Calling all Princesses! (2014 Princess half marathon board)

[longhorns2]

Anyone have this book. Is it worth it or is most information found on these boards?

Magical Miles: The Runner's Guide to Walt Disney World

I don't have it, but I know the authors! My friends who read it said it is great for a first time Disney runner. If you have multiple Disney races under your belt, you may not find it to be anything new. They reported that it was pretty comprehensive and great info!

I'm planning on buying it myself so I'd know if it was worth first hand recommendations. But that's what I've been told so far.

 

[LoveMyMoos]

One silly question for those who have run before. Do you sleep before the race? And if so how? I am a horrible sleeper. My biggest fear about this is the getting up early part. Don't get me wrong, I am a morning person, up and at em by 6 with the kids usually, but I just don't know how I will handle the middle of the night wake up. I can never fall asleep before 10 PM. But I have read lots of people get up at 1 - 2 in the morning to get to the start. I almost wonder if not sleeping would be better Is this part of your training? How do you make it work? I would love to do the W&D at night but my sister and I can only do it together due to scheduling in February.

I am a night owl. Normally I don't go to bed until 12-1am, and get up at about 8 am. I am not a morning person at all. But for the race, I tried to go to bed earlier and wake up earlier in the days before. I arrived on Thursday night so had Fri and Sat at Disney before the race. All the activity and walking of parks helps to wear you out. The night before the race I went to bed at around 9pm. I did have some sleeping issues and woke up around 11:30 pm. We got up at 2:30 am. Luckily the excitement for the race(it's not like you are getting up for school or work, the boring stuff) gets you going pretty quickly. Now by the end of the race, and once we got back to our resort, I was beat, dead on my feet, and took a nap.

 

[glokozar]

My son ran his first marathon in Chicago 2 years ago when he was 19 and it inspired me. It took me another year to get up the nerve to run my first 5k with him this past November.

Over the years we have been to Disney over 15 times and I couldn't imagine being anywhere other than Disney to run my first "real" race so I signed up to run the Double Dumbo in Disneyland in August. I am both excited and nervous.

I am planning to run the princess 2014 with some girlfriends too. As excited as I am to go to Disneyland for the Double Dumbo, I have always wanted to go to the princess half marathon! Hoping the race doesn't fill up before I can get in!

 

[joanzie72]

I am really excited to do this race. Now that my running friend bailed out on me and decided to go in the fall instead, I will be running solo unless DH can convince his brother to come down with us so he can tend to the kiddos.

Anyone for WI/MN running? How about anyone going to Fargo,ND to do the 1/2 in May? Running that one solo too. hubby is doing the full marathon.

 

[WishingMom]

I am really excited to do this race. Now that my running friend bailed out on me and decided to go in the fall instead, I will be running solo unless DH can convince his brother to come down with us so he can tend to the kiddos.

Anyone for WI/MN running? How about anyone going to Fargo,ND to do the 1/2 in May? Running that one solo too. hubby is doing the full marathon.

I'm running solo as well, and I'm sure there will be many more solo runners!

 

[joan4mickey]

My son ran his first marathon in Chicago 2 years ago when he was 19 and it inspired me. It took me another year to get up the nerve to run my first 5k with him this past November.

Over the years we have been to Disney over 15 times and I couldn't imagine being anywhere other than Disney to run my first "real" race so I signed up to run the Double Dumbo in Disneyland in August. I am both excited and nervous.

I am planning to run the princess 2014 with some girlfriends too. As excited as I am to go to Disneyland for the Double Dumbo, I have always wanted to go to the princess half marathon! Hoping the race doesn't fill up before I can get in!

My DS, 19, just ran his first marathon. I ran the WDW marathon last year and said I would never do that again. In August he was almost begging me to run as he wanted to do it as well. He loves Disney, but at 19 I think he thinks it is uncool. We didn't actually run together as he is faster, but it was a fun mother/son weekend.

The race should open in the summer and if you stay on the boards some one will be able to tell us before it opens.

 

[joan4mickey]

DH and I after race. He did not run

 

[sunnygal041]

DH and I after race. He did not run

Hey Joan!! Great pic!!

 

[joan4mickey]

Hey Sunnygal Cindy, are you running a half this weekend?

 

[sunnygal041]

Hey Sunnygal Cindy, are you running a half this weekend?

Nope, next weekend, 3/23.

 

[longhorns2]

Super cute picture Joan! I love that he dressed up to cheer you on!

 

[tuikkumuikku]

I'm in! It's gonna be mine first half Marathon and also my first time ever in WDW. Just wondering.. When to book hotel? I read that there is some discount for those who's running. If I book my hotel now, can I still got those discounts later?

 

[DM Minnie]

I have been googling blogs of past PHM runners and I came across a few that were DNF and were swept up (not for medical reasons). I know it has been posted before, but it has me freaked out!!! and then makes you question if they were not prepared? did they not train? or just bad luck is 300 plus days left to train not enough?

 

[joan4mickey]

I have been googling blogs of past PHM runners and I came across a few that were DNF and were swept up (not for medical reasons). I know if has been posted before, but it has me freaked out!!! and then makes you question if they were not prepared? did they not train? or just bad luck is 300 plus days left to train not enough?

I don't know of anyone swept nor the reason some are swept. I do have my opinion but that doesn't matter. I don't know what your current physical condition is but there is plenty of time to train. Find an online program that works for you. It could be running/walking 3-6 days a week. You can train to run it, walk it or a combination of the two. Next test your program by signing up a dn running a local 5k in the next couple of months. By the summers end or early fall sign up for a local 10k and see how that goes. Remember you can change training plans run/ walk ratios etc until you find what works for you. Most that have trained will not get swept. There can be a late injury or even sickness (my fear). Train smart, listen to your body.

 

[joan4mickey]

I'm in! It's gonna be mine first half Marathon and also my first time ever in WDW. Just wondering.. When to book hotel? I read that there is some discount for those who's running. If I book my hotel now, can I still got those discounts later?

You can book and later apply a discount, if one comes up. They don't special rates and they have scheduled the race during a vacation week so prices are higher.

 

[MRS AR]

I have been googling blogs of past PHM runners and I came across a few that were DNF and were swept up (not for medical reasons). I know if has been posted before, but it has me freaked out!!! and then makes you question if they were not prepared? did they not train? or just bad luck is 300 plus days left to train not enough?

I ran the PHM 2013. It was my second 1:2 M. I expected it to be much easier than my first in Jan of 13. I finished, but not with the time I had hoped and worked very hard for. My problem was I had come down sick the Wed before the PHM and so I ran sick. I realized later if I hadn't trained so hard I probably wouldn't have even finished.

From what I've read here and other places there are as many reasons for DNF as there are runners. In everyone's running career the unforeseen happens. Injury, illness, and more.

As for myself. I'm getting back on track with my running training schedule so even if something happens and I have a DNF I won't have any regrets

I figure if it was that easy everyone would be doing it.

 

[longhorns2]

I have been googling blogs of past PHM runners and I came across a few that were DNF and were swept up (not for medical reasons). I know it has been posted before, but it has me freaked out!!! and then makes you question if they were not prepared? did they not train? or just bad luck is 300 plus days left to train not enough?

There's many reasons someone can get swept. My group did NOT get swept, but they did see the sweepers! It wasn't due to injury or lack of training, just um.... too much playing and standing in line for pictures (and bathrooms!) Thanks to the fact that we WERE trained, we got to have our fun and finish too. Sweepers no Sweeping!

There certainly are people who go into the race without training, hoping for the best. Some pull it off, some don't. There are those who are injured and just go for it anyway. Some get injured in the course of training. Some just have a really bad run day. All the above is possible.

300+ days is more than enough time to train! Go for it! Just get a plan and follow it. I would not advise trying any half marathon distance without training. If you are a new runner, 6 months at least. If you are a seasoned runner, the shorter training plans of 12-18 weeks might work for you.

Your race, your pace. But I implore people to train.

 

[DM Minnie]

Thanks joan and everyone for easing my fears. I'm in fairly good condition but there is always room for improvements. I have my plan that has been mapped out for each day until the race and I'm sticking to it. Funny to see almost a whole year written out on a google calendar. LOL

 

[LoveMyMoos]

I have been googling blogs of past PHM runners and I came across a few that were DNF and were swept up (not for medical reasons). I know it has been posted before, but it has me freaked out!!! and then makes you question if they were not prepared? did they not train? or just bad luck is 300 plus days left to train not enough?

It's a mix of reasons. Some people are under trained. Sure they run, but you can look through those blogs and see they've never gotten past 6-8 miles. Some think "Oh, it won't be that much worse." or have a list of excuses as to why they couldn't train more. I trained to 10 miles and I'll tell you, while I finished in pretty decent time, I still feel I was under trained. The last 2 miles or so were killer, I was mentally and physically drained. Weather conditions didn't help.
But that's certainly not the case for everyone who didn't finish. Many got injured, or came in injured. Things can happen right before the race, when it's too late to defer. I got hurt about 3-4 weeks out. I was in major pain during the half, I took quite a bit of OTC pain killers before and during the race(which was a huge no-no) and I was visibly limping across the finish. My injury wasn't serious though. For others it can be. Injuries also happen on the course. Plus, the weather was pretty rough and I saw many people along the way, overheated and on the ground, with the medics. This can happen especially because Feb is still winter, and people coming from up north are used to training in very cold weather, so their body isn't ready for that shock.
But to answer your question, 300+ days is more than enough time to train. But even if you give yourself time to train, you actually have to train. I saw people along the way saying they couldn't train because they worked, or had kids, or got sick, or life got in the way. Well I have 3 kids(who got sick this winter, as did I), I have a job, I run my house, I deal with life, and I made the decision to train like I should, so I succeeded. It just depends what kind of mental barriers you allow yourself to be stopped by.

 

[Gryhndmom]

DH and I after race. He did not run

Love the pic !