I am starting to feel the nerves....of reality.

[RnbwSktles]

This is fantastic.

I've only run races at home on courses I know very well, so I can look at a map and know what to expect. For Dopey I'll spend quite a bit of time memorizing the course maps to mentally get myself ready for the various "sections".

My opinion on running on new courses is 50/50

PRO: I like the change from the monotony of the familiar course. The miles seem longer when I know the landmarks and how far they are. When I run in a new place I get distracted looking around and the miles usually creep up on me. I feel like if I studied a course too much it would lose its appeal. Also, I can't dread a particular section if I don't really know it's coming.

Which leads me to...

CON: Not being prepared for something. This really only happened to me once, during my last half. I didn't realize the course was as hilly as it was, and at mile 9 we went through a park that killed me. My pace dropped way off for the last 3 miles.

However, I do think that even if I had slowed down from the beginning, the park would've beat me up anyway.

 

[goofeygirl]

I finally figured out the cause of Goofygirls problem last year. Its mental. Experienced marathoners have been there and can relate. She pushed and pushed, the weather was warmer than normal, she knew she was close to a landmark and yet, the course threw a nasty little hill at her that was totally unexpected and GG was expecting the gateway to the park. Instead, as thanks for making past Old Sarge (Army Guy) she was welcomed to a long stretch of World Drive, AGAIN! Having an unexpected turn can be a cruel and real crusher and as GG has indicated in a few posts, a game changer.

I fall back to a paraphrased Lao-Tzu quote A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. As I was preparing for my very first marathon I was watching the old ESPN Running and Racing program and that quote popped up and I took it to heart. Simply, the finish line of the marathon looks too far to conquer from the start line so one really must break the race into manageable bite sized pieces. As a start, break the course into highlighted landmarks. For Disney its the Start, MK, Indy Track, DAK, WWoS, DHS and then Epcot. What I do from there is lay out each section into the landmarks that make that section a winner and run to them. I try to know the mile marks, streets, and corners in mind as I hit those sections. I also want to know from driving and previous experience, the parts of that section I want to save and bundle energy for. I think the longest distance in my bundles listed is 5 miles if one counts inside the park/landmark as its own section i.e. WWoS is a 2-3 mile loop inside the landmark. This makes the prep time and the granular race strategy very manageable.

What I suggest as a tool for those energy zapped periods that can come on all of a sudden are those tools used to stay on a run in training. Focus on the runner in front of you and tie an imaginary string to them and allow them to pull you. Run to the next character, mile post, street light, crack, run 10 strides& whatever it takes to get going again and then keep pushing that distance out as you make your short goal. GG mentioned hanging her head raise you head up, lower the shoulders and take in a few deep and cleansing breathes. These will lower the upper body stress and add a smile as you do it. You will recover the by doing these the first crash or so on course.

Grab the photographer location sheet at the expo and memorize their locations. You never what to look bad in a photo so if you know where to expect them, you can loosen up, smile and be on stride as you pass the photo zones. For the full, look for them on Main, In Tomorrowland, Coming out of Cinderella Castle, on the Indy Track, In DAK with the Tree of life in the background (I would assume Dinoland exit for that), just after the right turn past Everest, and possibly one where they catch the Dino from Dinoland in the background, In the ball park at WWoS, On the main street of DHS, possibly in front of the Thrill Ride, England/France and China as you crest the hills and along the Spaceship Earth. These locations are never guaranteed and have changed from year to year.

Hope this helps some&.


Oh, and yes, parts of the race will suck to high heavens as you run it. I tend to forget the sucking on Monday and only recall the top half of the experience.

Yes that was it alright...lessons learned and (hopefully) applied. My goodness yes about the head up part...I must do that this time around because honest to goodness I have one photo of me in Epcot that looked like I lost my contact lens and was really pissed off about it.
I know what to expect at the dreaded mile 21 and there after...

However I never thought that they even had a map of where photogs were....in any other race I have always made a point of looking desperately happy for the photogs...arms up high and can I get a yay! My photogs sometimes look like I am in a dance contest but its all fun.

Last year I did break the race down...much like what you just wrote...how many fun miles there was to go for the next exciting adventure and it worked for me. For some reason I was mistaken on that mile 21...now when I get to mile 21 I am really going to jump for joy and how fun it is that I am at mile 21..and all I have to do is just a few more little tiny miles of more fun on the road before I get to the fun bits! Can I get a yay!

I want to be happy the whole way...like I was until mile 21....I want people in HS and Epcot to look and think..wow that girl is having fun, gee I want to do this next year!

Yay!

I am so going to have fun now because I know what to expect...truly, I did enjoy the full as hard as it was...really I did until....but not this time around..because now I know what to expect!

Thanks C! I wish I could meet you sometime!

 

[goofeygirl]

Thanks for your honest opinions/expericence about the last 5+ miles. I think after reading all the posts about how difficult the end of a marathon is will certainly help me prepare for it mentally better than if everyone just keeps saying, it's not that bad. I know it will be tough, but the crowds, seeing my wife around mile 25, and just knowing that I am going to have to tough it out will certainly help. If it was easy, everyone would do it, right?

Break the race down as coach wrote...it worked for me...their are high's to this race...something fun to look at every so many miles.
Get the best kik *** music on earth that will take your mind to a new dimension during the highway travel and think what a cool thing you are doing...because so few people have done what you are going to do. Enjoy the people around you...I find humour in watching them...their costumes, they way the jive to music, their faces...whatever, you will find an interesting collection of people in this race...and they will in turn look at you for amusement...
Then at that end you will be in the best part of the race...but you worked your *** off to get there...you are tired, your legs are feelin' it but enjoy the crowds...wave and smile..thats what I am going to do no matter!

I remember when I did the half a few years ago..my first half...this was Saturday and I decided to go support the full marathoners...I was staying at one of the Epcot resorts...I was watching and cheering these runners on as they made their way into Epcot for the last stretch of the race...and I remember this handsome fellow dressed as Tinkerbelle and carrying a wand and he waved the wand and everyone and smiled and everyone laughed and he shouted out 'thanks for that' (meaning all the cheers he got) and he looked so happy...I admired him for that...so I want to be him this time around ...I actually wanted to be him last year but that didn't happen.

So that's the best advice I can give you from a ONE time marathoner!

 

[buckeyecinderella]

Last year, my only marathon, I faded shortly after mile 20. I wasn't bored. Just physically really tired, hot, probably dehydrated, and had really tight quads/hips. What motivated me to keep going was the fact that I had gone that far and was not about to quit because I might never EVER run that far again! Of course now I'm signed up for Goofy this year and this is bringing its own set of concerns.

Also I think I am in the minority when I say I did not mind running WWoS. Better than the highway!

I knew once I got to HS I had it wrapped up. I thought from there to the finish was the best part of the race. Only thing is I hope this year I can get a beer in WS. Will I really be able to cross the finish line with it?

 

[cewait]

Last year, my only marathon, I faded shortly after mile 20. I wasn't bored. Just physically really tired, hot, probably dehydrated, and had really tight quads/hips. What motivated me to keep going was the fact that I had gone that far and was not about to quit because I might never EVER run that far again! Of course now I'm signed up for Goofy this year and this is bringing its own set of concerns.

Also I think I am in the minority when I say I did not mind running WWoS. Better than the highway!

I knew once I got to HS I had it wrapped up. I thought from there to the finish was the best part of the race. Only thing is I hope this year I can get a beer in WS. Will I really be able to cross the finish line with it?

I did and have a photo to prove it.

 

[DOOM1001]

I think the marathon can be grouped into sections with each one having a reward at the end.Starting at Epcot itself is like a reward,you've been waiting for months for that moment,you got up at 2-3am to stand around for a couple of hours and when you finally start the excitement is enough to get you to mile 4-5 before MK.Then you enter MK which is like another reward running up Main Street USA,from MK to the racetrack you'll see some spectators and characters outside the Grand Floridian so plenty of things to keep you entertained.When you enter the racetrack it's cool for the first half but the track is really long and once you get halfway through it you want it to be over.From the racetrack to AK along with Osceola pkway after AK are the most boring parts for me but after the racetrack to AK is still early enough in the race that you still have a lot of excitement for everything that you have to experience still in the race,and if possible once you get to AK you might be able to ride Everest.Going through AK,Everest and the spectators outside AK is another of the race rewards,plus you just hit halfway through the race.I don't have to say anything about Osceola pkway,if you want to get adventurous you can try and get a McFlurry at the McDonalds,but I'm not brave enough to try that.The overpasses on Osceola are a challenge but I don't push myself at this point,I just walk them,at this point I just want to get to WWOS.Once I do it's all about getting to the stadium,a lot of twists and turns before the stadium,reaching it is another goal and reward.After WWOS it's another short stretch of Osceola and once you're in DHS you're in the home stretch,just get through DHS with day guests already in the park exit and do the Boardwalk resorts path which I've done hundreds of time when visiting the parks and you're there man,Epcot's World Showcase which is the most exciting part of the race for me,running through my favorite park with day guests high fiving you and family waiting for you at the finish line.This year when I finish I want to stick around for a while and see Dopey finishers because that's a major accomplishment as I consider just the full by itself a pretty big deal.

 

[Diskidatheart]

Break the race down as coach wrote...it worked for me...their are high's to this race...something fun to look at every so many miles.
Get the best kik *** music on earth that will take your mind to a new dimension during the highway travel and think what a cool thing you are doing...because so few people have done what you are going to do. Enjoy the people around you...I find humour in watching them...their costumes, they way the jive to music, their faces...whatever, you will find an interesting collection of people in this race...and they will in turn look at you for amusement...
Then at that end you will be in the best part of the race...but you worked your *** off to get there...you are tired, your legs are feelin' it but enjoy the crowds...wave and smile..thats what I am going to do no matter!

I remember when I did the half a few years ago..my first half...this was Saturday and I decided to go support the full marathoners...I was staying at one of the Epcot resorts...I was watching and cheering these runners on as they made their way into Epcot for the last stretch of the race...and I remember this handsome fellow dressed as Tinkerbelle and carrying a wand and he waved the wand and everyone and smiled and everyone laughed and he shouted out 'thanks for that' (meaning all the cheers he got) and he looked so happy...I admired him for that...so I want to be him this time around ...I actually wanted to be him last year but that didn't happen.

So that's the best advice I can give you from a ONE time marathoner!

This is awesome! Thanks. I'm so sorry you're experience last year wasn't as you had hoped, but know that what you learned from last year will make this year's marathon that much better for you. If it makes you feel any better, I think it's also going to help me too.

I love people watching and when I ran the Pittsburgh Half Marathon this year, I enjoyed it so much because I ran with a pace group (and plan on doing that too for the marathon) and was able to people watch, read signs (and laugh at most of them), high 5 spectators, and just take it all in as best I could. The spectators are the best. I hope they realize how much they actually do for getting runners to the finish line!