2017 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend

[run.minnie.miles]

Is buying new running shoes at this point a terrible idea?

I think you're better off getting them now than running 6 more weeks on shoes that are on their last leg... I wouldn't wait too much longer though!

 

[keahgirl8]

Not necessarily! The temperature at least.

Princess 2015 it was literally freezing or below for the 5k. We were there for the January events and the 5k morning was almost freezing and that was bad enough (especially bc they refused to give out the space blankets and had no heaters...but for princess they changed their tune).

Be ready for literally any temperature for princess. (Ok maybe not 100 degrees or below zero)


Given that SW was 40s at the start, it's not an absolute that princess will be warmer. And the humidity when it's COLD makes it feel even colder.

Oh yes...it was so cold in 2015! People were so unprepared too! Some people were freezing in shorts and tank tops and other people were trying to run wrapped in their purchase with purchase blankets.

I second the advice to be prepared for anything, not just with your race outfits but also with your throwaway clothes. The marathon last weekend was cold! Temperatures in the high 30s with 20ish MPH winds. Thankfully I had brought layers to wear in the corrals while waiting for the race to start (the worst part) and running clothes to layer!

Look at the crazy weather from Marathon weekend:

Thursday: high 70s and perfect
Friday: high 70s and perfect
Saturday: half marathon canceled due to lightning, temperatures dropping into the 40s
Sunday: high 30s and windy!

You just never know. Be prepared for anything!

Yup. Bring backup plans for wardrobe. Literally anything can happen. I didn't experience it, but I heard there were snow flurries years ago.

Is buying new running shoes at this point a terrible idea?

Not at all, but do it now! Like someone else said, don't wear old worn out shoes.

 

[courtneybeth]

Is buying new running shoes at this point a terrible idea?

I did this about a week ago and am breaking them in at the moment. I want about 20 miles on them before I do princess. That said - I wore brand new shoes to Tink 10k and PR'd that race ... so your guess is as good as mine.

 

[keahgirl8]

I did this about a week ago and am breaking them in at the moment. I want about 20 miles on them before I do princess. That said - I wore brand new shoes to Tink 10k and PR'd that race ... so your guess is as good as mine.

If you have the right shoes, you don't really need to break them in. For me, I just like to get a few runs in with new shoes, just in case something weird happens with them. One time I had new shoes that were identical to what I'd worn for years. One of them had some kind of a flaw or a weird stitch in it that was constantly poking my foot and driving me crazy. If I hadn't worn them before, I would have ended up in the race with that annoying thing.

 

[courtneybeth]

That's me too @keahgirl8 - when i say about 20 miles it's a few shirt runs testing shoes and socks.

 

[bumbershoot]

Sorry if this has been talked about earlier in the thread but 95 pages is a lot to go through. I am taking my DD for a Daddy/daughter trip to WDW and had planned to have our last day be at Epcot. I now see that that is the day of the Princess Half and wanted to know if it will impact our park experience. Should we avoid Epcot that day and go to a different park?

Even if you're impacted once inside the park, the CMs will help you get where you need to go (though you'll have to wait until it's safe), and in the meantime the two of you can have fun cheering runners on! Especially for those runners still in Epcot by the time it's solidly open, they need to hear support! Those of us who take a bit longer have been on our feet for a long time by then!

And many people think of things like this as being really positive. There are a LOT of women who run Princess. For a girl to see women of all sizes and ages running, run/walking, and walking 13+ miles...well, it's a good thing.

Is buying new running shoes at this point a terrible idea?

Right now? Not terrible.

At Target at 7pm the night before your 10K and two days before your Half, when you're already undertrained but are sick to death of your shoes? THAT is a horrible idea. Thanks to my hubby who "put his foot down" and insisted (strongly requested from a place of caring) that I NOT wear them to run in. I ran in the old trusted (and busted*) and had normal pain, not brand new horrid I'm going to run barefoot pain.


*I like minimal shoes. My beloved minimals aren't made anymore. My next-liked minimal-ishes have been redesigned 3 times since my faves. The third pair are OK. Because they are minimal (or minimal-ish) I lie to myself and say "there's nothing to wear out!" and keep running in them. My toes are STRONGLY disagreeing with me, though.

 

[DisneyRay]

Even if you're impacted once inside the park, the CMs will help you get where you need to go (though you'll have to wait until it's safe), and in the meantime the two of you can have fun cheering runners on! Especially for those runners still in Epcot by the time it's solidly open, they need to hear support! Those of us who take a bit longer have been on our feet for a long time by then!

And many people think of things like this as being really positive. There are a LOT of women who run Princess. For a girl to see women of all sizes and ages running, run/walking, and walking 13+ miles...well, it's a good thing.

Great point. My DD is not the most athletic and doesn't love to run but she loves Marvel. I showed her the Infinity Gauntlet races at DL and she is definitely talking about it. If it works out with the school schedule I hope to do it with her in 2018.

Plus, cheering runners on is the least I can do since I am thinking of running the Dopey next year and will be happy to have people cheer me on.

 

[Kender]

I'm really, really dumb.

I kept putting off getting an eye appointment. I'm blind without my contacts (like legit "I see only blobs of color and run into walls" kind of blind). I can't get new ones with an outdated prescription. I'm down to two pairs... Finally called today to see if they have anything before Feb 14 (when I fly to Florida) or between March 2 and March 27 (I fly back to Florida March 28 to help a friend move cross country).

They don't have any appointments until April 4 and even that won't work, I'm somewhere in the middle of the country on that date . I fly back home to the SF Bay Area from Seattle on April 10.

However they're amazing at my eye clinic and going to try and get me a trial pair to tide me over until my appointment (April 11). Knocking on so much wood so I don't jinx myself and have something happen to my contacts. I cannot run Princess in my glasses. Like physically cannot. I get vertigo from my glasses, but will crash into everything without any aid . My eye doctor is definitely going to give me hell over this and I will deserve it.

Oh well. Lesson learned. My favorite eye clinic now books up 3 months in advance instead of 1 month

 

[cmarsh31]

I'm really, really dumb.

I kept putting off getting an eye appointment. I'm blind without my contacts (like legit "I see only blobs of color and run into walls" kind of blind). I can't get new ones with an outdated prescription. I'm down to two pairs... Finally called today to see if they have anything before Feb 14 (when I fly to Florida) or between March 2 and March 27 (I fly back to Florida March 28 to help a friend move cross country).

They don't have any appointments until April 4 and even that won't work, I'm somewhere in the middle of the country on that date . I fly back home to the SF Bay Area from Seattle on April 10.

However they're amazing at my eye clinic and going to try and get me a trial pair to tide me over until my appointment (April 11). Knocking on so much wood so I don't jinx myself and have something happen to my contacts. I cannot run Princess in my glasses. Like physically cannot. I get vertigo from my glasses, but will crash into everything without any aid . My eye doctor is definitely going to give me hell over this and I will deserve it.

Oh well. Lesson learned. My favorite eye clinic now books up 3 months in advance instead of 1 month

Totally and completely understand. Two pairs sound good! Good luck!

 

[Kender]

Totally and completely understand. Two pairs sound good! Good luck!

I should just start applying runDisney logic: book it all nearly a year in advance and hope nothing conflicts.

 

[cmarsh31]

I should just start applying runDisney logic: book it all nearly a year in advance and hope nothing conflicts.

That's actually how my eye appointments are scheduled - a year out...and then I end up calling the month before (or when I get the reminder call the day before...) and rescheduling.

 

[DisneyRay]

Not necessarily! The temperature at least.

Princess 2015 it was literally freezing or below for the 5k. We were there for the January events and the 5k morning was almost freezing and that was bad enough (especially bc they refused to give out the space blankets and had no heaters...but for princess they changed their tune).

Be ready for literally any temperature for princess. (Ok maybe not 100 degrees or below zero)


Given that SW was 40s at the start, it's not an absolute that princess will be warmer. And the humidity when it's COLD makes it feel even colder.

It's great reading all of this information. Funny thing is that everything is prospective. I live just outside of NYC and much of the winter I am running in temperatures below freezing with wind chill. Having it be 32-40 degrees if there is no breeze would be a nice way for me to run races. Worst I ever ran in was -1 with wind chill. And I am a wimp compared to those in the Midwest where the temps with wind are outrageously cold.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm blind without my contacts (like legit "I see only blobs of color and run into walls" kind of blind).

And I assume that this means your prescription is too much for an OOP Lenscrafters visit? Yeah, probably not.

It's great reading all of this information. Funny thing is that everything is prospective. I live just outside of NYC and much of the winter I am running in temperatures below freezing with wind chill. Having it be 32-40 degrees if there is no breeze would be a nice way for me to run races. Worst I ever ran in was -1 with wind chill. And I am a wimp compared to those in the Midwest where the temps with wind are outrageously cold.

Well, one of the better races I've had was the Seattle Half 2014, which started at 20 degrees. The only real issue was that the first corral runners weren't thinking about their water stops, so the later runners got to traverse sheets of ice while drinking powerade.

But the issue with cold at WDW is that rundisney makes you be at the corrals for an hour *or more*. So then you're standing, waiting. You got up at 2:30, you got on the bus at 3, you got there at 4, you walked out to the start and now you're just waiting.

Seattle Half we stayed at a hotel right near the Space Needle, got up, had coffee, had free breakfast, hit the restrooms, walked 5 minutes to the start and 5 minutes later the run started. A LOT different.


the other issue is that one day it can be 28 and the next day it's 78. It's ridiculous. It's very taxing on the body.

 

[keahgirl8]

It's great reading all of this information. Funny thing is that everything is prospective. I live just outside of NYC and much of the winter I am running in temperatures below freezing with wind chill. Having it be 32-40 degrees if there is no breeze would be a nice way for me to run races. Worst I ever ran in was -1 with wind chill. And I am a wimp compared to those in the Midwest where the temps with wind are outrageously cold.

You haven't experienced cold until you've experienced wind chill.

But the issue with cold at WDW is that rundisney makes you be at the corrals for an hour *or more*. So then you're standing, waiting. You got up at 2:30, you got on the bus at 3, you got there at 4, you walked out to the start and now you're just waiting.

Seattle Half we stayed at a hotel right near the Space Needle, got up, had coffee, had free breakfast, hit the restrooms, walked 5 minutes to the start and 5 minutes later the run started. A LOT different.


the other issue is that one day it can be 28 and the next day it's 78. It's ridiculous. It's very taxing on the body.

Yup. It's crazy. Why do we love this again? lol

 

[bumbershoot]

Yup. It's crazy. Why do we love this again? lol

I'm starting to seriously think that for me it's a form of addiction. I don't do drugs (not even the legal stuff in WA), I don't drink to excess, but I keep doing these disney things. And I don't even love them! See my post after the SW 10K. Did. Not. Have. Fun.

I was laughing while approaching the run-up to the end of the SW Half because "I never have to do a Disneyland run again!"

And 30 minutes ago convinced myself I have to do Tinkerbell, then was very disappointed because it conflicts with something I'm already committed to doing.

And while I COULD fly down, get bibs, do the 10K, fly back up and do the commitment, then fly back to do the Half (which isn't THAT different than what I did for Rock&Roll Vancouver challenge, with a drive back to Tacoma to see my kid dance then pack him and hubby in the car to drive back up to sleep to wake to do the Half), I'm not sure that's a healthy idea!

Addiction is the answer for me. That's what's wrong with me.

 

[JulieODC]

I've been running all winter in New England -- it's been relatively mild this year, and I'd say that 35 and above is doable for me. I did 12 miles last Saturday though, and it was just under 20 degrees that whole, and parts of my body never warmed up. I do worry a little about running in the cold for so long, and a warmer race day and my body being all confused!!

 

[run.minnie.miles]

I've been running all winter in New England -- it's been relatively mild this year, and I'd say that 35 and above is doable for me. I did 12 miles last Saturday though, and it was just under 20 degrees that whole, and parts of my body never warmed up. I do worry a little about running in the cold for so long, and a warmer race day and my body being all confused!!

I feel the same, but I think I'm looking forward to the warm regardless!

I like my treadmill anyway (I'm one of those crazies...), but my training would be seriously hurt this winter without it! Too much bitter cold, snow and ice.

 

[courtneybeth]

I feel like I'm going to need a second suitcase for my non-race clothes with all of the alternatives I may need to pack. Ha!

 

[bellanotte10]

I feel like I'm going to need a second suitcase for my non-race clothes with all of the alternatives I may need to pack. Ha!

Seriously. The marathon weekend weather threw me for a loop. I was wearing me "back home to freezing cold Boston" outfit on sunday! luckily I had packed a few more cold weather things, but I'm also glad I decided to bring my winter coat! Now I'm even more confused on how to pack for princess because of marathon weekend.

 

[HockeyMomNH]

I'm also in New England, Northern NH. I did a lot of outside running last winter, but we have had a lot more snow and ice this year so I have been running exclusively on my treadmill.

I'm working on my running costumes, and I keep ordering more coordinating layers. It's a good thing that Southwest doesn't charge for checked luggage!