Race Recap - Disney's Wine & Dine Half Marathon 2014

This past weekend, Rachel and I took on the first of back to back runDisney race weekends, and ran our 5th half marathon as a team. As you may have heard by now, the weather didn't quite cooperate for a perfectly magical 13.1 miles in Disney, but regardless, we set out to have ourselves a good time.

A Breath of Fresh Air from Running Disney

The running world is a-buzz today, for what might as well be the lunch break taken around the world: RunDisney registration day for the 2015 Princess Half Marathon weekend. Active links are being shared, long waits are abundant, and people are FREAKING OUT about getting themselves registered.

Fear of not being registered for a princess themed 13.1 miles through the happiest place on earth - not to be confused with fear of being in the starting corral for your very first marathon.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE running Disney. Rachel and I ran the Princess Half in 2013 for our first ever half marathon, and loved it so much that we turned right around and registered for 2014's Dopey. We had a blast. Running in Disney is incomparable to just about everywhere else. (We're doing it again in November - in Orlando for Wine & Dine half, and then California for the inaugural Avenger's half.)

But for me, I think it's time for some fresh air - literally. I recently discovered a series of races that run just outside the borders of the National Parks out west: Vacation Races. Beautiful bling, my favorite distance, and views that absolutely cannot be beat? Sign me up!

Photo credit Vacation Races

This year, they're running in 6 parks: Zion, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Great Smoky Mountains, and Lake Powell.

Earlier this week, they announced a new race coming in 2015: the Grand Teton Half Marathon. And even better, the Grand Teton half is one week before the Yellowstone half next June. Which means it's time for me to start planning a road trip. Full of hiking, geysers, mountains, blue sky, fresh air, and a pair of 13.1 runs thrown in just for kicks.

I. Can't. Wait.

Avengers - assemble!

When Rachel and I made the decision to pass on the Dumbo Double Dare registration a few months ago, opting to save our credit card limits for the Wine & Dine, we thought we were giving up any chance of getting our Coast to Coast medal this year. Then runDisney announced an exciting new Disneyland race the week after W&D - the Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon!

An inaugural, super heroes themed race in Disneyland?! The thought was too good to pass up for these runDisney addicts. After an incredibly brief conversation (along the lines of "so.... do we want to?" "um, duh?"), we decided we were in for the extended race-cation, combining Wine & Dine weekend with a cross-country flight to California for Avengers.

Now that we're officially registered for both races (WOO! Especially since Avengers opened 35 minutes ago, and is already at 75% as I type), it's time to start thinking about costuming, flights, accommodations, and park passes.... not to mention training schedules ;)



Are you running Disney in the fall? Have you ever run back-to-back Disney races on opposite coasts? If you could run as any superhero, who would you run as?

That Dopey Thing

This is a bit lengthy so grab a drink and some GU and settle in 

Now that life has settled down and I am not waking up at 2:50am to go run it is time to sum up all that happened in 48.6 Miles.

January 9-12th I ran 48.6 miles via 4 races. a 5K, a 10k, a Half-Marathon, and a Full Marathon. These races took place in the "Happiest Place on Earth" Disney World.

Later it would be referred to as the "Happiest F@*!ing Place on Earth," but I digress.

How did I decide to do the Dopey Challenge? On a whim. And then I dragged Sara kicking and screaming into it, too.

By the time we signed up for Dopey I had done one half-marathon and a handful of 5Ks and just started CrossFit. Some crazy part of my brain said "You can do it...lets do it." So in April 2013 I signed up for the Dopey Challenge... Asthma and all.

I continued to run and CrossFit and complete two more half-marathons, but no marathon. Dopey was going to be my first marathon.  Maybe not the smartest idea, but a crazy one.

I ran my fastest Half in Richmond in November and saw visions of sub 5 hour Marathon, and then I strained my left calf at the start of December.

My training came to a halt and visions of a sub-5 Marathon vanished. I ran a final 15 mile run in December, but never ran my final 20 mile long run.  I kept up with CrossFit during this time and that was what saved me.

If you are keeping track- the first time a I ran since December 10, was January 9. Yup I did Dopey on minimal training.

By January 1st, I was panicked, but determined to do Dopey. Thanks to the support of my freinds and an awesome coach I gained my confidence back.

Soon January 8th rolled around and I was flying down to embark on something I never thought I could do. The fact that I was no longer scared of running due to my asthma kept me going.

The Race Expo was a blur full of nerves and funny photos (I have to take my signature photo).


Soon it was time to sleep and get up for the 5K.

5K

As far as 5K's go you would think this was uneventful, but this was the first time I'd run in almost a month. I was nervous, but ready. In keeping with Disney tradition Sara and I went in costume as Belle and 'The Wardrobe.' Good news is I was the only Wardrobe.

10K

This was my first 10k. Yup, I went straight from a 5K to a Half-Marathons. What can I say? This was a fun distance and an enjoyable, but humid run. We were missing our friend Katy Beth who had to miss due to illness, but we ran as Black/White Minnie and Steampunk Minnie

By this point my left calf was starting to get a bit upset with the amount of running I was putting it through. I had been lent a Voodoo Mobility Band, which was a HUGE lifesaver. I also had packed many other mobility items in addition to Epsom Salt. I was ready for the worst.

Half-Marathon

I decided to use KT Tape on my calf to make sure it held through till the Marathon. I had everything banking on the Marathon. The weather was HOT and HUMID. Most everyone doing the Dopey Challenge was taking it easy during this race, but I really hate that. Luckily Sara reigned me in a bit. We ran a route that we first ran in February 2013 and felt 100% better.

Marathon Prep

That's 4 lbs of Epsom Salt. ...all of it was used up by Sunday.

In an effort to have the freshest legs possible I took an ice bath. Let me tell you...at first it sucks, then it feels great, and then it sucks. As the evening wore on my nerves grew. The thought that I had not run more than 15 miles and was about to partake in  a 26.2 mile race after running 22.4 miles the previous days seemed insane. WHAT WAS I THINKING? It is times like this that social media is a benefit, I reached out on Facebook and got a huge amount of support. With that I went to bed with thoughts of finishing in my head.

Marathon
Needless to say, not a lot of sleep was had. Eating breakfast was an nearly impossible task. The one bright spot? I had refreshed legs. My legs were ready for whatever 26.2 miles could throw at me.

Off we went to the starting line and we found our familiar 'Wrecking Ball' serenade. I then realized I'd forgotten the KT Tape for my calf, meaning I was about to test my calf out on an insane volume with no support. This thought brought the nerves back and almost my breakfast.  Soon we were directed to head to the start line (1 mile form where we arrived) and after I went to the restroom for the millionth time we were in our Corral.

I should mention I gained notoriety for my ability to hop the 4ft corral fence, sprint to the bathroom, sprint back, jump the fence in time to amble forward with my corral. Seriously, I got a lot of cheers and high-fives, so if nothing else I can win for a speedy pee.

Awhile back Sara and I agreed to race the Marathon separately since I tend to run faster. So prior to Mile 1 I bid adieu and plodded along to an unknown destination.

The first 5 miles were uneventful, other than the fact that I was running them. You see often with asthma I have to do a run/walk to get the breathing under control...but not today. No today was a great breathing day. Entering the Magic Kingdom was magical and on I plodded.

Mile 7 I felt a spasm from my calf and made a stop for some BioFreeze, by some I mean a HUGE glob. If nothing else Disney is great for the sheer amount of BioFreeze they have on hand (Sara edits to add that by the time she got around to the Med tents at Mile 16, they had run out of the stuff, and didn't have any left through the end of the race). I also grabbed some Vaseline because my camelbak was rubbing my neck. I had run with a camelbak before, but never in a tank OOPS. I still have the marks from that...lesson learned.

On I plodded. Soon we came upon the speed track, which at first was cool...and then you kept going. It felt never ending.

Miles 9-10 became emotional because I decided to dedicate them to people who always believe in me. Thinking about all the times people supported me or pushed me made the tears cry. I mean my parents drove me to endless dance classes and sat through some rough shows for me. My brother, though he may never admit it, pushed me to be better. His endless torment and taunts helped me to see what I could do. I could go on, but it would take awhile. Know that if you are reading this, you were in that mile with me. Also crying while running is not the prettiest, but this wasn't a beauty contest.

Somewhere in here I took a pit-stop...that lasted ages. Seriously the one spot with a large span between bathrooms was when I had to go and wait 15mins. Farewell sub 5 marathon time. It was nice knowing you!

Somewhere around the 11.5 mile marker my calf got real angry and then seized up on me. No amount of BioFreeze could dull the pain. I then realized that a goal of a 5:30 marathon was going to be impossible. This was the start of what would be a really dark second half of the marathon. I was frustrated and pissed. I had a great first few miles and was conservative with my pace and yet here I was hobbling along.

Before I go on, I want to say that never once did the thought of quitting cross my brain...never once. I was going to finish and that was a fact of which I was sure. I got myself into this and I was going to get myself out.

Mile 14- The mile the music died...No really.. I was now left to spend 12.2 miles without any music. I should note that many Disney Marathoners have described Miles 14-22 as the worst because the route is on the highways and they were not lying. Tears were free flowing at this point, old ladies were passing me left and right and I was just alone with my thoughts. I am my own worst critic and in those miles everything came out and I was letting it rip on myself. Many f-bombs were dropped those miles.

The worst thought though, that was was the one where I thought "Why did I ever think I could do this?" It took until I got my medals for me to start shaking that one off. I lost all confidence in myself. The only thing that kept me going was that I knew how much I would hate myself if I quit.

Mile 16.5 at this point you are on a 4 lane highway with a huge median separating  the 4 lanes. So you can see a mile marker on the other side and I turned around to see what mile those runners were on...they were on 21. I didn't think I could feel worse, but realizing I had 4.5 miles just to get to that point felt horrible.

Mile 17 is where you enter ESPN Wide World of Sports aka...the land of switch backs to create 3 miles. aka the worst. Somewhere in ESPN there was a fuel station of bananas and let me tell you...that was the BEST BANANA I have ever had. Seriously I think I might have cried even more.

Miles 20- For most people Mile 20 is a wall, not for me. I had tried to mentally think of the run to Mile 20 as the hard part and the 10K as the easier part. So when I saw Mile 20, realized how truly slow I was moving I vowed to run...because it was just a 10K. So through the pain I hobbled along, only allowing my self to walk for 1-2mins max. My stride was the worst thing in the world, but I was moving faster.

Miles 21-25- These miles blur together somehow. Around 22 some spectator thought it would be a great idea to yell "YOU LOOK GREAT" let me say that is not the thing to yell at someone whose hair is falling down, is sweating, is sunburned, and is crying. My response? F**K YOU PABLO. no lie...I yelled that. You see one of my CrossFit Coaches says that exact statement...usually when you are suffering so that was my natural response. Dear poor spectator...I'm sorry.

Entering Hollywood Studios meant that the finish was closer and that I was slow as ever. The photos of me in this park are depressing. My head is down and my face is scrunched up from crying. Somewhere in here someone read my name on my bib and said "You got this Rachel, You are doing it" and that was enough for me to lift my head.  Later another gentleman would say "Keep it up young lady" and I would. Soon Epcot approached and I knew I was nearly there.

Around this time I was also 99% sure they had forgotten to put out the mile marker for 25. Seriously it felt like HOURS went by between 24-25. I voiced my concerns to my fellow runners, and they just laughed. Let me tell you the relief I experienced seeing Mile Marker 25 surpassed the feelings of the previously mentioned banana.

At this point I entered the world showcase section of Epcot to many spectators. Up until this point I was avoiding the high-fives and looking spectators in the faces because I was defeated. Silly I know, but I felt embarrassed by my race and the pain wasn't helping. Up ahead I heard a father say to his young daughters (around ages 2-4) "Hold your hand out for High-Fives." I realized I was going to be the first runner to pass them so I steered toward the side and held out my hand for the smallest high-fives. The girls shrieked with delight and I started crying...again.

Hearing the joy they received from encouraging me, even though I was a runner whose hair was falling down, was sweaty, was sunburned, and was crying,  shook me out of my slump. I realized that rather than enjoying my first marathon, I had spent most of it pissed at myself. Pissed because one muscle got over worked. I couldn't see the huge accomplishment I was about to achieve. I couldn't see past the fact that I hadn't run in almost a month before doing this and I was about to finish.

At this point another runner joined me and asked if I was alright (read: still crying) and I said I was and he looked at me and said "I have a feeling I will be the same way when I see my wife." He went ahead and I was left to realize that I needed to soak in this moment.

Soon the 26 Mile Marker came into view and the Gospel Choir Disney always has at this point. With renewed vigor I decided pain be damned I'm sprinting the final .2

So I did...I sprinted with everything I had. Arms pumping I heard people cheering me on and with a high-five from Minnie Mouse I crossed the finish line.

I had done it. I had finished my first marathon. I had finished the Dopey Challenge. And you know? It still hasn't sunk in. I may have the medals and the shirts, but it doesn't feel real just yet.

Soon after finishing I called my mom and updated Facebook that I had survived and wasn't dead. I was overwhelmed by the cheers and support I received on Facebook. None of my friends cared what my time was they were proud of me and that blew me away. They were proud of me even as I wasn't. How could I not realize how awesome it was? Days later I am now proud. I finished a MARATHON with asthma and a bum calf, but even those things aside...I finished it.

I learned a lot about myself during that marathon, but I also realized the huge community of friends and family that I have supporting me. Knowing I had people tracking me and waiting to see when I would finish kept me going those lonely miles. I had told people I was going to finish, and I keep my promises.

So thank you to everyone. You got me through it all and helped me see the accomplishment and for that I am grateful.

What now? Now...now I rest and then start training for Paris. After that who knows where my feet will take me. Maybe an Ultra- Marathon. Either way I'll finish the next challenge because I'll be ready and I know that I am capable of finishing.

Race Recap - Disney Princess Half Marathon 2013 (Part 3 - The Race!)

This is Part 3 of 3 of Sara's DPHM recap. Check out Parts 1 and 2!

After a night of tossing and turning in an anxious sleep, our alarm went off at 2 a.m. No hitting the snooze for these princesses - we were almost instantly filled with nervous energy and adrenaline as we got dressed and ready to go for our first ever half marathon.

Since we were staying at a time share off-site, Rachel's parents were kind enough to give us a ride to Epcot and the starting line party. Gotta give props to Disney for this. Plenty of port-o-potties, and a great entertainment to keep us awake despite the early hour. We stood in line for a photo with Ariel, danced a bit to the hype guy, and did some light stretching as we waiting for them to call our corral.

As the minutes wore on, Rachel was getting more an more anxious to get down to the corral - we'd heard rumors of a long walk from the meet-up zone. Soon as they made the first call, we started off. Turns out the rumors were right - it was definitely a bit of a trek from the parking area. We made it down, passing more port-o's along the way (pro-tip, those had much shorter lines than the ones closer to the parking area), and kept ourselves occupied snapping goofy pre-race photos of the awesome Shwings we'd both been given as good luck tokens.

As the anthem was sung and the fireworks went off for the first corral to take off, we started getting amped up about the run to come. Finally, our corral made its way to the start line, and we pushed as close to the front as we could manage. This was it - the moment we'd been training for for so many cold, DC-winter miles.

Mile 1 we took easy to try and get out of the main crowd. Rachel was cranky and wishing for a bit more of a warm up, I had adrenaline pumping and was ready to run. But we held off until the crowds thinned a bit going into the second mile. We skipped the first character stop (Captains Jack Sparrow and Barbosa) and started to fall into a bit of a rhythm.

Rhythm didn't last too long, however, as around the end of Mile 2, who do we see? Disney Princes!!! This was a photo MUST, so we took our places in line. This one was a little longer than we would have liked (about 30 minutes - parents following along with our splits at home were a little concerned when our first 5k split was about twice what it should have been!), but definitely worth it. We weren't here to break any world records - we were here to have fun (...and cross the finish line)!

After the lengthy photo stop, we agreed to only stop if the line wasn't exuberantly long, and we wouldn't be able to forgive ourselves if we didn't stop for the photo. Miles 3-5, running up the highway and through the car entrance to the Magic Kingdom were a little tedious, but there were some cool dancers and puppeteers on the sidelines as we ran by.

Somewhere in the middle of Mile 5, we found ourselves running through an innocent looking gate, and a few steps later realized that we were rounding the corner of Main Street USA. As we made our way up the street and around the front of the castle toward Tomorrowland, we spotted Rachel's parents and stopped for a sweaty hug before starting off again.

There's little that can describe how awesome it feels to run (okay, walk with the rest of the tightly packed herd) through Cinderella's castle. Totally exhilarating. But we had another 7 miles to finish, so we couldn't indulge too much. We GU'd up, and off we ran through Frontierland and out the backside of the Kingdom. 

As we left MK is where things started to go downhill for me, who had been battling knee pain for a few weeks. The number one thing I regret not doing as soon as I started seriously running was go get fitted for a good pair of shoes by a running store who knows what they're talking about. Turns out the shoes I'd gotten to correct an over-pronation problem I didn't actually have were actually slowly injuring my IT band, which REALLY flamed up around Mile 7. 

We tried slowing down our pace, and taking more walking breaks, but eventually it got to the point where any pressure put fully on my left leg just resulted in shooting pains up my knee. I couldn't run at all. The next four miles were a huge emotional struggle for me. I had been training so hard for this day, and I couldn't believe my body was letting me down. I owe those miles to Rachel, who was such a trooper for not just sticking with me, despite wanting to actually run, but (literally) dancing circles around me and yelling inspirational things at me to keep me putting one foot in front of the other.

Miles 10 and 11 were the toughest for us. We were back on the highway, with not much to look at, and the heat and humidity were definitely starting to take their toll. As we rounded an exit ramp, we came across one of the Green Army Men (you know, from Toy Story), who was hollering at us that we were doing great, and that this was the last of the hills on the course. He was also counting off pushups for anyone who wanted to stop for a little cross training along the way, but we skipped this time, just trying to push through and finish to spare my knee.

As we passed not one, not two, but three more overpasses (read hills) over the next couple miles, we cursed the Army Man for lying at us about that hill. As soon as we pushed into Mile 12, we felt the energy of the other runners start to pick up again, read the inspirational signs that were lining the course, and knew we were so close. Rachel's dance party started up again, and we made our way into Epcot. The park guests had already been let in at this point, so we did a little weaving, but also got to high five other runners as we ran past them when the course doubled back on itself back down the concourse.

Out of Epcot we went, past the soulful sound of the gospel choir, around one last corner, and FINALLY saw the finish line in sight. I put on the guns for a miraculous half limping, half jogging, DEFINITELY tearful 40-yard dash, and we crossed proudly. 

With our medals hanging proudly around our necks, we grabbed water and Powerade, a box of snacks, and stopped to get my knee iced and taped before hobbling over to find Rachel's parents. After some more sweaty, congratulatory hugs, we headed back to the hotel for a shower and cat nap before hitting up the one place that could possibly be more magical than Cinderella's castle...

HOGWARTS!

We nerded out a bit in Hogsmeade, drank a butterbeer or two before devouring an early dinner and taking full advantage of the hotel's hot tub. Then it was early to bed, and up early the next morning to catch our flight home.

All in all, a truly amazing race, and a first half marathon that neither of us will ever forget.

Race Recap - Disney Princess Half Marathon 2013 (Part 2 - Race Weekend)

This is Part 2 of Sara's DPHM recap. Check out Parts 1 and 3!

Before we knew it, it was time for race weekend, and our whirlwind trip to Orlando. Neither of us had much vacation time to take from work, so we flew down Saturday morning, before the Sunday race. By the time we got into Orlando, we had a couple hours to hit up the race expo before it closed. Rachel’s parents had been down for a couple days already, and had scoped out the logistics of getting to and from the expo. We parked at Downtown Disney and bused over to Coronado Springs, where the expo was being held.

We picked up our packets (by so late in the weekend, most of the racers had already been through, so the lines were super short), and spent an hour or so winding through the booths checking out the freebies and merch. At this point, I realized I had left my knee brace at home, so invested in a new one, both of us picked up a pair of sunglasses and “13.1” magnets for our cars. We stocked up on free samples from Dannon and Chiquita, found our names on the list of runners, and made sure to find the most important part of the expo – the Fairy Godmother’s assistants, who were applying glittering pixie dust to everyone’s hair.

Then it was back to the hotel for a light dinner and short jog to try and acclimate to the 50º difference in temperature. We took an easy run around the hotel’s lake, bemoaned the drastic change in humidity, and called it a night. Wasn’t even 8pm, but we had an early morning to start off our big day!

Race Recap - Disney Princess Half Marathon 2013 (Part 1 - Training)

This is Part 1 of Sara's DPHM recap. Check out Parts 2 and 3!

Last October, basking in the (mildly alcoholic) aftermath of our biggest work event of the year, Rachel asked me if I wanted to run a race at Disney World. Of course, I responded! That sounds awesome! Excellent, said she. Oh, by the way, it's a half marathon.

UMMM, excuse me!? 13.1 miles?! That's crazy.

But, apparently, I was crazy enough to say yes. So we registered for the Disney Princess Half Marathon, and embarked on a 4-month training program that started with struggling through 2-mile runs after work, and culminated in running 13 miles in the happiest place on earth. But we'll get there.

The Training

We researched a few plans, and finally landed on one that would have us running increasingly long runs on the weekend, but more running during the week. We decided our goal wasn’t to hit a certain time – just to make it on our own two feet across the finish line.

Our biggest challenge, although we didn't realize it at the time, was going to be the weather. We started training in October, in DC. It was only going to get colder and snowier before the climate shock of getting to central Florida in February. But we bundled and layered and trudged through, week-by-week and mile-by-mile.

We discovered for our longer runs, it was convenient to meet at Rachel’s apartment, and take some well-paved footpaths that led us across the Potomac and downtown to the memorials. We’d get to the Mall, hit up one of the little refreshment huts for some much-needed nourishment, stretch it out a bit, and Metro back to Arlington. Inauguration weekend, we found ourselves ending our run in front of the CNN booth – we made sure to say hello to Anderson Cooper.

This plan worked perfectly, until we hit our last long run before heading down to Disney. This particular Saturday, we decided to skip the Metro part, and just run out 5.5 miles and turn around to head back. As soon as we had the first two miles under our belts, we realized the next 9 were not going to be pleasant. It was our first running wall, and couldn’t have come at a worse time. We pushed through it, though. Groaning and bitching to each other the whole time, but we pushed through and finished all 11 miles.

Looking back later, we were glad we hit that wall two weeks before, rather than the weekend of the Princess Half. We struggled through that long run, but we knew if we could finish that, we could finish anything.