finished mostly walking it.

3. Raising money for charity feels AWESOME.

4. Despite difficulties and pain - finishing felt AWESOME. Indescribable. 

5. The only way to change #s 1 and 2 and to continue with #s 3 and 4 is to KEEP GOING.

So then moving forward is my only option. So here are some plans I've made.

Let's start with racing:

These are at a minimum - time and money permitting, I will do other races (Anaheim, Orlando 2010, etc.). But I have now committed myself to the following THREE races:

June 2009 - The Seattle Rock n' Roll Half Marathon

November 2009 - The Seattle Half Marathon

JANUARY 2011 - THE WDW FULL MARATHON

Now - diet and exercise:

My legs are still a little sore from the parks and the half. I think I may have sprained my foot during the race, but it's feeling better. But I'm going to take a few weeks off from running. I'm going to do a 6 day workout schedule. Three days of weights and three days of cardio (non running - maybe swimming or elliptical) - minimum of 30 minutes each workout. 

This will go on for about 3-5 weeks while I consult my doctor and my running store and get myself geared up for more outdoor training - then I'll go back to my running training - with a one song walk/run interval. Short during the week and minimum of 6 miles on the weekends.

Diet will go back to normal food - healthy whole foods - low calorie - low fat - smaller portions. I'll be posting weight updates.

Charity:

Raising nearly $4000 (and counting) for the DWT Dream Team felt SO amazing. And with kids like Riley (listen to this weeks AATM) how can I possibly stop? So - the fundraising will continue - with all proceeds going to the DWT Dream Team and Make-a-Wish. But instead of sponsoring weight loss - I'm going to be asking for mileage sponsorships. In about two weeks I'll be wiping the current slate clean, and making the first donation to Lou, formally. After that, every one of you sponsors will be getting a card from me, asking for your continued support. You guys helped make this happen.

Please continue to give.

TEAM VOICE - we are currently looking for a website designer - do you know one who will donate some time? ARE you one? How about a graphic designer? E-mail jonathan@allaboutthemouse.com - let me know if you're willing to help with another project! 

And speaking of the team - I am SO proud of all of you. Rae, Kate, Heath, Mike, Chris, Craig, Deb, Lisa, Trace, Lou, Bryan, Amber, and tons of folks I'm forgetting! But I want to give a special shout out to my friend Byron today.

Byron and I journeyed together outside the Polynesian for about a half mile. And Byron was giving that race every ounce he had in him to give. And despite being swept, he made it 8 miles further than anyone else who never started. I'm PROUD to call Byron a teammate. And I'm SUPER PROUD to hear he's already registered for the 2010 Half Marathon. Good for you my friend! If I can help - let me know!

Let's face it friends - this was AWESOME. And the Awesomeness keeps on coming!

Trip report starts tomorrow!

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

I Have Returned!

Well folks - I'm back!

I'm not going to get into the future plans yet - except to say that THERE ARE plans. You can see my Donald Medal in all it's glory above!

Today we're just recovering from travel and laundry madness. LOL

I wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who supported us - all of us - throughout this journey! Tomorrow I'll have a much longer post regarding my future plans as well as training - food - goals - charity - and more races! I'll also be beginning a detailed trip report. But I wanted to let everyone know we got home safe, and say thank you again.

I can't say it enough.

THANK YOU.

MAIN STREET AWAITS. (Thought I'd change this? Nah!)

3:27:51

Hello Team Voicers, friends, and supporters! It is I, Runny Bunny!

As was previously reported, Jonathan DID in fact finish the WDW Half Marathon in the time above.

In addition to being tired, he's currently esctatic, happy, emotional (had a HUGE cry at the finish line - pictures are coming) - and everything in between.

He told me to update and tell everyone that a full report is coming when he and Amber (who graciously carried me through the parks today) get home.

But one HUGE highlight - running a mile with John "The Penguin" Bingham and Coach Jenny themselves!!!!

For now - we're all going to EPCOT to get ready for the Illuminations meet tonight!!

MAIN STREET STILL AWAITS!!! (Even though we passed it)

5 HOURS - Packed and Ready

The day is here folks. We leave in mere hours.

We had SUCH a wonderfully happy and emotional AATM session last night - I'm so excited for you all to hear it.

I wanted to say THANK YOU. To each and every one of you who reads, posts, comments, or just sends happy thoughts and wishes to me. You - each of you - made this possible. And each of you will be my happy thought while I'm racing.

I'm going to have a thorough race and trip report for you all when we return, chock full of pictures, magic, and surprises, rest assured.

And if you DO want to track my progress - just go to www.disneyworldmarathon.com - click on spectator resources, and you can track Jonathan Dichter.

You have inspired me to keep going. I've never given up. And trust me - it's because of you guys.

I seriously love all of you.

MAIN STREET AWAITS. It awaits me. I'm on my way.

Thank you so much for this opportunity!

1 Day - Team

I finally got it. I've been waiting and waiting, and yesterday Amber called me to tell me a Mickey package had arrived with my name on it.

My TEAM VOICE shirts arrived! And they're AWESOME!! Love them.

Everything's in place, folks. Finish packing tonight - record AATM - TRY to sleep - and tomorrow it's OFF to the airport.

1:30pm flight. We get in around 10pm. DME to the Contemporary, and the MAGIC BEGINS.

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

One more post. Day zero.

MAIN STREET AWAITS. IN FACT, IT'S NEARLY HERE.

Holy cats!

2 Days - Proof

You're five foot nothin'. A hundred and nothin'. And you hung in with the best college football team in the land for two years, and you're also going to walk out of here with a degree from the University of Notre Dame. In this lifetime you don't have to prove nothing to nobody except yourself. And after what you've gone through, if you haven't done that by now, it ain't gonna never happen...

Wow.

Talk about you guys being right. What a fantastic movie, and what a great moment IN a fantastic movie! I've always been a Sean Astin fan, but now, even more so.

And talk about the RIGHT movie to watch just before chasing after a dream you thought impossible. And you know what? Rudy didn't win the game for them. He didn't even play regularly. He played for like two plays. Just to prove he could. Because his heart earned it.

And in less than one week, we'll be standing in corrals with some of the most accomplished runners in the world - toe to toe - ready to compete - not against them, but against ourselves. And we know we can win. And if we don't know it by now, after what we've all gone through, we ain't never gonna know it.

GO TEAM!

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

3 Days - OLE!

In just three days, I'll board a plane for Santo Poco to face the infamous WDW Half-Marathon.

In-famous? IN famous?

That's like MORE than famous!!!

Try to smile today team. Laugh. Do something to break up the nervousness.

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

4 Days - Squish. Just like grape.

Now, ready?

Yeah. I guess so.

Jonathan-san, must talk.

Walk on road, hm? Walk left side, safe. Walk right side, safe. Walk middle, sooner or later *squish* get squish just like grape. Here, half-marathon, same thing. Either you do race "yes" or you do race "no". You do race "guess so...." *squish* just like grape. Understand?

Yeah. I understand.

Now, ready?

Yes. I'm ready.

And that's today's lesson friends. Now is the time to put fear aside. Pain aside. Defeat aside. And just have fun with this race. Give it my all, and shoot for the moon! And that's how I feel today!

PAIN does not exist in this race, does it?

NO RUNNY BUNNY!

FEAR does not exist in this race, does it?

NO RUNNY BUNNY!

DEFEAT does not exist in this race, does it?

NO RUNNY BUNNY!!!

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

5 Days - Runny Bunny Returns

Hello Team Voicers!

I'm back! And I hope you're all having a wonderful new year so far! Granted, we're one day in, but still.

Well it's only 5 days until Jonathan heads to the airport, and guess what? I get to go too! I'll be there cheering him on with everyone else, and waiting for him at the finish line with Amber!

He's done a great job getting ready for this race, and I feel he's really ready. I feel this race will be a huge first step for him. 

He's been a little weird lately - prone to some emotional highs and lows. I think it's all normal, but he's out of sorts. He was quite sad yesterday - just really doubting himself in the new year. He told me he felt like he hadn't made any progress and that he was still the same big fat guy with no chance of success.

I told him that he'd already succeeded. He'd lost a ton of weight. He'd raised a ton of money. And he was going to finish a huge race! He responded that he'd finish, but slowly. 

And what's wrong with that, I asked? Nothing. You know that.

He smiled, and confessed he was just nervous about letting people down.

I told him the only way he could let you all down was by not going to the starting line. Once he steps across that line - the rest is gravy.

With that he smiled, and quietly finally fell asleep. 

This morning his spirits seem brighter.

But like I said - up and down. Totally normal. One thing I do know. He's excited to see all of you! And when he's a little more focused, he's psyched about this race!

MAIN STREET AWAITS!

6 Days - Looking Forward

HAPPY NEW YEAR Teammates!

Today let's all take a look forward. But not TOO far - we still have a big hurdle ahead of us in about a week.

But this morning I affirmed my new outlook on life by getting up and going to the gym and doing a workout on the dreadmill. But that wasn't just the hard part. See - I sometimes (depending on what I eat) suffer from a slight bout of GERD (acid reflux) - and this morning it woke me up.

But despite that feeling (which if you've never had is OH so wonderful) I went anyhow. And I coughed and gagged through my workout. But work out I did.

Because my health is of paramount importance to me this year. As is my team. My charity efforts. My family.

This year I resolve to do everything I can to be the best me possible. Not too broad, huh? I also resolve to allow myself to indulge when appropriate, and not think of it as "bad" - just as a "treat". For instance - new years eve ice cream. :) Not bad. Granted, my stomach is not happy today. But did it stop my workout? No sir! (Or ma'am!)

And how about you? What are YOU going to do for YOU this year?

And more importantly - what are YOU going to do for OTHERS this year?

Let's take Team Voice to the next level in 2009. Let's bring the happiness and magic to others! Let's commit to making a difference in the world!

Who's in?

MAIN STREET AWAITS!