Inaugural Disney Wine&Dine**1/2 Marathon** Post Race Discussion!

[cewait]

Just back from the inaugural Wine and Dine Half Mary. Mary and I had a great get out of town weekend; kind of. I ran a decent half based on my training level and have nothing to complain about concerning my performance. Though I do give Disney a C- overall for the event. I guess that since it is the inaugural maybe a C+. There are just too many issues, some of which make for unsafe conditions… something that an RD should never do. The AK is just too narrow to push as many runners through the park on undulating dark pathways and the several dark spots along the course are inexcusable, especially the stretch along Lake Buena Vista coming into DHS where street lights were out and we were looking into a backlit foreground. Finally, the post-race setup was bad. Who in their right mind would force runners to stop and walk inside a non-air conditioned building to pick up their checked bag. They were only using 10% of the available floor space in the building. Then the post-race party was way oversold. The lines were long and many non-runners were already very partied by the time I made it into the World Showcase. Finally, I think that if Disney is going to have official resorts for the event, they should SERVE those resorts well. I waited over 30 minutes for a bus at Boardwalk and have friends who were later than me who waited an hour. They arrived as we were entering the corrals.

I know John and Disney will debrief this week and things will be better next year. I will not be there to witness it. While I had a great time my initial thoughts of a night race were correct. I am a morning person and I honestly ran out of mental steam at midnight. It was a weird coincidence as I found myself running with Galloway about the same time. I think he through he was leading a pack of runners, but I think he had lft them. I am not sure but he was running 60s/30s intervals. His walks were real slow but his runs were in the 8 – 8:30 pace range. I hung with him for almost a mile then let him slide off.

Maybe I am being overly harsh but I expect so much more out of John and Disney. At least historically, their races have been better.

 

[cobbler]

I have to ask... when Jeff Galloway runs (I haven't read any books so if anyone could recommend any to me that would be great), when does he start this run / walk interval? Is it after so many miles or is it right from the get-go?

 

[bounceliketigger]

M'thonmommy- yep, I think you'll have to count me out for Phiily. If was still open I might consider it, but I think I need to evaluate my issues first. I think the Rothman 8k &/or the Bridge Run are going to be it for awhile.

Now I really don't want to delve into this too much for obvious reasons, but I'm really hoping for some advice from anyone who's experienced the 'wicked sickies' & need for Immodium during or post run. This time it nearly ruined my love for running, not to mention flushed all hopes of my PR down the toilet. (cue a very sarcastic 'ha ha'). What am I doing wrong???

Coach- thanks for validating the Galloway sighting. I thought it was him but wasn't sure...
AND- I wholehartedly agree on all points about the race set-up and so on & then some. Like you, I will not be doing this one next year. Maybe they'll get the bugs worked out, but it's not like Disney doesn't have experience. There's really no excuse for the shortfalls. Even if they do get it worked out, I think I'll have to stick w/a.m. runs. Just can't handle going to sleep @ 4a.m. like I used to.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Back home in NYC... it is COLD here.

Finished in 2:20:28. 28 seconds slower than my Half in Philly. Could have been any number of things, including spending the whole day walking around EPCOT. After the race, it took me an hour to find my boyfriend, so that kind of spoiled the party. By the time we got to each other, I was tired and needed to go to bed.

I thought the race was okay... loved the Osborne Lights, and running past the Tower of Terror and Everest... didn't love running on the grass the first mile or the broken clock at mile 11. Loved the cast members and volunteers out on the course, especially the boring highway parts.

As of now, I'm unsure of whether I'm going to do the Princess. The NYC Half is in March, so if I do that (it's a lottery), I'll train specifically for that race.

We did have a great trip. Running with Jeff Galloway and the Halloween Party were absolutely fantastic.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Hi everyone!
Still here....I finished in under 3 hrs...2 hrs 57 min! lol Beat my goal and finished! had a 13:05,13:08 pace to start....I found myself zig zagging in all the tight places....which I wasnt planning on....but very happy with my results!
The dark LBV...then with the flashing lights made me a bit dizzy for a bit...this was my first 1/2...and have nothing to compare to.
At RunDIsney on Facebook, people were complaining within hrs!! I found myself not being able to sleep....may need to think abt Januray coming up

 

[MouseDogMom]

I have to ask... when Jeff Galloway runs (I haven't read any books so if anyone could recommend any to me that would be great), when does he start this run / walk interval? Is it after so many miles or is it right from the get-go?

He does run/walk intervals from the very start. The book I have is simply titled "Marathon." It's the one I was given when I joined the Galloway training program.

Jackie

 

[momhmmx2]

Anyone use GPS for the relay? Just curious what the actual mileage was. Seemed much longer than 4.8 or was it because I ran 1.5mpm's faster than I trained for just curious? Thanks!

 

[cewait]

Anyone use GPS for the relay? Just curious what the actual mileage was. Seemed much longer than 4.8 or was it because I ran 1.5mpm's faster than I trained for just curious? Thanks!

If not exact it was close. The 5 mile mark is right at the merge point...

 

[cewait]

Hi everyone!
Still here....I finished in under 3 hrs...2 hrs 57 min! lol Beat my goal and finished! had a 13:05,13:08 pace to start....I found myself zig zagging in all the tight places....which I wasnt planning on....but very happy with my results!
The dark LBV...then with the flashing lights made me a bit dizzy for a bit...this was my first 1/2...and have nothing to compare to.
At RunDIsney on Facebook, people were complaining within hrs!! I found myself not being able to sleep....may need to think abt Januray coming up

Why not sign up... It is a great event. Plus no luv bugs!

 

[FFigawi]

Now I really don't want to delve into this too much for obvious reasons, but I'm really hoping for some advice from anyone who's experienced the 'wicked sickies' & need for Immodium during or post run. This time it nearly ruined my love for running, not to mention flushed all hopes of my PR down the toilet. (cue a very sarcastic 'ha ha'). What am I doing wrong???

Your problems during this race could be caused by any number of things - what you ate the few days before, a stomach virus, nerves, improper hydration, over-exertion, some combination of those, or something else altogether. Some times it's easy to pinpoint the root cause (personal example: duck confit does not make for a quality pre-marathon dinner), but other times, it's not. I wouldn't say that you're necessarily doing anything wrong. Some races things just go our way, and others they don't. I just try to do the best I can in the days leading up to a race to make sure I'm as well prepared as I can be - eat right, rest right, etc. - and take the race as it comes. On the flip side, I don't always do a good job of eating right leading up to my weekend long runs, so maybe I've inadvertently trained my body to adapt to the worst preparations which is why I generally do well when I prepare properly.

 

[chimera]

Now I really don't want to delve into this too much for obvious reasons, but I'm really hoping for some advice from anyone who's experienced the 'wicked sickies' & need for Immodium during or post run. This time it nearly ruined my love for running, not to mention flushed all hopes of my PR down the toilet. (cue a very sarcastic 'ha ha'). What am I doing wrong???

There's a fun thing called 'runner's trots'

My stomach has become more fussy with age and really depends on what I ate the night before a run. I think this race was hard to prep for, being at night...I wasn't sure how to eat during the day. Like John said...coulda been any number of things.

If you have a repeat occurrence, you can take Imodium before a race or long run. I usually take just one before any run longer than 5 miles. Just check with your healthcare provider to make sure it's okay for you.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

Why not sign up... It is a great event. Plus no luv bugs!

I just may do it...I am pleased with my result and my trainer...I personally trained for 7 weeks and only had my trainer for abt 3 of them...having 3 mths before Jan is a very good carrot for me...
Although I trained to walk, I found myself jogging/slow run to move ahead when I had to...
And I agree abt the mental challenge at midnight...want to try getting up in the morning next time for a half!
Yes, luv bugs were terrible today here at AKV by the pool.

 

[bhurley]

Congratulations to everyone who ran the 1/2. I am very jealous. I wish I could have gone. I even sat up for a while last night and watched the live race times come up. I am planning to do it nest year. My question for the runners is was it too crowded? Could you run your normal pace? I read a few posts, but would love to hear more.
Great job everyone.
Take care Bill

 

[Shannon84]

Just got home in VA from WDW and I am just EXHAUSTED, I wish check out was later today I was so happy to meet WONDERFUL DISers (FireDancer,wdwprncess77,bounceliketigger, and more!!), its so great to put a face to the name on these boards and it made the traveling to the run and waiting for it to start great Also fellow WISHers were great with words of encouragement along the course!

As for the run, my shirt was correct slow and steady finishes the race, but sure doesnt win anything Towards the middle I realized I was going very slow and just decided to enjoy myself and snap lots of pictures, so I stopped at a majority of the characters at that point.

I have never experienced a Disney race before, but I have to agree with Coach that some spots felt very unsafe to me. I am not a fast runner, but I was surrounded by walkers the entire time, I couldnt go around or through them, and it was dark and narrow pathways at some points. I actually witnessed about 3 or 4 people trip in the dark areas and one lady roll her ankle pretty badly. Also it seemed that very few cast members knew what was going on I am very thankful I am on these boards and people on here helped me out greatly both on these boards and when I met them in person on race day!! Also the after party ... I purchased my spectator a ticket and neither of us found a food line that was tolerable to wait in to use our food tickets, so we gave those away and got 2 drinks at a beer/wine station.

Either way I am really glad I did my first half at WDW and I had a ton of fun running...I probably wont do it again unless someone my pace convinces me to do so (wdwprncess77 are you doing it next year??) I hope that everyone had a great time and safe travels

 

[cobbler]

Congratulations to everyone who ran the 1/2. I am very jealous. I wish I could have gone. I even sat up for a while last night and watched the live race times come up. I am planning to do it nest year. My question for the runners is was it too crowded? Could you run your normal pace? I read a few posts, but would love to hear more.
Great job everyone.
Take care Bill

It is quite crowded in the beginning, lots of people kind of zig zagging through everyone else. I however, could do ok with my pace. I kept all the way to the right and only passed when I needed too. I didn't find too much difficulty after mile 1 - 1.5 to keep a consistent pace. The only clogs were in the narrow areas - which weren't all that bad, I either sped up or slowed down accordingly for the short distances when it occured. The other time is during the water stations, I grabbed and kept going until I passed the tables then moved towards the grass to drink and walk. I only had 1 person stop dead in front of me and almost smacked right into the back of him but other than just being cautious during those times, I'd say it went smoothly - at least for me.

 

[FireDancer]

Looks like this is the place for reviews so I'll do mine.

First though, congratulations to everyone the finished and an extra congrats to all the first timers. I hope you are hooked now.

Ok, I guess I'll have to preface this by saying I'm sure I will have a very different outlook then those that were in larger groups. I was single file pretty much the whole race after the first mile with the exception of when I was passing someone or was being passed so some of the crowding issues won't apply to me.

The course overall was a bit hillier then I was thinking, especially after that last turn around as we were heading to DHS. The humidity also drained me a bit but knowing what it could have been like down there I'll take it.

Overall I'm going to give the event a B because it is an inaugural. I had no issues with crowding anywhere (see above) and the light issues weren't bad for me, even the dark spots, but I'm sure that comes down to the fact I do so much running at night anyway and on my route I have much longer stretches of no light.

All of the water stops were very well lit and well stocked while I was going through so I have to give them an A+ there. I was worried about the lighting there and having to adjust my speed to grab water but that wasn't an issue at all.

I think they needed a bit more entertainment on the stretch after we came out of AK running back towards WWoS. The people who were there were good but there were long empty spots. I don't think any of the clocks were off when I passed them but I was using my Garmin more than the posted time so I may have missed it.

I really liked running through AK and think that was the highlight of the course for me. It was early enough in the run I was still fresh and while I was worried about the uneven footing on some of the trails I had absolutely no issue with it at all.

The stretch through DHS was a bit odd. I liked the surprise of the Osborne lights being on but the route was pretty convoluted and had a lot of turns. I was catching 3 runners at the time so I was concentrating more on passing them through most of the DHS portion but there were a lot of times I had no idea where the heck I was in the park. I think a route through there with less turns would be better.

That run up the canal and around the boardwalk was another highlight for me. That is my favorite running route on property so I had a feeling I would like it. There were people out pretty much from the Swan/Dolphin bridge on to the finish. I do wish they had some more entertainment there and while they didn't have much room maybe having some characters on a boat in the canal is an idea.

Then there was the finish and after party. I was hoping to finish in the park, even if it was back stage, but understand why they finished where they did. I finished 26th so there was no issue at all with crowds in the baggage pickup area or at the food tables. I didn't even have to stop walking when I was going through the Millennium Village and when I went through the air conditioning was on. It smelled like the cooking seminars from earlier in the day and I have to admit it was not a welcomed smell at the time.

The after party was already crowded when I finished so I knew it would be pretty bad a little later. I hurried into a restroom and changed. I can now mark "completely change in an Epcot bathroom" off my bucket list. I went over with my friend Joel who was waiting for me at the party and rode Maelstrom which not only had no wait but we had a boat to ourselves. Then we went around and got some samples, watched the awards ceremony, and stayed until they kicked us out at 3:00am.

Here are the things I would suggest to the Race Director if he were to ask me (not that he will of course):

• Have more corrals. The range of times was way too large in the A corral and I heard from others that it was the same in the other corals as well. I was stuck behind people who were going out at a 9:00/mile pace and while not a slow pace it was too slow to be at the front of the first coral.
• Have more entertainment along the roads between the parks. I know there are logistical issues but they can do better.
• If you are going to hand out GU blocks or anything else make sure they are either opened or partially opened. By the time they handed them out my hands were too sweaty to get that thing opened without slowing down so they just got tossed.
• Limit the after party to the runners + 1 guest. There were longer lines at the party then I witnessed earlier in the day when everyone was allowed in.
• Alter the course to finish inside Epcot. The easiest way would probably be to shorten the route through DHS (and that means less turns) and have us enter the backstage area where we finished. I'd have to look at an aerial shot but if we could enter that area and then run out between the Imagination pavilion and The Land or The Land and the Living Seas we could then finish in the park.
• Change the way you do baggage check. There are at least 5 better ways I can think of.

That is all I can think of for now. Sorry it was so long but I wanted to get everything out there. Even with my complaints I still give the event a B. It might have had some rough edges but I can excuse them for a first year event. I don't anticipate running this next year but if they don't address the issues this same showing would get a C- the second time around.

Congratulations again everyone and I look forward to hearing some more reviews based on your experience. I'm sure they will very a lot based on the different paces and the experience level of the other WISHers. I'm going to be doing a blog posting for the DIS on the half marathon and the after party so I want to get a complete picture of how the event was for the middle of the packers, the relay runners, and the back of the packers. The more info the more detailed I can be.

 

[bhurley]

Thanks Firedancer and Cobbler. Those were great reviews. I am looking forward to next year.
Bill

 

[jmasgat]

Frank So modest....any race where I finished 26th would automatically get an A+!!! Congrats on a phenomenal finish.

Yeah to everyone else who made it through. I was really thinking about doing this as my one Disney race next year, but I guess we'll have to see if they make any changes.

Maura

 

[nolanboys]

I'm going to be doing a blog posting for the DIS on the half marathon and the after party so I want to get a complete picture of how the even was for the middle of the packers, the relay runners, and the back of the packers. The more info the more detailed I can be.

This was my first race. Started in Corral D because we didn't have a submitted time and was surprised to see that C and D were together. DH and I got in the corral early so we were near the beginning. I knew coming out of Wide World of Sports would be tight, but that continued on the road. Kept running on the grass to get around people, but then stopped because I was afraid I'd roll my ankle. The turn into AK was very tight and we had to slow down. Loved running through AK. It was tight though and our pace slowed and passing was very difficult. There was an area between AK and HS that was too dark. Honestly couldn't see a thing. HS was my least favorite. It was fun to run by Tower of Terror, but as DH said it was like you were following the person in front of you and hoping they weren't lost. Favorite part was the last mile. Neat to have all those people cheering in front of BC. Again, this was our first race, and we didn't like the end after the race. We should have walked more to cool down. We were told to get our medal and checked bag. Standing in line we both felt a little light headed. It passed and we were fine. Did not really enjoy the after party. Way too crowded. We finally found uncrowded bathrooms to change in down in Germany. Did feel better after getting out of wet clothes. We forced ourselves to have something to eat, but then walked over to BC and got a taxi take us back to AKV. Was chilled to the bone and took a hot bath which felt great and was in bed by 3:00. Could not sleep - either could DH. We were both up by 7:45. Felt great yesterday. We went to AK, hung out at the pool, napped and went to Jiko. Legs feel great and so excited that we get to check into BWV today for 2 more nights of fun. Heading over to Epcot today to enjoy F&W.

On a side note - according to DH's Gamin watch, we actually ran 13.3 miles with all of our zig zagging. Also, so glad I did this race. It is a huge accomplishment. I don't know if I will do another. I will definitely do another race, but I think 10K's are more up my alley.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Wow, Frank, 26th!?!? Fantastic job.

Hope everyone is recovering well! It is cold and rainy in New York.