Official 2016 Princess Half Marathon Thread

[hiroMYhero]

Ugh, that's even worse! How do you even get there?

RunDisney charters buses to get any guest who is staying on property to the Expo. It's totally separate from the WDW resort system.

WWoS isn't far from AoA if you are driving.

 

[pangyal]

RunDisney charters buses to get any guest who is staying on property to the Expo. It's totally separate from the WDW resort system.

WWoS isn't far from AoA if you are driving.

Thanks!

We never drive down- way too far! We'll be at Boardwalk.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Thanks!

We never drive down- way too far! We'll be at Boardwalk.

If you complete online check-in, you won't need to stop at the BW front desk. Your room # will be texted to you sometime during the day so as soon as you reach BW you can get on a bus to the Expo.

Make sure you have ID and your Waivers filled out and it shouldn't take too long to pick up your packets.

 

[pangyal]

I really appreciate the information, but I'm annoyed that they don't have other places to pick up packets like every other race does. We will be getting there with a small child and don't want to have to get on yet another bus after having travelled for over seven hours to get there already.

Sorry to whine! Back to our regular scheduled programming. Sounds like everyone's training is going well!

 

[inkedupmomma]

I changed from 1/1 to 2/1 about week 2 and 2/1 to 3/1 about two weeks later. And I tested out the new ratio on a shorter run. I did about half of old pace and half of new pace for the first try. Then just went with the faster pace from then on. But don't feel like you have to up your intervals. From what I can tell from posts and trip reports, many people do 1/1 the whole way.

really glad to read that! We want to up it, but weren't sure when. I think I will finish the 5k app then redo some of it with higher running time, just to see if I can. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think I'm starting to enjoy running!

 

[inkedupmomma]

Day 2 of week 4 on Jeff Galloways running program! Struggled today.....my run 2 days ago felt great. I didn't feel like I was dying. Today not so much, struggled to just go the 1/2 hour. I am not an experienced runner, can anybody tell me if this normal?

I just started using his app too and on same week as you. Ive had same experience. Some days I feel AWFUL, other days I breeze right through! I swear its all mental state for me though. Good luck with the app!

Does anyone know if there are still tickets available for pasta in the park?

also wondering. Last I checked there were still tix though. That was last week

 

[preciouspups]

This week is why I start training so early...sick Friday night so I didn't run Saturday. Now I won't get to the gym all week because the Y closes child watch during the day after school starts, even though our area has at least 12 private schools that don't start until next week. And it is just too hot and humid for me to drag my asthmatic 8 year old out on a run.

 

[Anisum]

Does anyone know if there are still tickets available for pasta in the park?

also wondering. Last I checked there were still tix though. That was last week

I just checked and it appears there are still tickets for both nights.

 

[bumbershoot]

I really appreciate the information, but I'm annoyed that they don't have other places to pick up packets like every other race does. We will be getting there with a small child and don't want to have to get on yet another bus after having travelled for over seven hours to get there already.

Sorry to whine! Back to our regular scheduled programming. Sounds like everyone's training is going well!

Fwiw the most recent events I've been a part of don't have another pickup site either. At least Disney has multiple days of the expo and gives the dates of the expo early so we can arrange travel around it.

This week is why I start training so early...sick Friday night so I didn't run Saturday. Now I won't get to the gym all week because the Y closes child watch during the day after school starts, even though our area has at least 12 private schools that don't start until next week. And it is just too hot and humid for me to drag my asthmatic 8 year old out on a run.

Do they not have facilities for her to be in while you use the treadmill? At our Y 7 and up can play basketball, go into a racquetball court as long as one is available, all sorts of things they can do. Our Y does have a free and casual "drop in zone" for 7+ but that's after 4pm. Before that time the kids just do whatever if they don't have a class. And in summer they have other drop in classes for kids. Even without those things, won't they let her sit somewhere and read while you workout?

 

[Ariel484]

Fwiw the most recent events I've been a part of don't have another pickup site either. At least Disney has multiple days of the expo and gives the dates of the expo early so we can arrange travel around it.

Agreed. This is how it is at big race events - participants MUST pick up packets at the expo ahead of time. It's clearly stated on the website and was stated there before registration...

 

[pangyal]

Agreed. This is how it is at big race events - participants MUST pick up packets at the expo ahead of time. It's clearly stated on the website and was stated there before registration...

I've run multiple marathons and half marathons with upwards of 25000 participants, and there has been an alternate pickup location for almost all of them. This is why I was so surprised that we couldn't get our kits elsewhere or at a different time. But I guess every company has their own way of doing things!

I realize it was stated on the website, and I'm certainly not trying to sound ungrateful for being able to go and participate. It's just that we can't schedule work around getting there a day early just to go to an expo, and I was hoping they would have alternate arrangements considering it's a destination race and my experience has been that there is usually an alternate plan in place. But if not, I'm sure we can work with it .

 

[sperkins921]

Very normal ! I have always had days I just want to be a couch potato and days I feel like I could enter the Olympics . On those days I just want to eat donuts all day I put on the workout clothes and usually after the first mile it gets better. If something hurts don't push too hard but I find with me it's a mental block so I push through and keep the goal of that pretty princess medal in focus !

When I first found the PHM thread in 2012 I remember someone posting you know you've almost reached the end of the race when you see the gospel choir. It either means the finish line is around the corner or you've died and gone to Heaven! It still makes me laugh!!

I had a good laugh at that! In keeping with the tongue in cheek nature of the joke I was almost going to ask do I still get my medal if it's the latter lol

 

[Gryhndmom]

I had a good laugh at that! In keeping with the tongue in cheek nature of the joke I was almost going to ask do I still get my medal if it's the latter lol

LMAO ! I would hope in Heaven we would get crowns with the medals ! I know I pray a lot during races that God just lets me get over the finish line !!

With all the heat in Texas it is a good thing PHM is in February....a big reason why DH and I don't do the Disneyland half as training in the summer is BRUTAL

 

[bumbershoot]

... I do have to say...it would in fact be lovely if they had bibs available for pickup* at resort checkin.

I get why they don't (what if you are offsite? what if your plans change? what if you decide to go to the expo at the last minute? etc) and I get why they want you at that expo (vendors have to pay the utter Earth to get a table at events like Rock'nRoll, I can only imagine that they pay the Earth AND Neptune for a rundisney expo, and of course rundisney has stuff to sell as well).

But it would be lovely.

And they could keep your shirt hostage at the expo so you'd have to go there anyway.



*though only one adult has to show ID at the resort...if you have a whole party picking up bibs they aren't automatically looking at everyones' IDs.

 

[Anisum]

And they could keep your shirt hostage at the expo so you'd have to go there anyway.

I feel like there would be a fair number of people who wouldn't care enough about their shirt. They could probably make out well holding medals hostage but that would be a mess I imagine.

 

[Disney at Heart]

I imagine that having some bibs at resorts and some at the Expo would be a nightmare! It would take a huge team to sort which bibs would go to which resorts and which would stay at the Expo and the chance of error would be huge. I would be a basket case if my bib were not at the proper location and I had to wait for someone to search for it throughout Disney property!

 

[Ariel484]

I imagine that having some bibs at resorts and some at the Expo would be a nightmare! It would take a huge team to sort which bibs would go to which resorts and which would stay at the Expo and the chance of error would be huge. I would be a basket case if my bib were not at the proper location and I had to wait for someone to search for it throughout Disney property!

This, exactly. It's such a big event for them to organize already, I can't imagine adding in this extra hurdle.

 

[Luv2Run]

Back in the day, people could sell their bibs & change the name on the registration to the buyer's name instead, or you were able to sign a waiver that allowed someone else to pick up your bib for you in case you couldn't make it/didn't want to go to the Expo. However, Disney put the kibosh on that, because how can they make money off people selling their bibs on the side? /sarcasm

With how many people run these races, and with so many races occurring that weekend, it just makes more sense to have it in one centralized location. The logistical nightmare it would be to have Packet Pick-Up/Expo at multiple locations throughout WDW is enough to make my head spin. It's confusing enough already, lol! For example, in 2013 when they moved the Expo/Packet Pick-Up to Coronado Springs instead of ESPN WWoS, it really threw a wrench into everyone's plans, so I can only imagine how difficult it'd be to switch anything else up.

 

[Ariel484]

I was sooooo glad I wasn't there when it was moved to Coronado. That sounded like a nightmare.

 

[pixarmom]

Just wanted to add how much I love WDW expo/packet pickup. I race at a number of non-Disney locations (and I've raced at DL) and in my experience, WDW is incredibly convenient! They have clearly marked pickup locations (BWI is particularly easy) and they drive you right to the expo. The expo may be crowded at times, but everyone is super efficient and they provide detailed maps/instructions in advance so you know exactly where you need to go. Then they drive you back to your resort!