Expedition Everest Challenge May 5 @ 9:30 2012

[MrsDuck]

That's a bummer...but it also means I'm going to save a lot of money!

There's the silver lining!!

 

[Cripey]

Officially registered last night...Team Jelly Belly! I love that it's only 2 months away...I'm used to anticipating these Disney runs for something like 8 months or whatever because I always end up registering as soon as it opens. But now I have so much less time to plan the outfits!

 

[mjaclyn]

We're in!! DH and I are signed up for the EE Challenge. This will be our very first running event EVER, so I'd love to hear some advice from all of you who are experienced at this. We really know nothing about running long distance (and a 5K is a long distance for us, lol). What type of clothing is best to wear? Should we eat beforehand? Any help is greatly appreciated!

We are also staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and I'm SO excited!! We're starting the C25K program on Monday which will literally be just enough time to prepare. I can't wait!

We are team 'Yeti or Not...' I'm going to be A Mode Yeti and DH will be B Mode. Do you think I could get him to wear a strobe necklace?

 

[NitroStitch]

We're in!! DH and I are signed up for the EE Challenge. This will be our very first running event EVER, so I'd love to hear some advice from all of you who are experienced at this. We really know nothing about running long distance (and a 5K is a long distance for us, lol). What type of clothing is best to wear? Should we eat beforehand? Any help is greatly appreciated!

We are also staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and I'm SO excited!! We're starting the C25K program on Monday which will literally be just enough time to prepare. I can't wait!

We are team 'Yeti or Not...' I'm going to be A Mode Yeti and DH will be B Mode. Do you think I could get him to wear a strobe necklace?

I LOVE the name of the team and the A and B Mode! Of course, I guess that means your husband won't be able to move from his starting point...

For clothing, it's good to have wicking fabrics, a good sports bra (for you, not DH), running shoes fitted at a running store, and pay attention to changes in the weather around the race. Your body temperature goes up a lot once you start running, so many people dress pretty lightly, including me. Others prefer more clothing coverage, so you will probably want to experiment with things you wear before the race.

As far as eating goes, you'll want to test that too - some people do a bagel with peanut butter around roughly 30 minutes to an hour before running. Others prefer not to eat for a longer time before a run. Whatever you do eat, it probably shouldn't be substantial - just think of all that heavy food bouncing around in your stomach as you run for 3.2 miles. Eeewwww. Not a good combo.

Most people on here know far more than I do about this sort of stuff and provide tons of great advice. The main thing is to test out clothes and food and timing before you actually do the race. And have FUN!

 

[PrincessV]

We are not dressing up but don't worry - I've seen pics of ppl dressed up and I'm pretty sure someone posted on here that they will be dressing up.

We won't be in costume, either, but yeah - if what I saw Princess weekend was any indication, there'll be LOTS of people dressed up, which makes it that much more fun to run! I think we enjoyed seeing what others were wearing as much as any other part of the race.

hahaha, if this is your first and you already think you have the bug then you may as well go ahead and sign up for the ToT...I can practically guarantee you'll be hooked ( and SPOILED!!) after a Disney race!

YUP. The Princess 5K was my first... and I'm now registered for EE Challenge and TOT and have an alarm set on my phone to register for the 2013 Princess 1/2 when it opens.

We really know nothing about running long distance (and a 5K is a long distance for us, lol). What type of clothing is best to wear? Should we eat beforehand? Any help is greatly appreciated!

I'll echo the PP - test everything before race day! I'm a big fan of wicking fabrics, especially living here in FL. And good running or walking shoes are a MUST. As for training, I know a few people who love the C25K. My son and I did Jeff Galloway's 5K program and it worked beautifully: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html No real plan for the obstacles, but we often go through a parking lot on our training runs and hurdle the concrete things at the front of each parking space, so I figure that helps, lol!

 

[wakica]

Officially registered last night...Team Jelly Belly! I love that it's only 2 months away...I'm used to anticipating these Disney runs for something like 8 months or whatever because I always end up registering as soon as it opens. But now I have so much less time to plan the outfits!

Cute Name! My dd14 picked our name and we are the "Stoked Coconuts"!! I figured it's pretty accurate and we are pretty stoked and excited about the run and a bit nuts too.
8 months is a LONG time to wait!!! And I thought I've been waiting forever. I knew I was going to do the run in November and registered for it in December when it opened. That will make about 6 months for the whole wait time.

We're in!! DH and I are signed up for the EE Challenge. This will be our very first running event EVER, so I'd love to hear some advice from all of you who are experienced at this. We really know nothing about running long distance (and a 5K is a long distance for us, lol). What type of clothing is best to wear? Should we eat beforehand? Any help is greatly appreciated!

We are team 'Yeti or Not...' I'm going to be A Mode Yeti and DH will be B Mode. Do you think I could get him to wear a strobe necklace?

Our first time too Love your name too - i just love hearing all the unique names!!! I will be watching for replies to your clothing and food question b/c I've been wondering the same thing - especially the food since 9:30 at night is such an ODD time to do a run. I wish it was 8:30 lilke last year but I guess they must have their reasons right?

For clothing, it's good to have wicking fabrics, a good sports bra (for you, not DH)
good advice!

, running shoes fitted at a running store, and pay attention to changes in the weather around the race. Your body temperature goes up a lot once you start running, so many people dress pretty lightly, including me. Others prefer more clothing coverage, so you will probably want to experiment with things you wear before the race.

As far as eating goes, you'll want to test that too - some people do a bagel with peanut butter around roughly 30 minutes to an hour before running. Others prefer not to eat for a longer time before a run. Whatever you do eat, it probably shouldn't be substantial - just think of all that heavy food bouncing around in your stomach as you run for 3.2 miles. Eeewwww. Not a good combo.

Thanks for posting your thoughts. I'm not familiar with running either and I'm sure lots of us newbies will appreciate this advice.

 

[wakica]

As for training, I know a few people who love the C25K. My son and I did Jeff Galloway's 5K program and it worked beautifully: http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html

I will have to look into this. I got bored of C25K in week 6 or 7 so I'm just doing my own thing now but it's always good to see what else is out there.

 

[amazingact21]

Checked the official website last night and saw that registrationis 71% full. It seems like more people are signing up for this event sooner than last year, which is excellent! The runDisney obsession is spreading!

We are team 'Yeti or Not...' I'm going to be A Mode Yeti and DH will be B Mode. Do you think I could get him to wear a strobe necklace?

Cute name! I love seeing all the creative names and costumes runner come up with for races.

 

[Disneymom77]

Just registered this morning! We are team Grumpy 4 Life Grumpy is my DH favorite This will be his first 5k and my second. I cannot wait to be in Animal Kingdom at night

 

[sbsmommy]

I think I'm close to registering for this...so excited! I have a few questions though.
- If we stay at a resort where there is transportation to the race - it is for race participants only right? Family members would need to take a taxi if you didn't have a car? After the after party, how easy would it be to get a taxi?
- Is there Disney transportation to the WWoS to pick up the race packet? Or would you need to take a taxi? I'm not sure I've ever seen a bus going there.
- How common is it to be picked up for not making the pace in a 5K? I am doing a 14 min mile now, but am afraid with the heat or for whatever reason I might be slower. Also, my sister may want to do it with me and hasn't started training yet. I have read that it is rare to get picked up in a 5K, but just wondering. If you are an individual runner - do you start in the first wave and does that give you a bit of a buffer on the time?
Thanks so much!

 

[jeanigor]

I think I'm close to registering for this...so excited! I have a few questions though.
- If we stay at a resort where there is transportation to the race - it is for race participants only right? Family members would need to take a taxi if you didn't have a car? After the after party, how easy would it be to get a taxi?

How would they be able to tell? Other than wearing a bib? There will be plenty of open seats as the buses run continuously. And not everyone will stick it out until the end of the party.

- Is there Disney transportation to the WWoS to pick up the race packet? Or would you need to take a taxi? I'm not sure I've ever seen a bus going there.

There would be a charter bus from the host resort, running continuously. The bus may not pick up from the same location as normal WDW transportation, as to not add confusion to guests that don't know anything about the race.

- How common is it to be picked up for not making the pace in a 5K? I am doing a 14 min mile now, but am afraid with the heat or for whatever reason I might be slower. Also, my sister may want to do it with me and hasn't started training yet. I have read that it is rare to get picked up in a 5K, but just wondering. If you are an individual runner - do you start in the first wave and does that give you a bit of a buffer on the time?
Thanks so much!

The 5K events are Fun Runs. Pacing is not super strict in enforcement. I've walked a couple with friends and stopped for photo ops. In doing so, we neared a 20 minute mile and still crossed the line without being swept. They will need to make sure the course is clear at some point to open the park for guests, but it won't be like the pacing requirements for the official distance race.

 

[Cripey]

I think I'm close to registering for this...so excited! I have a few questions though.
- If we stay at a resort where there is transportation to the race - it is for race participants only right? Family members would need to take a taxi if you didn't have a car? After the after party, how easy would it be to get a taxi?
- Is there Disney transportation to the WWoS to pick up the race packet? Or would you need to take a taxi? I'm not sure I've ever seen a bus going there.
- How common is it to be picked up for not making the pace in a 5K? I am doing a 14 min mile now, but am afraid with the heat or for whatever reason I might be slower. Also, my sister may want to do it with me and hasn't started training yet. I have read that it is rare to get picked up in a 5K, but just wondering. If you are an individual runner - do you start in the first wave and does that give you a bit of a buffer on the time?
Thanks so much!

- If you're at a host resort with race transportation, they will let your family on with you...mine has always come with me and there's never been a problem. For W&D, we did not stay at a host resort and took a taxi when we left the after party...we had no problems at all with that...there were several lined up and no line for us to wait in!

- It's my understanding that if you're at a host hotel, there will also be bus transport provided to the WWoS, however since packet pick up doesn't start until 12noon on Friday, I'll be taking a taxi over there from the park we are at that afternoon...and then one back, hopefully in time to make our late lunch ADR

This will be my first time at the EEC, but it seems like I read that they lined up individuals in the first wave, maybe co-ed teams after that? I may have read that in someone's race report from last year so that doesn't necessarily mean it won't be different this time around. If that's true though, it's kind of a bummer...I registered as a 2 person female team so I guess we might be in the last pack. I guess I should have just registered us individually and then we just run together...we certainly aren't going to be contenders or anything!

 

[sbsmommy]

Yes, I'm thinking if we both run we should both just register as individuals and stay together if we want. I'm so scared of being swept. But I watched a video of the Princess Half and there were lots of people walking in that. I'm planning to do Jeff Galloway's run/walk method.

 

[PrincessV]

I can only speak to the Royal Family 5K, but the overall pace there was very, VERY slow. We did it with a sub-15:00 mile avg. pace, which included a bathroom stop, stops for pics, and stops to just hang back and watch people, and seriously flew by a huge number of people. With a 14mm, I don't think you have a thing to worry about!

About the corrals, I find it amusing that because we're technically a male-female team, we might be put in a corral ahead of the female-female teams... um, the male member of our team is 9 years old and in the 4th percentile for height and weight - he's speedy, but I don't see him giving us any extra advantage!

 

[KigerKat]

For anyone who is concerned about the pacing requirements, from what I have read online about all the different Run Disney events, it seems like they don't enforce the pacing limit in the 5K like they do the longer races. I also found an article (maybe on WDWInfo) that said they don't start the pacing clock until the last person has crossed the start line. So if you are lucky enough to be at the front of the pack, you could have an additional 10-ish minute window of padding to make sure you don't fall behind.

And I saw a couple of questions about footwear, and I'll quickly share what DH and I have done. We went to a local running shoe store, where our feet were examined closely, as well as how we move and very specific recommendations were made for us. Yes, they were expensive, but the shoes we got are seriously the most comfortable shoes we have ever worn. I'm one of those people that will get foot blisters after one day in the parks, but I feel very confident that will not happen with these shoes.

We also purchased specialty running socks that are made out of polyester, polyamide, and nylon (no cotton) that wick moisture away from your feet. The socks are also kinda pricey, but I'm going to see if I can find them cheaper online somewhere.

As for which training program to use....DH and I have been torn. I've read a lot of great things about C25K, and DH seems to want to try the Jeff Galloway program. I have to admit that I like the idea of mixing the running/jogging and walking since I am nowhere near ready to entirely run a 5K, even though (according to the program) I should be able to do by the time the EEC rolls around.

 

[boxdoc2]

I think I'm close to registering for this...so excited! I have a few questions though.
- If we stay at a resort where there is transportation to the race - it is for race participants only right? Family members would need to take a taxi if you didn't have a car? After the after party, how easy would it be to get a taxi?
- Is there Disney transportation to the WWoS to pick up the race packet? Or would you need to take a taxi? I'm not sure I've ever seen a bus going there.
- How common is it to be picked up for not making the pace in a 5K? I am doing a 14 min mile now, but am afraid with the heat or for whatever reason I might be slower. Also, my sister may want to do it with me and hasn't started training yet. I have read that it is rare to get picked up in a 5K, but just wondering. If you are an individual runner - do you start in the first wave and does that give you a bit of a buffer on the time?
Thanks so much!

Looks like this has been answered, so this may be worthless, but FWIW....
When we were there for TOT 13K, my family went with me on the busses. It was no problem. And for the marathon the busses ran constantly to WWoS for packet pick up. And I wouldn't sweat about the race. If you do a run walk you'll be fine. The park is closed to guests so I doubt they pick up anyone. The corrals are anyone's guess. I've read where they do it by individuals or teams, and then read where they do it by when you register. So who knows. Regardless, just go and have fun!

 

[sbsmommy]

Thanks for all the feedback - I'm really excited now!
Sounds like if my sister even wanted to do it and walk a lot she could. She's coming over and we're booking our flights this afternoon!
I saw someone else in this thread say they were turning 40 in May and this was their first 5K. Me too!!! This is my big 40 celebration and to prove to myself I'm not that old...LOL!

 

[wakica]

Just registered this morning! We are team Grumpy 4 Life Grumpy is my DH favorite This will be his first 5k and my second. I cannot wait to be in Animal Kingdom at night

LOL - love the name

 

[sbsmommy]

Booked our flights and our room and I just registered for the race - I'm so excited!! It was a bonus to get the code for discounted tickets too. I didn't realize you got that perk. I can buy tickets for non racers going with me too right?

 

[tiki23]

I'm getting so excited!