Nemesis Challenge: MY Side of the Epic Half Marathon Showdown. *Updated 2/13 Page 5*

Great report so far. Glad you are writing this TR as your reports are such a joy to read.
 
We still use sundials, and when it's cloudy, it's hard to tell what day it is. (And I'd like to point out that I fixed that typo at 9:48 - a full 4 minutes before you posted.)
I was probably responding when you were editing.

Why? He's not even potty trained himself. Why does he care where the dog goes?
He's thinking ahead. Smart kid you have there!

Probably could have, but jeans take up more space in the suitcase than shorts.
Jeans? Didn't you check the weather before you left mid 80's during the day and 65 at night. What did you need jeans for?

(I packed my jeans and our suitcase was 2lbs over, so I took them out) ;)

Just imagine what he could have done to that truck if it had hit him instead!
Turned it into butterflies?

Why not? They're made mostly of meat.:confused3
You call that meat? :lmao:

WISHES always used to close the park down. Never bothered to check the Times Guide. :headache:
I will agree with you. They changed it to get you in trouble.
 
Great report so far. Glad you are writing this TR as your reports are such a joy to read.
Thanks for joining in!

Jeans? Didn't you check the weather before you left mid 80's during the day and 65 at night. What did you need jeans for?
The walk from the van to the terminal and the walk from the terminal to the van when we got back. Remember - we had to pack enough gear for 3 kids, plus Christmas presents for Bambi's parents. I didn't want to be standing around in shorts in Wisconsin in January trying to get all that repacked into the van for the drive home.

You call that meat? :lmao:
Some of the stuff in the hot dog comes from an animal, so technically, it's meat-like.

I will agree with you. They changed it to get you in trouble.
:headache:
 
joining in. Luvin the update so far. What a fantastic way to celebrate your birthday flying to WDW for dole whips and corn dogs :)
 


I'm here for the rebuttal! Loving it so far. I have to admit I'm a bit intrigued by the couch to 5K. I'd always taken that fairly literally. I'm definitely active and not on the couch but...not a runner though I've done a 5K a few times. So when you said you'd done a 5K but then mentioned doing the couch to...it intrigued me. Clearly it worked and quite well, I saw your time. I can't say I'm inspired to run yet but oh, the excuse for more disney trips is...tempting.

Love the birthday Dole Whip for Bambi, can't think of anything better.
 
hmm your thread didn't appear in my commented on thread for me to follow it yet so marking again :goodvibes Also got my sunglasses ready for when you post updates including that bright orange t-shirt. :goodvibes
 
joining in. Luvin the update so far. What a fantastic way to celebrate your birthday flying to WDW for dole whips and corn dogs :)
Welcome! And it looks like we'll be able to do it again next year! :banana:

I'm here for the rebuttal! Loving it so far. I have to admit I'm a bit intrigued by the couch to 5K. I'd always taken that fairly literally. I'm definitely active and not on the couch but...not a runner though I've done a 5K a few times. So when you said you'd done a 5K but then mentioned doing the couch to...it intrigued me. Clearly it worked and quite well, I saw your time. I can't say I'm inspired to run yet but oh, the excuse for more disney trips is...tempting.
Welcome! I certainly wasn't a runner before (not like I am now, but I at least have the metal!) and it really eased you into the program. Go for it! The runDisney events are a blast!
Love the birthday Dole Whip for Bambi, can't think of anything better.
I can - doing it two years in a row. And checking the times guide for Wishes. :headache:

hmm your thread didn't appear in my commented on thread for me to follow it yet so marking again :goodvibes Also got my sunglasses ready for when you post updates including that bright orange t-shirt. :goodvibes
That's probably because I haven't been on it in a few days! You may want to turn down the brightness on your monitor, as well. :rotfl:
 


As per usual, Evan is our early bird. And it really appears that his little brother is following in his pre-dawn footsteps. So after giving Ryder his bottle, we tossed him up into bed with Evan to play for a little while.

IMG_4635.JPG


Madison, meanwhile, complained about being cold while curling up in a tiny little ball under her thin little fleece blanket. Oh, if only there were other blankets that she could have covered up with.

IMG_4636.JPG


We finally convinced her to wake up so we could head up to Old Key West's Hospitality House for some breakfast. Despite being at pretty much the far back end of the resort, it was such a nice morning that we decided to walk to the front, rather than wait for a bus. (The bus would have to make 2 other stops before getting to the front of the resort anyway, so the walk is usually quicker anyway).

IMG_4638.JPG


As you can see, it was a pretty foggy morning. We were taking our time wandering along the sidewalk taking in the scenery, when some of the local wildlife started rustling. At first I thought it was just some squirrels or maybe some birds. Then noises started getting louder and angrier. Perhaps it was a gator, climbing out of the pond off to our left. But then....out of the fog ... emerged something far scarier.... Carl.

IMG_4640.JPG


[insert panicked screaming here]

Carl (DisneyDadC) was down at Disney World for the DisDad's convention - a gathering of a bunch of us from here on the DIS that we planned to correspond to Marathon Weekend. And he was staying in a building right across the cul de sac from us. Carl was catching a bus to Magic Kingdom that morning, so we walked up to the bus stop together. We left him there and continued our walk.

IMG_4644.JPG


Along the way, we popped onto the tee box of one of the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course holes and I let Even take a couple of hacks. He's and excellent driver - as long as he's using imaginary balls and clubs.

IMG_4646.JPG


We made it to the Hospitality House, had some decent quick serve breakfast (egg, cheese and bacon on a croissant) dining at a picnic table over looking the pool and the docks where you can catch the water taxi to Downtown Disney.

After breakfast, we hopped a bus to Hollywood Studios. I had to run down to ESPN Wild World of Sports today to grab all of the running gear, but wanted to get in one ride with the kids first. Bambi's parents had met us there and we stared down Sunset Blvd. We had just handed Ryder of to grandpa when grandma got a call about a job. We waited around for about a minute while she took the call, but then, in the distance I heard the rolling thunder of a Brazilian Tour Group. We made an executive decision that the posted 15 minute wait would probably double if we didn't jump in line now. See ya later, Grandma - we're about to hit the crowded freeways of LA!

We made it into the standby line just ahead of the sea of yellow shirts and basically breezed right into the preshow.

IMG_0908.jpg


After a soaring rendition of "Love in an Elevator" we arrived at the concert hall just in time! Again!

It was, however, time for me to catch a bus to ESPN. I bid a sad goodbye to the kids and watched the fight back tears as I walked away. Yeah, right. Madison and Evan had already grabbed Grandma's hand and were pulling her over to the standby line to ride again with Bambi and Ryder and Grandpa were busy playing "Tickle the Baby" on a bench. (Ryder was playing the part of the "baby".) I'm not sure anyone even noticed I left. Except for Bambi, when she asked for the credit card "just in case".

It was still pretty early, so most of the busses were just dropping off. I knew there was not direct bus to ESPN, so I wandered over by the bus stops to wait for a resort bus to either Pop Century or the All Stars (the closest resorts to ESPN.) I found a bus driver on the other side of a fence and asked him what the best resort bus would be. He agreed with Pop or All Stars and to me to hold tight, a bus should be around soon. A few minutes later, a bus pulled up to the Caribbean Beach stop. I figured it was close enough and went to hop on. The driver opened the door and asked if I was going to ESPN. I was a bit shocked, but said yes. He said a bus was dispatched to get me and was pulling in right behind him. Sure enough, the bus that just stopped at the station behind him was driven by the original bus driver I had talked to! After he left me, he said he went to his bus, called dispatch and told them I was waiting to get to ESPN. They told him to go a head and take me to Pop. I sat up in the front and had a nice conversation the driver all the way to the resort about his experiences driving Disney buses and life in general. Disney Transportation Rocks!

We pulled into Pop, and just as luck would have it, the ESPN bus was sitting there loading. These weren't just Disney buses, either. Disney contracted with several 3rd party bus companies for the Marathon Weekend transportation and we were riding in nice coach buses!

ESPN was a total madhouse when I got there. People were everywhere! I guess it's to be expected when 60,000 runners descend on an event. My first stop was the HP Field House to get our running bibs. Yes, I said "our" because I wasn't the only runner in the family. Evan and Madison were both competing in the Kids Races. And wouldn't you know it, pickup for the half marathon and ChEAR zone were downstairs, while the kids races were upstairs.

A view of the downstairs pickup area:
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Each one of those lighten booths along the walls corresponded to your bib number. Find your range of numbers, get in line, and a few minutes later you had your bib. It was very efficient. I also picked up the ChEAR Zone stuff for Bambi, her parents and the kids. They got the Gold level, which included a t-shirt, blanket, Mickey Clappers and most of all - a wristband that granted them access to special viewing locations in front of the Castle and at the bleachers at the finish line.

So, weighed down by 5 stadium blankets, 5 tshirts and 5 clappers, I headed up stairs to pick up the kids' race bibs. Turns out my year of training wasn't to run a half marathon - it was to pick up all the stuff for a half marathon.

IMG_0909.jpg


Soon enough I had all of the bibs, commemorative ears, commemorative pins, and ChEAR zone swag. Now it was time to head across the promenade to the Jostens Center where I could pick up stuff for me! And if I thought the bib pickup was hectic, the Health and Fitness Expo was absolutely insane. I made my way through the hoards of people to t-shirt pickup, then tried to browse the runDisney merchandise booths. They had a lot of really cool shirts, but I just couldn't pull the trigger on a $35 shirt, no matter how awesome it looked. I did, however, snap a shot of one that I really liked:

IMG_0910.jpg


I did get a Mickey Head magnet with the 2013 1/2 Marathon logo for $8 (minus the 10% AP discount!). Disney had one long, snaking line for the checkout, but at least 50 cash registers lining a wall so it went pretty fast.

I would have loved to browse all of the other vendor booths at the Expo, but they were packed to the gills with people and I was hungry enough to eat a horse. But enough about UK Burger Kings....

I hopped a bus back to Old Key West to drop all the gear off in the room. While there, I ran into some other DisDads - Scott, Chris and Carl (again). We all hopped a bus to MK, where Bambi and the family were headed after the morning at Hollywood Studios.

BUT WAIT! What were they doing all morning you ask? Well, I'm not exactly sure, it looks like they were having a pretty good time:

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Yes - they took out the landspeeder that was across from Star Tours and stationed a Photopass photographer there where they will insert Darth Vader into your picture.

They arrived at Magic Kingdom a few minutes ahead of me, and found that Christmas was now officially over. The tree, the garland, the decorations - all gone from the night before.

IMG_4647.JPG


Clearly, Ryder was upset by this.

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I made my way up Main Street where the family was watching the Dream Along with Mickey show at the castle. Well, Evan wasn't so much watching as he was spying.

IMG_4656.JPG


Up Next: An EPIC meeting of DisDads. And Dole Whips.
 
As per usual, Evan is our early bird. And it really appears that his little brother is following in his pre-dawn footsteps. So after giving Ryder his bottle, we tossed him up into bed with Evan to play for a little while.

IMG_4635.JPG
I think we should stick Juliana, Christopher, Ryder, & Evan in a room together. They could keep each other company while the rest of us can sleep to a normal hour. :rolleyes:

Then noises started getting louder and angrier. Perhaps it was a gator, climbing out of the pond off to our left. But then....out of the fog ... emerged something far scarier.... Carl.

IMG_4640.JPG


[insert panicked screaming here]
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You found him!!!! And look, he wasn't holding a beer! :rotfl2::rotfl2:

Along the way, we popped onto the tee box of one of the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course holes and I let Even take a couple of hacks. He's and excellent driver - as long as he's using imaginary balls and clubs.
Nice drive Evan! You could give Tiger Woods a run for his money.

We had just handed Ryder of to grandpa when grandma got a call about a job. We waited around for about a minute while she took the call, but then, in the distance I heard the rolling thunder of a Brazilian Tour Group. We made an executive decision that the posted 15 minute wait would probably double if we didn't jump in line now. See ya later, Grandma - we're about to hit the crowded freeways of LA!
Or turn into an 80 minute wait. :mad:

It was, however, time for me to catch a bus to ESPN. I bid a sad goodbye to the kids and watched the fight back tears as I walked away.
I didn't know you were so emotional.

I'm not sure anyone even noticed I left. Except for Bambi, when she asked for the credit card "just in case".
Nice work Bambi! :thumbsup2

Sure enough, the bus that just stopped at the station behind him was driven by the original bus driver I had talked to! After he left me, he said he went to his bus, called dispatch and told them I was waiting to get to ESPN. They told him to go a head and take me to Pop. I sat up in the front and had a nice conversation the driver all the way to the resort about his experiences driving Disney buses and life in general. Disney Transportation Rocks!
Nice job getting a guy fired.

ESPN was a total madhouse when I got there. People were everywhere! I guess it's to be expected when 60,000 runners descend on an event.
What time did you end up getting there? This was Thursday right?

They got the Gold level, which included a t-shirt, blanket, Mickey Clappers and most of all - a wristband that granted them access to special viewing locations in front of the Castle and at the bleachers at the finish line.
That's cool. I didn't know that you needed the Cheerzone to get access to MK.. or was that just to be able to get to the front of the castle?

So, weighed down by 5 stadium blankets, 5 tshirts and 5 clappers, I headed up stairs to pick up the kids' race bibs. Turns out my year of training wasn't to run a half marathon - it was to pick up all the stuff for a half marathon.
:lmao:

And if I thought the bib pickup was hectic, the Health and Fitness Expo was absolutely insane. I made my way through the hoards of people to t-shirt pickup, then tried to browse the runDisney merchandise booths. They had a lot of really cool shirts, but I just couldn't pull the trigger on a $35 shirt, no matter how awesome it looked. I did, however, snap a shot of one that I really liked:

IMG_0910.jpg
$35??????

I swear I got the same shirt after the race for $20. I spent $77 total.. lets do the math:
Pint Glass $12 77-12= 65
1/2 Magnet $8 65-8= 57
Long sleeve shirt was around $30 57-30= 27
Leaves $27 plus the tax I paid... so maybe it was $23 or something.

Could they possibly jack up the prices for the expo and lower them after the race?

And I didn't have my AP on me or I could of got a discount.:mad:



43927920044.jpg


43927920050.jpg


43927920052.jpg


Yes - they took out the landspeeder that was across from Star Tours and stationed a Photopass photographer there where they will insert Darth Vader into your picture.
Those Darth Vader pics are awesome!
 
As per usual, Evan is our early bird. And it really appears that his little brother is following in his pre-dawn footsteps. So after giving Ryder his bottle, we tossed him up into bed with Evan to play for a little while.
You need to work on getting Evan to give him the bottle. :rolleyes1

At first I thought it was just some squirrels or maybe some birds. Then noises started getting louder and angrier. Perhaps it was a gator, climbing out of the pond off to our left. But then....out of the fog ... emerged something far scarier.... Carl.
Come on Carl, if you're going to attack Barry from the brush, you've got to be a little more stealthy next time!!! :sad2:

Along the way, we popped onto the tee box of one of the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course holes and I let Even take a couple of hacks. He's and excellent driver - as long as he's using imaginary balls and clubs.
Any imaginary gophers? :confused3

We waited around for about a minute while she took the call, but then, in the distance I heard the rolling thunder of a Brazilian Tour Group. We made an executive decision that the posted 15 minute wait would probably double if we didn't jump in line now. See ya later, Grandma - we're about to hit the crowded freeways of LA!
Um.... yeah, definitely made the right call on that one.

After a soaring rendition of "Love in an Elevator"
But could you hear it over the Portuguese chants coming from the queue area?

I'm not sure anyone even noticed I left. Except for Bambi, when she asked for the credit card "just in case".
Don't embellish the story Barry. We all know she didn't notice. Why would she ask for the credit card when she already has her KTTW card? :confused3 :lmao:

Disney Transportation Rocks!
::yes::

Turns out my year of training wasn't to run a half marathon - it was to pick up all the stuff for a half marathon.
If the idea of running that far wasn't enough of a deterrent to keep me from a half marathon, going through the check in process probably would be.:lmao::rotfl2:

But enough about UK Burger Kings....
They have Burger King in the UK??? :confused3 :rotfl:

While there, I ran into some other DisDads - Scott, Chris and Carl (again).
Just remember, Barry. Team Tim always knows where you are... :rolleyes1

Yes - they took out the landspeeder that was across from Star Tours and stationed a Photopass photographer there where they will insert Darth Vader into your picture
Cool PP pictures. :thumbsup2
 
Could they possibly jack up the prices for the expo and lower them after the race?
Let's think about that one... we have all these Half Marathon shirts and the race is over now, what should we do with them??? :confused3
A. Give them away. :lmao::rotfl2:
B. Donate them to some third world country. :rolleyes1
C. Sell them for 1/2 price which will be a 500% mark up as opposed to 1000%:thumbsup2
 
Let's think about that one... we have all these Half Marathon shirts and the race is over now, what should we do with them??? :confused3
A. Give them away. :lmao::rotfl2:
B. Donate them to some third world country. :rolleyes1
C. Sell them for 1/2 price which will be a 500% mark up as opposed to 1000%:thumbsup2

That was more of a rhetorical question. :lmao::lmao:
 
great update. I'm with Evan and Ryder something about being near WDW wakes me up early :)
 
So I just discovered this. Don't get around to these boards too often, only when I see updates in TRs. Can't wait to hear more (so I can hopefully persuade DW to let me/us go next year so I can do the half)!
 
I think we should stick Juliana, Christopher, Ryder, & Evan in a room together. They could keep each other company while the rest of us can sleep to a normal hour. :rolleyes:

Maybe next time you go you should bring me and I can get up with the kids and go have Disney fun super early while the rest of you sleep :) :goodvibes
 
I agree that the Expo was INSANE! I was there without children and would have happily spent money (I had gotten an unexpected work bonus the week before that was burning a hole in my pocket) but it was too crowded to move.

Amanda
 
Madison, meanwhile, complained about being cold while curling up in a tiny little ball under her thin little fleece blanket. Oh, if only there were other blankets that she could have covered up with.

:rotfl2::rotfl2:

As you can see, it was a pretty foggy morning. We were taking our time wandering along the sidewalk taking in the scenery, when some of the local wildlife started rustling. At first I thought it was just some squirrels or maybe some birds. Then noises started getting louder and angrier. Perhaps it was a gator, climbing out of the pond off to our left. But then....out of the fog ... emerged something far scarier.... Carl.

[insert panicked screaming here]

:scared1:

Along the way, we popped onto the tee box of one of the Lake Buena Vista Golf Course holes and I let Even take a couple of hacks. He's and excellent driver - as long as he's using imaginary balls and clubs.

Most of my best shots have come that way as well.

Oh, and Rain Man. :thumbsup2

We waited around for about a minute while she took the call, but then, in the distance I heard the rolling thunder of a Brazilian Tour Group. We made an executive decision that the posted 15 minute wait would probably double if we didn't jump in line now. See ya later, Grandma - we're about to hit the crowded freeways of LA!

Really, the only decision that could have been made.

It was, however, time for me to catch a bus to ESPN. I bid a sad goodbye to the kids and watched the fight back tears as I walked away. Yeah, right. Madison and Evan had already grabbed Grandma's hand and were pulling her over to the standby line to ride again with Bambi and Ryder and Grandpa were busy playing "Tickle the Baby" on a bench. (Ryder was playing the part of the "baby".) I'm not sure anyone even noticed I left. Except for Bambi, when she asked for the credit card "just in case".

Fatherhood is a glamorous business.

The driver opened the door and asked if I was going to ESPN. I was a bit shocked, but said yes. He said a bus was dispatched to get me and was pulling in right behind him. Sure enough, the bus that just stopped at the station behind him was driven by the original bus driver I had talked to!

:cool1::woohoo: Disney bus pixie dust!

I sat up in the front and had a nice conversation the driver all the way to the resort about his experiences driving Disney buses and life in general. Disney Transportation Rocks!

Get any tips? I'm assuming you'll be applying for one of these positions as a retirement job, like the rest of us.

So, weighed down by 5 stadium blankets, 5 tshirts and 5 clappers, I headed up stairs to pick up the kids' race bibs. Turns out my year of training wasn't to run a half marathon - it was to pick up all the stuff for a half marathon.

Disney's Iron Man Race forces you to carry all this crap while you're running.

They had a lot of really cool shirts, but I just couldn't pull the trigger on a $35 shirt, no matter how awesome it looked. I did, however, snap a shot of one that I really liked:

For $35, it should run the race for you.

I would have loved to browse all of the other vendor booths at the Expo, but they were packed to the gills with people and I was hungry enough to eat a horse. But enough about UK Burger Kings....

:crazy2:

Yes - they took out the landspeeder that was across from Star Tours and stationed a Photopass photographer there where they will insert Darth Vader into your picture.

Not a bad trade. Not a bad trade at all! Much better than, say, trading O'hana for 1900 Park Fare.
 
I think we should stick Juliana, Christopher, Ryder, & Evan in a room together. They could keep each other company while the rest of us can sleep to a normal hour. :rolleyes:
That sounds like a good idea, but my "normal hour" is usually around sunrise anyway.
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You found him!!!! And look, he wasn't holding a beer!
No, it was like 8 am. It was a chocolate doughnut. :rotfl:
Nice drive Evan! You could give Tiger Woods a run for his money.
On the golf course or in a Cadillac on Thanksgiving?

Or turn into an 80 minute wait. :mad:
Oh come on, that never happens. ;)
I didn't know you were so emotional.
Its called "sensitive." Or something like that.

Nice work Bambi!
:headache:
What time did you end up getting there? This was Thursday right?
Yes, it was Thursday. I think I got there around 10 or so.

That's cool. I didn't know that you needed the Cheerzone to get access to MK.. or was that just to be able to get to the front of the castle?
Anyone can get into the MK, but there was a special roped off area in front the the castle for ChearZone. They also had a special section of bleachers at the finish line they got access to.

$35??????

I swear I got the same shirt after the race for $20. I spent $77 total.. lets do the math:
Pint Glass $12 77-12= 65
1/2 Magnet $8 65-8= 57
Long sleeve shirt was around $30 57-30= 27
Leaves $27 plus the tax I paid... so maybe it was $23 or something.
The one in that picture may have been cheaper. I was looking at the tech running shirts that were all $35.
Could they possibly jack up the prices for the expo and lower them after the race?
I found half a picked over rack of marathon and half marathon stuff at Team Mickey on Sunday. Not much left, but none of it was discounted.
And I didn't have my AP on me or I could of got a discount.:mad:
Annual Pass. Don't leave home without it.

Those Darth Vader pics are awesome!
::yes::

You need to work on getting Evan to give him the bottle. :rolleyes1
I'd be worried about what he'd put in it.

Come on Carl, if you're going to attack Barry from the brush, you've got to be a little more stealthy next time!!!
Hard to exercise your ninja skills when you're mowing down a chocolate doughnut.

Any imaginary gophers? :confused3
Only the ones made of C4. :squirrel:

Um.... yeah, definitely made the right call on that one.
Buh bye!:wave2:

But could you hear it over the Portuguese chants coming from the queue area?
They were playing the Portuguese version of the song. :(

Don't embellish the story Barry. We all know she didn't notice. Why would she ask for the credit card when she already has her KTTW card? :confused3 :lmao:
Yeah, like I give her card charging privileges. :rolleyes1

If the idea of running that far wasn't enough of a deterrent to keep me from a half marathon, going through the check in process probably would be.:lmao::rotfl2:
What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. That darn near killed me.

They have Burger King in the UK??? :confused3 :rotfl:
Yes, and inspectors found horse meat in some of their burgers.:scared:

Just remember, Barry. Team Tim always knows where you are... :rolleyes1
Yes. Usually ahead of him. :wave2:
Cool PP pictures. :thumbsup2
::yes::
 
Let's think about that one... we have all these Half Marathon shirts and the race is over now, what should we do with them??? :confused3
A. Give them away. :lmao::rotfl2:
B. Donate them to some third world country. :rolleyes1
C. Sell them for 1/2 price which will be a 500% mark up as opposed to 1000%:thumbsup2
D:. Shop rags in the monorail maintenance shed.

great update. I'm with Evan and Ryder something about being near WDW wakes me up early :)
Theres no time to sleep on vacation!
 

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