Poor Unfortunate Soles: Marathon Weekend 2013 (5K, Half and Full Marathon)-COMPLETE!!

[Ariel484]

The end is in sight!!! Great job.

Thanks!! Just a little over a 5K left!

I'm glad you made it out of WWOS!! I was totally having flashbacks of the tower of terror race as you retold your race!!! This was the point I felt like it would never end!!! Did they send you a questionnaire about the race?? I really hope they listen and maybe change who is in charge of making the plans for these races.

They did NOT send a questionnaire. I'm not sure if they do that if it's not a brand new race...this was a new COURSE but as far as I know they don't seem to be super interested in getting feedback. I'll be very curious to see if they keep the course the same next year.

You're getting me choked up too! I don't know if I can do a marathon as my body doesn't like even 10 miles, but I can persevere for 3.1 more miles. Not 16.2.

You'd be surprised as what you can accomplish when you stick to a training plan! Never say never!

So exciting!! Almost there!!

Woohoo!!

Awesome update! Now I know we were running close to one another. "Richard Simmons" was near us most of the race. We started in corral D with him right up front. He was hilarious.
I had the same EXACT feeling when I hit mile marker 23. I think I started crying and it was funny because I was laughing because I could not figure out at the time why I was crying. That goofy challenge will get you. I have run a marathon before and did not get emotional, however mile marker 23 and as soon as we entered Epcot was like all the adrenalin from the weekend was just draining out and I could not help myself. Thank god I had sunglasses on lol!!!

Richard was great! He definitely provided some much-needed entertainment!

I totally know what you mean. Last year when I ran the marathon I cried at the finish line, so I was thrown for a loop when I found myself getting teary-eyed in the Studios. You just never know! "The goofy challenge will get you"...I like that!

This is not the first complaint I've heard about mile 20. You described it about the same way that it's described on the Mickey Miles podcast, believe it or not.

Either way, I am amazed that you were able to do this and just seeing the pictures. . .awe just doesn't quite describe it!

Yeah, like I said in the trip report, I would have thought it was so cool if they hadn't built it up so much for months and months. The way they were talking it was like Walt Disney himself was going to make an appearance!

The Princess Half is almost here!!! Are you ready??

amen!

Seriously, you never know what you're capable of until you try!

The Backlot Tour Tunnel......AHHHHHHHH!!! I was so incredibly happy when we had that brief respite from the sun.

YES. The Backlot Tunnel was glorious.

I will forgive having to run all around WWoS and the meh mile 20 deal simply because of those wonderful sponges they were handing out. Like you I didn't think to hang on to mine either. Great job!

Those sponges were amazing! I am definitely making a mental note for next time to hold on to mine.

 

[Ariel484]

2013 Walt Disney World Marathon! Challenge Complete!!

The emotion I felt at Mile Marker 23 was gone almost as soon as it had hit me, and now it was back to work. I passed Mike and Sulley before leaving the Studios (again, pretty disappointing as far as the characters go) and found Mile Marker 24 by the Boardwalk.

I slowed down to walk for a bit and take my last batch of Gu chomps. They weren't going to give me some magical burst of energy to tackle the last 2.2 miles, but I was STARVING so I ate them anyway. I also texted a bit with Will, who was waiting for me by Yacht and Beach, and the bro, who was somewhere in Epcot. Fans!!

While eating my chomps I did a few calculations (as much as I could do with my brain being total mush at that point) and realized that if I kept up my current pace there was a small chance I could finish this thing in under 6 hours. Excitement!

I spy Spaceship Earth...

I headed over the bridge near the Swan and Dolphin and over the dock area. I kept my eyes peeled for Will...he told me he'd be under the ship/slide at Stormalong Bay.

And then I saw him!!!!! YAY!!!

He clapped and told me how great I was doing...I think he was surprised that 1. I was still running, and 2. I wanted to stop for a picture (I momentarily forgot about my time goal). He gave me a kiss and a few ladies around us ooh-ed and ahh-ed and said "How cute!" Aw, shucks.

After this picture a woman scurried over to us yelling, "Wait! Wait!" She grabbed the camera and took this for us. Thank you, ma'am! I told Will he didn't have to touch me because I was completely soaked in sweat (my shirt felt like it weighed about 10 pounds), but he did! That's love right there.

If he had to miss me at one area of the course - mile 7 in front of the Grand Floridian or here at mile 24.5 - I am SO glad it wasn't here. It was such a boost to see him so late in the race. I could not stop smiling. And I'm hoping that having been on the course will help to convince him to do a Disney race with me someday! I'm trying not to be too pushy, but I think I have him on board for an Expedition Everest Challenge at some point. Fingers crossed.

Anyway, we made plans to meet once I was done and I took off toward Epcot. The course took us past the International Gateway and to a backstage area of the park that had the last water stop on the course. With my sub-6-hour goal in mind I ran past it and headed toward the UK Pavillion. Princess C had texted that he was near the red phone booths in the UK, but I was disappointed not to see him.

Lots of spectators here. We took a right and as I approached Rose & Crown I heard someone yell, "SHANNON...SHAN!"

It's Princess C! Should have known he'd be at the pub.

He pulled out his phone and recorded a short "interview" with me, which I forgot to upload. From what I can remember it went something like this:

Princess C: So how does it feel to be running the marathon?
Me: It hurts!

Yes, I'm quite the wordsmith.

We said good-bye and I continued on with my longest-ever trek around the World Showcase...

The course took us over the bridge to France (cruel!), home of Mile Marker 25.

I took my picture, waddled for a bit, and continued on. During the last mile of the 2012 marathon I was fighting through some pretty intense piriformis (i.e. butt) pain during this last mile (it started in Morocco and stayed with me until the finish), and I remember thinking that there was no way that the pain wasn't going to come back this year now that I was almost done. I kept running...and waiting...but it never came. All pain in my body just seemed to be concentrated in my feet and quads (woohoo! I guess? ) and somehow I was succeeding at mostly blocking that out.

I made it through the World Showcase as fast as I possibly could, still marveling at the fact that I was keeping up a decent pace. Park guests were cheering on the runners and I didn't stop for any characters (no one rare out, just the same ones you'd see in the park on any given day - which I guess makes sense because day guests would mob any rare charactesr). I was back to feeling like I wanted to be DONE, but this time I knew being DONE meant successfully completing the race.

The gospel choir was out again...

...and after first seeing it from the monorail that morning 8 hours earlier (!), there was Mile Marker 26.

A few twists and turns later, it was finally over.

Eh, no it wasn't. Do you see who I see in the above picture? Time goal be darned, I'm not gonna pass up an opportunity to get a picture with my girl in her track suit.

(I just noticed on Monday that Goofy is in the above picture as well! CRAAAAAP I so would have gotten a picture with both if I'd noticed, especially since I was about to complete the Goofy Challenge! Arg. Oh well, I am thrilled with the picture I DID get.)

Just like the previous day, I took my picture, turned around and stepped over the finish line. I'd done it...NOW it was really over.

Final time: 26.2 miles in 5:59:30 (just squeaked in there!), average pace of 13:43/mile. Finished at 11:50AM, 21 minutes faster than the 2012 marathon.

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

2013 Walt Disney World Marathon! OOOH SHINY

I actually don't remember feeling very emotional when crossing the finish line. I just kind of walked through the chute like it was the most normal thing in the world and went straight to a volunteer. One amazingly awesome finisher medal, please!

From later:
"I Only Hope That We Don't Lost Sight Of One Thing...It Was All Started By A Mouse."

"All Our Dreams Can Come True, If We Have The Courage To Pursue Them."

Double-spinner action:

In case the fact that I have 5 pictures of this medal doesn't tip you off, the marathon medal is BY FAR my favorite medal from the weekend, and my favorite one that I own. It's fantastic...and heavy (it weighs half a pound!)!

After receiving that awesome piece of hardware, I continued on through the chute and grabbed one bottle of water and one bottle of red Powerade. I opened the Powerade and immediately started guzzling. A woman wearing a Celebration Hospital t-shirt (official medical provider of the race weekend) was shouting that no one could pass her without an open bottle in their hand and that we all needed to start re-hydrating immediately. If people didn't have open bottles she'd open the bottles for them or hand them something to drink. This heat advisory was serious business.

I had one last stop I needed to make before heading back to the room. I hobbled toward the Goofy tent and locked eyes with a volunteer holding a medal...MY medal. It was like something out of a movie: we walked toward one other in slow motion (well, I walked in slow motion - I'm sure he was walking at a more normal speed ) and I felt myself get choked up again. I'd done it. I'd actually done it.

Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge medal:

Back of the medal (I didn't notice this until about a week after the trip when Will pointed it out to me): "1 marathon, 1 half marathon, 2 days, 4 theme parks, 39.3 miles!" AWESOME.

Will is kind enough to let me display my race medals on a wall at home, and I seriously cannot comprehend that I have one of these. Sometimes I just stare at it, like..."Where did THAT come from??" I was all-business through most of the marathon and only let my emotions get to me a few times, but now that it's done...I can't believe I did it.

The haul from the weekend...Officially Dopey.

Continued in Next Post

 

[Ariel484]

2013 Walt Disney World Marathon! Final Thoughts

I have to admit that I have some really conflicted thoughts about this race...

1. The starting/staging area was fine. Much more organized than it was the morning of the half...so really about the same as it's been at other Disney races I've done. Love the piece of mind I got from the monorail transportation.

2. In comparing the new course to the old one, I have to say that the old one wins for me. I hate to say this for anyone reading that hasn't run a marathon at WDW before, but I couldn't help but compare the two. I appreciated that some of the back roads were cut out, and I know there are other runners that loved the new additions of the Speedway and the WWoS. My two biggest issues were that I really missed the first few miles going through Epcot, and I HATED having Animal Kingdom at the halfway point of the race instead of at miles 16-18. The Speedway was okay - just long and out in the sun - but the WWoS portion went on FOREVER.

3. The course gripes are really the only issues I had with the marathon. Just like the half, despite a complaint or two this was a great race. The organizers definitely had a big challenge with the weather and I think they did a great job. The water stops were excellent - LOVED that they re-filled runners' bottles and poured water over our heads - and as usual the volunteers were incredible. The course was nowhere near as crowded as the half course was and runner etiquette seemed better...so thumbs up there! Great entertainment and character stops (Darkwing Duck, the Christmas characters, Royal Mickey & Minnie, etc.) and wonderful spectator support. Such a great environment.

4. And speaking of spectators...if someone is coming to watch you race, may I suggest having them try to catch you in the latter miles? SUCH a boost to see Will and Craig out on the course. Definitely my favorite memories from the weekend.

5. This was kind of a weird race for me. I remember feeling conflicted because I just didn't feel as much pure...I don't know...JOY while out on the course compared to the other races I've run at Disney. Not that I didn't have an amazing time, because I did.

I'm not sure what the cause of that was - certainly the pain I felt in the latter miles was a factor, but I think it was also because I was running the race by myself. Rather than have someone else to share everything with I was able to just zone out and almost be on auto-pilot the entire time...and while I'm glad to know I can complete a marathon on my own I'm kind of sad that I came away from the race not really feeling like I soaked in the experience as much as I should have. I hope the bro will return to WDW to run more races with me...I missed sharing that with him (I think there's a good chance he will...he was REALLY disappointed at not being able to run the marathon).

6. Related to #5 above, running a marathon for the second time is SO much different than running the first one. It certainly helped with training - knowing I'd done it before and could do it again - but I think this is part of what helped me to go into auto-pilot. I knew I could finish, so I just zoned out and did my thing.

I'm not sure if any of this makes sense...I feel like I'm still processing the weekend as a whole, and the marathon itself in particular. Plus, I haven't really had coffee yet. Excuse the rambling. I'll post thoughts on going Goofy - and Dopey - at some point here too. Still trying to process that as well.

Continued in Next Post

 

[steph0808]

So awesome! You did so good and made it in under 6 hours!

My brother and sister-in-law were standing right around mile 25 when we came into Epcot. After not seeing any family members the whole race (bus transportation was horrible for them - next time, monorail!), I did tear up a bit when I saw them. I was just so happy to see and talk to someone I knew!

For some reason, I also passed up Mickey at the finish line - I am still mad about that. I was pretty much delusional by that point and just wanted to finish (I was also pissed that the clock had turned over the 7 hours even though I was not in corral A and my time was under 7!)

 

[DancinDaisyDuck]

OMG Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! It's incredible to think of all you accomplished and just looking at your medals is inspiring. You should be SO proud of yourself!

 

[mrsdrake625]

You are SO INSPIRING. Can't believe you did all three races... so crazy!! Well done. I hope your feet feel better by now.

Yup, I was running on the treadmill today in the gym and started thinking, "what races do I really want to train for?" And of course, reading your trip report recently made me think, "a Disney race!" now just to decide which one. But... just one for now.

thanks for sharing this!

 

[CAStevens218]

CONGRATULATIONS! Such an accomplishment!

I LOVE reading your running trip reports. They are what first got me to do the half marathon in 2012 and now you have me considering something for next year! Thanks for the enthusiasm and motivation!

 

[DisneyParrothead]

Yay! That is some serious bling

 

[ZellyB]

Wow! Under 6 hours is so great!!! Congratulations on 3 amazing races. I'm so glad that Will and Craig were able to see you there at the end. I can see how that would give you a huge boost. And, I should have stopped at the finish line for my picture, my husband encouraged me to, but all I could think about was getting over that line. Maybe next time.

 

[Ram7730]

First Congratulations on your finish and thank you for sharing it. If you dont mind I have a question for you. I am looking at staying at one of the boardwalk villas next year when I attempt the goofy. Based upon the location it seems like this would be very convenient since it is a one mile walk from Epcot. Do you think this would work out well as far as giving me a little extra time before the race and would the location make it unnecessary to take a bus on race morning? Thanks for any info you have and congratulations again

 

[Ariel484]

So awesome! You did so good and made it in under 6 hours!

My brother and sister-in-law were standing right around mile 25 when we came into Epcot. After not seeing any family members the whole race (bus transportation was horrible for them - next time, monorail!), I did tear up a bit when I saw them. I was just so happy to see and talk to someone I knew!

For some reason, I also passed up Mickey at the finish line - I am still mad about that. I was pretty much delusional by that point and just wanted to finish (I was also pissed that the clock had turned over the 7 hours even though I was not in corral A and my time was under 7!)

Thanks Steph!

That's so great that you were able to see your brother and SIL! Good place for them to camp out too, right near the end. I've never spectated one of these races but I bet it's tough!

I bet a lot of people pass the characters at the finish, which is fair...I mean, after all that time, the finish line is finally there and that's your focus.

Are you going to post any more about your trip on your blog??

OMG Congratulations! I'm so happy for you! It's incredible to think of all you accomplished and just looking at your medals is inspiring. You should be SO proud of yourself!

Thank you so much! To be honest, I am more proud of myself for making it through the months of training...getting to complete the races was icing on the cake.

You are SO INSPIRING. Can't believe you did all three races... so crazy!! Well done. I hope your feet feel better by now.

Yup, I was running on the treadmill today in the gym and started thinking, "what races do I really want to train for?" And of course, reading your trip report recently made me think, "a Disney race!" now just to decide which one. But... just one for now.

thanks for sharing this!

Thanks! Oh yeah, my feet are fine now. WHEW. I think it took a few days for them to go back to normal.

If you like running and you like Disney (which you obviously do since you're on this board), then you gotta do at least one Disney race. "Just one for now"...just you wait. They are so addicting!!

CONGRATULATIONS! Such an accomplishment!

I LOVE reading your running trip reports. They are what first got me to do the half marathon in 2012 and now you have me considering something for next year! Thanks for the enthusiasm and motivation!

Thank you! Which one are you looking at next?

Yay! That is some serious bling

Yeah it is! Disney bling is the best.

Wow! Under 6 hours is so great!!! Congratulations on 3 amazing races. I'm so glad that Will and Craig were able to see you there at the end. I can see how that would give you a huge boost. And, I should have stopped at the finish line for my picture, my husband encouraged me to, but all I could think about was getting over that line. Maybe next time.

Thanks...and congratulations to you and your husband as well!

Definitely put that finish line character photo at the top of your list! You won't regret it!

First Congratulations on your finish and thank you for sharing it. If you dont mind I have a question for you. I am looking at staying at one of the boardwalk villas next year when I attempt the goofy. Based upon the location it seems like this would be very convenient since it is a one mile walk from Epcot. Do you think this would work out well as far as giving me a little extra time before the race and would the location make it unnecessary to take a bus on race morning? Thanks for any info you have and congratulations again

Thanks!!

I hate to break this to you...but NO, you cannot walk to the start from the Boardwalk or any of the Epcot-area resorts. The staging area is near the front of the park and the park itself won't be open that early, so if you stay at the Boardwalk you'll need to take a bus. You CAN walk back to the resort after you finish, but you'd need to go through the park and thus would need a ticket for entry.

Technically it is against the rules to walk to the starting area from ANY Disney resort...I know people do it though. Personally I never would - don't want to risk getting lost or busted by security.

But the Boardwalk would be a great choice for marathon weekend. If anyone is coming along with you, it will be super easy for them to spectate during the marathon - just walk out of the resort and they're right at Mile 24/25. I stayed at Beach Club Villas last year and my mom and brother were at Yacht Club - my mom walked over to Hollywood Studios to watch us run out of the park. Super easy.

One downside of the Epcot resorts is that ALL of them - Swan, Dolphin, Yacht Club and Beach Club - share buses to and from the expo and the staging areas for the races. But this really was not a problem for us last year. We got on the bus by 3:40 (I think) for the marathon, made a couple of stops (which was okay by me - the bus was warm and I knew we were on our way) and got to the staging area by 4. It was a pretty fast ride. Coming back, I remember that I didn't want my legs to tighten up after the race and made the choice that I would get off at whatever resort was the first stop and walk. Boardwalk was the first stop, so I got off there and walked around Crescent Lake to Beach Club. There were plenty of buses.

Personally I like to catch the race transportation by 3:30/3:40 to make sure I have plenty of time to get to the starting area. It stinks, but it's part of what you're signing up for, I guess.

I hope this helped. Probably not exactly what you wanted to hear...

 

[mpeanut]

Congratulations! Such an amazing journey and report to read. I really enjoy seeing all the pictures along the way - You take great photographs!
Can I ask which garmin you use? I was thinking of getting on for DH for his birthday...and then one for myself in a few months for my birthday since I hope I'll be running longer distances by then

 

[Ram7730]

Thank you for the quick response. Was hoping to get extra sleep but guess it doesnt work that way. Still sounds like Boardwalk Villas will be a good choice based on your info though. I will be buying some DVC points and hopefully making my reservation made in the next few days. After reading your report I cant wait to run the race. Hopefully I can keep up with the kids while Im recovering after the race.

 

[Ariel484]

Congratulations! Such an amazing journey and report to read. I really enjoy seeing all the pictures along the way - You take great photographs!

Thanks, and thanks for checking out the report!

Can I ask which garmin you use? I was thinking of getting on for DH for his birthday...and then one for myself in a few months for my birthday since I hope I'll be running longer distances by then

But of course!

When I first started running I used a Garmin Forerunner 305, which is no longer made (thought you can buy it on eBay or Amazon.com - it's currently listed there for $330! I did NOT pay that much when I bought mine in 2010). I used it for about 2.5 years and liked it, but it was a gigantic watch and it actually began to hurt my wrist, so much so that I actually had some bruising. So I decided I needed to get something new and SMALLER.

Currently I use a Garmin Forerunner 210. I bought the special edition white one WITHOUT the heart rate monitor and foot pod right around Thanksgiving...they were offering a $50 rebate for coaches and my husband is a tennis coach, so we bought it under his name.

You can probably see me wearing it in the pictures...note that it looks like a NORMAL WATCH. Compare that to the 305 I had on in 2011 and 2012, which looks like a small computer on my wrist.

305 in 2011:

210 in 2013:

It also comes in black.

For one with a heart-rate monitor it's $250. For one with a heart-rate monitor and foot pod (for treadmill running) It's $300.

When you run, the watch displays your distance, overall time, and either your current (instant) pace or your overall average pace - you pick which pace to display (I am using average pace right now). This is why I chose this watch - I wanted to be able to have the option of either pace, and I know some Garmin watches only have one or the other.

ACK, sorry this picture is so gigantic! You can also set up intervals on the watch, but I haven't used that feature.

The other watch I was looking at is the Garmin Forerunner 10. There is a women's model (green or pink) and a men's model (black). I don't know as much about this one because it's not the one I ultimately bought, but it's Garmin's newest and most affordable watch. I chose the 210 over this one for a few reasons:

1. The Forerunner 10 only displays current/instant pace - you can't see your average pace, and I wanted that option.
2. The screen displays 2 fields at a time (i.e. distance and pace, distance and time, etc.) and I wanted to be able to see distance, pace AND time.
3. The 10 only stores data from your last 7 workouts, while the 210 stores more data. I dump it all into Garmin Connect (see below), but in case I'm not able to do that right after my workout I don't want anything erased.
4. The deciding factor for me was the battery life. The 10 has a 5-hour battery life and the 210 has an 8-hour battery life, and I knew the marathon was going to take me longer than 5 hours, so I went with the 210.

Both watches are compatible with Garmin Connect (which is a really cool, free tool! You get an account and can log your workouts there to see your pace, elevation, etc.) and both get good and bad reviews. I have a co-worker that has the Forerunner 10 and he really likes it. He wears it as his everyday watch and turns off the GPS feature. I don't think there's a heart-rate monitor option for that watch, so if that's something you or your husband want you'll have to look at a different model.

You might also want to check out the Garmin Forerunner 110. It's sort of in-between the 10 and 210. It has an 8-hour battery life, but it only displays average pace and it is not capable of doing interval training.

I'd recommend reading some Amazon reviews of these watches and checking out http://www.dcrainmaker.com/. DC Rainmaker has reviewed all 3 watches and while his reviews are long, they are very thorough. I remember reading reviews until my head spun, but ultimately the rebate deal and getting a 210 for $150 was just too good a deal to pass up for me, especially with the current/average pace option and the longer battery life. Amazon sometimes has really good prices on the watches (the 110 is $150-$185 right now) and I like Running Warehouse too - that is where I saw the $50 rebate in November. Either way I think you'd get free shipping..sadly the WISH discount code doesn't work for getting the watch from Running Warehouse.


I hope this helps!!

 

[steph0808]

Thanks Steph!

That's so great that you were able to see your brother and SIL! Good place for them to camp out too, right near the end. I've never spectated one of these races but I bet it's tough!

I bet a lot of people pass the characters at the finish, which is fair...I mean, after all that time, the finish line is finally there and that's your focus.

Are you going to post any more about your trip on your blog??

You caught me! haha. It was on my to-do list for Monday, but I ended up working on a photo book instead of posting to my blog. I really need to get it done before I forget it all!

You are spending Christmas and New Year's at AKL? That is awesome! We were there for Christmas wayyyy back in 1996 and had such a great time!

What is your next Disney race plan? My brother (who took absolutely no convincing!) said he would run ToT or a half with me at Disney! I think I inspired him when I ran the marathon! I am thinking ToT, W&D, or Donald. I am leaning towards Donald because of monorail and it being a morning race. I get cranky when it is past my bedtime!

 

[Ariel484]

Thank you for the quick response. Was hoping to get extra sleep but guess it doesnt work that way. Still sounds like Boardwalk Villas will be a good choice based on your info though. I will be buying some DVC points and hopefully making my reservation made in the next few days. After reading your report I cant wait to run the race. Hopefully I can keep up with the kids while Im recovering after the race.

Yeah, I get it. I was most nervous about having multiple super-early wake-up calls that weekend. No fun! Boardwalk Villas is a great choice though...I LOVE that resort. And it will be very easy for your kiddos to pop out and watch you run past, which will be a nice boost for you so late in the race.

 

[Ariel484]

You caught me! haha. It was on my to-do list for Monday, but I ended up working on a photo book instead of posting to my blog. I really need to get it done before I forget it all!

MWAHAHAHA.

A photo book of marathon weekend or something else? I've wanted to make photo books for the races in the past but never got around to it. Might be a good gift idea for the bro.

You are spending Christmas and New Year's at AKL? That is awesome! We were there for Christmas wayyyy back in 1996 and had such a great time!

Technically not Christmas - we'll get there a few days after Christmas and then stay until January 4. I'm excited but nervous about the crowds...but with Will's teaching schedule we are so limited with when we can go for longer periods of time. It's really either winter break or over the summer (spring break isn't an option because he's a tennis coach and that's when practice starts). When we went in June 2011 we really struggled in the heat and Will said he never wanted to go again over the summer just because it was so hot. It's okay by me because I LOVE seeing the Christmas decorations. Our original plan was to rent points and do a split-stay at AKL and the Villas at Wilderness Lodge. The point rental for the first part of the trip at AKL went through fine, but right at the 11-month mark I tried to rent at VWL and it was BOOKED SOLID. In fact, I was told that EVERYTHING was booked except for AKL, Saratoga and Old Key West! I'm pretty sure discounts never come out for rooms during that week and while we really wanted to stay at Wilderness Lodge (and are really disappointed that it didn't work out ) there's no way we'd pay full price for a room there, so we made a second reservation at AKL (technically AKV, I guess). I'm stunned that DVC was totally booked, and really quite nervous for the crowds...but I know we'll have an amazing time. We probably could have fooled around with the dates and made VWL happen, but I think it would have gotten too confusing.

What is your next Disney race plan? My brother (who took absolutely no convincing!) said he would run ToT or a half with me at Disney! I think I inspired him when I ran the marathon! I am thinking ToT, W&D, or Donald. I am leaning towards Donald because of monorail and it being a morning race. I get cranky when it is past my bedtime!

Well, I definitely want to do all of the longer Disney races at least once, so I still have Tower of Terror 10-miler, Wine & Dine Half Marathon, Tinkerbell Half Marathon and the Disneyland Half Marathon on my list. I mentioned ToT and Wine & Dine to my brother and he didn't bite! He actually seemed really freaked out at the idea of doing a night race. It legitimately seemed to give him the heebie-jeebies.

I can't see either of the California races happening any time soon because they'll need to be quick weekend trips and I'd want to try to schedule it so that I can get a C2C medal (plus Disneyland is sold out). Tower of Terror and Wine & Dine aren't in the cards this year because I'm going on a Disney cruise in September and then we'll be back for our longer trip in December...and I want us to have a savings account. That's another reason why I didn't sign up for Disneyland this year. So nothing else for 2013.

Will has been saying that he wants to do the Expedition Everest Challenge at some point, so it's possible that we'll do that in 2014. If that doesn't happen then my next race at Disney will most likely be Goofy in 2015. We want to have a kiddo at some point and money (like I said), so that might be it for awhile.

That is awesome that your brother wants to run with you! You'll love having someone else there to experience the race with you...it makes it so much better. I haven't done a nighttime race yet at Disney but from what I have read about them it seems like doing a morning race as one's first race at Disney is a good idea just because it goes through the Magic Kingdom and there are more characters/entertainment...so that will probably be more fun for your brother's first Disney race. Either way it's a new medal for you! I hope he's more dedicated to training than my brother was!

 

[suzyq0626]

Congrats on finishing all of the races. You've definitely inspired me to get to disney for one. I'm still hoping for the princess half in 2014, but I have to see what I can work out for it from a training perspective and with the family. Now to find some more runDisney trip reports to read!

Do you train on the treadmill at all during the cold months or run outside?

Congrats again!

 

[mpeanut]

Thanks, and thanks for checking out the report!


But of course!

When I first started running I used a Garmin Forerunner 305, which is no longer made (thought you can buy it on eBay or Amazon.com - it's currently listed there for $330! I did NOT pay that much when I bought mine in 2010). I used it for about 2.5 years and liked it, but it was a gigantic watch and it actually began to hurt my wrist, so much so that I actually had some bruising. So I decided I needed to get something new and SMALLER.

Currently I use a Garmin Forerunner 210. I bought the special edition white one WITHOUT the heart rate monitor and foot pod right around Thanksgiving...they were offering a $50 rebate for coaches and my husband is a tennis coach, so we bought it under his name.

You can probably see me wearing it in the pictures...note that it looks like a NORMAL WATCH. Compare that to the 305 I had on in 2011 and 2012, which looks like a small computer on my wrist.

305 in 2011:

210 in 2013:

It also comes in black.

For one with a heart-rate monitor it's $250. For one with a heart-rate monitor and foot pod (for treadmill running) It's $300.

When you run, the watch displays your distance, overall time, and either your current (instant) pace or your overall average pace - you pick which pace to display (I am using average pace right now). This is why I chose this watch - I wanted to be able to have the option of either pace, and I know some Garmin watches only have one or the other.

ACK, sorry this picture is so gigantic! You can also set up intervals on the watch, but I haven't used that feature.

The other watch I was looking at is the Garmin Forerunner 10. There is a women's model (green or pink) and a men's model (black). I don't know as much about this one because it's not the one I ultimately bought, but it's Garmin's newest and most affordable watch. I chose the 210 over this one for a few reasons:

1. The Forerunner 10 only displays current/instant pace - you can't see your average pace, and I wanted that option.
2. The screen displays 2 fields at a time (i.e. distance and pace, distance and time, etc.) and I wanted to be able to see distance, pace AND time.
3. The 10 only stores data from your last 7 workouts, while the 210 stores more data. I dump it all into Garmin Connect (see below), but in case I'm not able to do that right after my workout I don't want anything erased.
4. The deciding factor for me was the battery life. The 10 has a 5-hour battery life and the 210 has an 8-hour battery life, and I knew the marathon was going to take me longer than 5 hours, so I went with the 210.

Both watches are compatible with Garmin Connect (which is a really cool, free tool! You get an account and can log your workouts there to see your pace, elevation, etc.) and both get good and bad reviews. I have a co-worker that has the Forerunner 10 and he really likes it. He wears it as his everyday watch and turns off the GPS feature. I don't think there's a heart-rate monitor option for that watch, so if that's something you or your husband want you'll have to look at a different model.

You might also want to check out the Garmin Forerunner 110. It's sort of in-between the 10 and 210. It has an 8-hour battery life, but it only displays average pace and it is not capable of doing interval training.

I'd recommend reading some Amazon reviews of these watches and checking out http://www.dcrainmaker.com/. DC Rainmaker has reviewed all 3 watches and while his reviews are long, they are very thorough. I remember reading reviews until my head spun, but ultimately the rebate deal and getting a 210 for $150 was just too good a deal to pass up for me, especially with the current/average pace option and the longer battery life. Amazon sometimes has really good prices on the watches (the 110 is $150-$185 right now) and I like Running Warehouse too - that is where I saw the $50 rebate in November. Either way I think you'd get free shipping..sadly the WISH discount code doesn't work for getting the watch from Running Warehouse.


I hope this helps!!

It sure does help - thanks for all the helpful information! I'll definitely be reading about these 3 models tonight. DH does use a heart rate monitor, so that will factor into the decision on the one I buy for him. I think I'll still mostly be using the treadmill for the next few weeks anyway. If only spring could show up sooner than later and melt some of this New England snow....

I already planted the seed about wanting to strive for a Disney race in the near future and DH didn't shut me down - in fact he said he would train to run with me ...the only issue is we would need to also convince a family member to join us and do some early morning babysitting.

Thank you so much for your help and your trip reports - I hope there are more coming soon!