Marathon Weekend 2016

[Pleglech]

a shower pill

How well do those things work?
I often pack a damp washcloth in a baggie, but those wipes look convenient (and might help mask my stink).

 

[mawatcha]

We arrived Saturday (half marathon day) last year and it felt crowded that day at MK. The next day (Sunday) at HS it was pretty busy too, but not awful. We noticed a very significant dropoff beginning Monday until the following weekend when it shot back up a bit. Midweek was very relaxed last year.

Awesome! Don't mind if the parks are full on the marathon weekend itself as I'll be taking it easy but good to know we won't have to be too concerned for the week. Thanks for your response

 

[Waiting2goback]

I'm hoping for a start time of about 5:50am. I submitted a 1:47:55 half PoT, would love to finish in 3:45, but realistically just hope to be under 4 hours as this will be marathon #1 for me.

I'm not trying to be a downer here. The fact that this is your first marathon would be the only thing that might throw a wrench in your plans. All your plans are going based on if everything goes smoothly in your first full marathon. I hope everything happens the way you want. I would just have a plan B just in case.

Thanks to all who responded about the nap. I am planning on a shower after but no nap.

My plan was for 10 miles today while the kids were in school. Well, I had 3 of the kids home sick today so there went that plan. I forced myself out tonight after they went to bed. Then the temps dropped from mid 30's to mid 20's while I was out there. I wasn't dressed warm enough for that so it cut my run short. At least I learned a little about how I need to dress as it gets colder. It's going to be tough reaching 30 miles this week now. Very frustrating!

 

[IamTrike]

How well do those things work?
I often pack a damp washcloth in a baggie, but those wipes look convenient (and might help mask my stink).

we used them on a local Ragnar run. There were 6 of us in a van and we each ran 3 or 4 times in a period just over 24 hours. The shower pills made the experience a lot more pleasant.

On the Ragnar forums they were highly recommended.

 

[LSUlakes]

I'm hoping for a start time of about 5:50am. I submitted a 1:47:55 half PoT, would love to finish in 3:45, but realistically just hope to be under 4 hours as this will be marathon #1 for me. I'm planning to race it cautiously. In other words, I'll start relatively slow, settle in, and then will run negative splits if things are going as I hope. I tend to run better this way vs. going out too fast and trying to hang on for dear life.

I have a late breakfast breakfast planned for Kona Cafe at 11am at the Poly. I'm sure my family will be fairly hungry, and I think I will be. My thought was that if I finished by 10, that I could grab some hydration and maybe a banana or whatever in/after the chute. Maybe my family will take some pictures of me around in that area... again I've never been there so I'm sure the whole area is a bit of a zoo but either way I'm fine. But then we'll head to the monorail and take it to TTC. From there I figure we'll just walk to the Poly. After we eat, they plan to go hang out at EPCOT while I head back to POP to cleanup and meet them later at the park. I really didn't want to postpone eating much longer (for them or me) so I scheduled the 11am breakfast.

This seemed like a decent plan to me at the time, but if I'm offbase I'll listen to others. I've always been ready to eat after my Halves and have had not trouble eating, but this will be my first marathon.

As @Waiting2goback said in the post above you are assuming everything goes according to plan. I'm not saying it wont, but like you I had a similar half time before my first full, and had some decent training going into the full with a similar finish time goal. I ended up with a 4+ hour time. The course I ran was much more difficult that Disneys, so that could be the difference for you achieving your goal. As far as realistic expectations for your first, you first goal should be to finish (I know that sounds crazy, but its worth placing on the list). Then follow with 4 hours, 3:45, ect... Good luck with the remainder of your training.

I'm not trying to be a downer here. The fact that this is your first marathon would be the only thing that might throw a wrench in your plans. All your plans are going based on if everything goes smoothly in your first full marathon. I hope everything happens the way you want. I would just have a plan B just in case.

Thanks to all who responded about the nap. I am planning on a shower after but no nap.

My plan was for 10 miles today while the kids were in school. Well, I had 3 of the kids home sick today so there went that plan. I forced myself out tonight after they went to bed. Then the temps dropped from mid 30's to mid 20's while I was out there. I wasn't dressed warm enough for that so it cut my run short. At least I learned a little about how I need to dress as it gets colder. It's going to be tough reaching 30 miles this week now. Very frustrating!

Sorry to hear the kiddos are sick as well as missing your run. Unfortunately those types of things happen from time to time. As long as the 10 miler wasn't your long run for the week, I wouldn't worry about making it up. If it was, then I would try to figure out a way to fit it in later if possible. Looks like its starting to get nice and cold in your part of the country. We are getting our first few days with lows in the 40's this week and I couldn't be happier!

 

[IamTrike]

As @Waiting2goback said in the post above you are assuming everything goes according to plan. I'm not saying it wont, but like you I had a similar half time before my first full, and had some decent training going into the full with a similar finish time goal. I ended up with a 4+ hour time. The course I ran was much more difficult that Disneys, so that could be the difference for you achieving your goal. As far as realistic expectations for your first, you first goal should be to finish (I know that sounds crazy, but its worth placing on the list). Then follow with 4 hours, 3:45, ect... Good luck with the remainder of your training.

I agree that the first goal should be to finish, and that there isn't really any telling how things are going to go. With Disney the temperature can also have a big impact. If it's really hot like Marathon weekend 2013 it could have a big impact on an ability to hit her goal time. I think the reality is that the poster could make the Kona reservation even if she finishes in 4:15. I think the worst case scenario is that things go completely pear shaped and they wind up late to their reservation. Given the circumstances I bet that they could either get the missed reservation fee waved or they'll just wind up eating late. We've done Kona on marathon weekend before and we were able to get last minute reservations. I'd be willing to bet that they'll still get a table at 11:30 or 11:45.

I think this is a case of making a plan based on a possible scenario, that isn't really impacted that negatively if the marathon time is longer than she estimated. It might be worthwhile for her husband to track her and be prepared to call Kona if it looks like they are going to be late.

 

[Z-Knight]

What a bunch of Negative Nancys...@cburnett11, you can do it, you will do, believe in yourself.

 

[IamTrike]

What a bunch of Negative Nancys...@cburnett11, you can do it, you will do, believe in yourself.

Technically I am a Rancorous Ryan not a Negative Nancy.

I think the main point is 1 marathon isnt' the same as 2 half marathons and until you actually do a marathon it's hard to tell exactly how your body is going to react. Also there are a lot of things that happen on race day that you might not be able to control.

 

[JClimacus]

I'm hoping for a start time of about 5:50am. I submitted a 1:47:55 half PoT, would love to finish in 3:45, but realistically just hope to be under 4 hours as this will be marathon #1 for me. I'm planning to race it cautiously. In other words, I'll start relatively slow, settle in, and then will run negative splits if things are going as I hope. I tend to run better this way vs. going out too fast and trying to hang on for dear life.

I have a late breakfast breakfast planned for Kona Cafe at 11am at the Poly. .

I think I am a fairly similar runner to you and I did my first marathon this past January at Disney. I had submitted a 1:50 half for POT, got in the E corral, and was off well before 6. I don't remember exactly when. You are very wise to run cautiously and work your way into the race. A marathon is a whole nuther beast from any other race. My advice would be to set your goal for sub-4 hours for your first marathon. That's what I did and I ran 3:52. Even though I ran cautiously, the last 5k was still pretty brutal. You should realize you don't know what shape you will be in after the race. I was in a lot of pain and barely able to walk. It took me close to an hour to shuffle to the monorail, stopping periodically to rest and having to ask people to hoist me back to my feet and push me on my way. I would leave a LOT of time for you to get back to your hotel. Plus, you'll want to leave some time to enjoy the moment and amenities at the finish. You will have earned it, take some time to glory in it...

 

[AThrillingChase]

Plus, you'll want to leave some time to enjoy the moment and amenities at the finish. You will have earned it, take some time to glory in it...

This is always my advice to people doing their first Disney race. With the exception of maybe the 5k that has a little less, they usually have a DJ still out, characters, ESPN stands selling beer and champagne, snack stands, and of course your fellow runners! I wouldn't want to rush away and skip all of that which is unique to the race, for a breakfast that will be there anytime. At PHM they had all of the bleachers and a bunch of chairs set up for us too. So you aren't stuck standing around or sitting on the ground.

 

[roxymama]

Kind of on-topic question...
Does anyone here wear glasses but not contacts? I started wearing glasses several years after college so I never had to wear them for athletics. But now I only wear glasses when needing to drive/watch movies/see anything far. I've found I need them for running because I want to see what's coming up at a distance.
My current pair SUCK for running because they are kind of slidey. I've made a new eye appt to get my prescription upped anyways and I've seriously considering getting a pair of sport sunglasses with a prescription. Anyone have any tips about that?
I would go contacts but my doctor says they will weaken my eyes...there's a reason I only wear my glasses sometimes. If I wore them all day at my computer and in my house my eyes would get even more dependent on them. Eventually in about 10 years I'll probably have to switch to wearing them all the time.

Sorry for rambling. FYI My hubby has a pair he got for cycling but I don't know what to look for for running.

 

[IamTrike]

Kind of on-topic question...
Does anyone here wear glasses but not contacts? I started wearing glasses several years after college so I never had to wear them for athletics. But now I only wear glasses when needing to drive/watch movies/see anything far. I've found I need them for running because I want to see what's coming up at a distance.
My current pair SUCK for running because they are kind of slidey. I've made a new eye appt to get my prescription upped anyways and I've seriously considering getting a pair of sport sunglasses with a prescription. Anyone have any tips about that?
I would go contacts but my doctor says they will weaken my eyes...there's a reason I only wear my glasses sometimes. If I wore them all day at my computer and in my house my eyes would get even more dependent on them. Eventually in about 10 years I'll probably have to switch to wearing them all the time.

Sorry for rambling. FYI My hubby has a pair he got for cycling but I don't know what to look for for running.

I don't wear prescription glasses but I do wear sunglasses when I run. I think there is a fair amount of overlap between running sunglasses and cycling glasses. In fact I bought my last two pairs of running glasses from a bike shop. I think I would look for the following:

1. Lightweight. You don't need to add an extra weight.
2. Fitted. You want glasses that aren't going to bounce around when you are running
3. Something to keep them from getting fogged up. A lot of times this seems to be through venting around the side of the lense.
4. Photochromic lenses. (I like them because they adjust how dark they are based on how bright it is outside)

 

[Z-Knight]

As for contacts weakening your eyes - that's not exactly true. That only applies to soft contact lenses. I have hard contact lenses and my prescription hasn't changed in 15 years because hard ones maintain your eye shape better. I run with the contacts and sunglasses.

 

[kevdad]

Kind of on-topic question...
Does anyone here wear glasses but not contacts?

I do! I have flexible titanium frames that have worked extremely well. They weigh next to nothing and are highly flexible (helps when the kids grab at them or when someone accidentally sits on them-won't mention who that is...). They don't move at all during any type of running and, for the most part, wearing a hat keeps the sun out of my eyes and rain away unless it's really raining hard. They aren't cheap, but I've had mine for at least 7-8 years with no issues whatsoever.

I also have a pair of Oakley Blender prescription sunglasses that are heavier which do bounce/slid around a bit, but in general work pretty well. I'll wear those when I know the sun will be in my eyes at some point, but I really prefer my normal frames especially for racing.

Edit to add a picture of something similar to what I have:

 

[kevdad]

I should add that when I told the eyeglass shop that I'd be using the Oakleys for running, they adjusted them so that they sit higher up on my nose for better stability. They look a little goofy (pun intended...) when not running, but I'm ok with that!

 

[roxymama]

As for contacts weakening your eyes - that's not exactly true. That only applies to soft contact lenses. I have hard contact lenses and my prescription hasn't changed in 15 years because hard ones maintain your eye shape better. I run with the contacts and sunglasses.

I should have been more clear. I only wear glasses occasionally during the day. Wearing contacts would mean my eyes would be using the prescription all day and hence my eyes would get used to them and get weaker faster per my dr. It's a genetic thing on my moms side.

 

[emindc]

Sorry if this question has been asked already . . . I tried to search but couldn't find anything.

How long should I allow for the Expo? Of course I have to get my packet and other essentials. I have been to expos at other running events, so I assume many of the vendors are the usual suspects I have seen elsewhere. But I thought I'd mosey through anyway. I expect to get there mid-day on Friday. How long should I allow? Hour? Two? Rest of the day? Thanks.

Liz

 

[Z-Knight]

Sorry if this question has been asked already . . . I tried to search but couldn't find anything.

How long should I allow for the Expo? Of course I have to get my packet and other essentials. I have been to expos at other running events, so I assume many of the vendors are the usual suspects I have seen elsewhere. But I thought I'd mosey through anyway. I expect to get there mid-day on Friday. How long should I allow? Hour? Two? Rest of the day? Thanks.

Liz

Shop till you drop.

But seriously, depends on whether you want disney merchandise which may require waiting in line for some time.

 

[cavepig]

Sorry if this question has been asked already . . . I tried to search but couldn't find anything.

How long should I allow for the Expo? Of course I have to get my packet and other essentials. I have been to expos at other running events, so I assume many of the vendors are the usual suspects I have seen elsewhere. But I thought I'd mosey through anyway. I expect to get there mid-day on Friday. How long should I allow? Hour? Two? Rest of the day? Thanks.

Liz

I would allow at least an hour at the expo (not counting transportation to and from time). Some vendors have spinny wheel things or there's photo ops too. Lines shouldn't be long Friday so getting your bib shouldn't take long, but you do get your bib in one building then have to go to another building to get your shirt. If you think you'll want to shop the vendors then add more time.

 

[IamTrike]

Sorry if this question has been asked already . . . I tried to search but couldn't find anything.

How long should I allow for the Expo? Of course I have to get my packet and other essentials. I have been to expos at other running events, so I assume many of the vendors are the usual suspects I have seen elsewhere. But I thought I'd mosey through anyway. I expect to get there mid-day on Friday. How long should I allow? Hour? Two? Rest of the day? Thanks.

Liz

Are you including transit time, time for pictures in front of the banners and stuff at the expo and are you taking the buss or driving. I think 30-45 minutes is a reasonable estimate to get your packets and shirts. The long lines are for disney merchandise, getting kinisio taped, and for the new balance stuff (although you might have to do virtual queue for that booth). In the past there have been runDisney race sign ups and that has been crowded too. Depending on how many of the long line things you want to do I would budget 1-3 hours. Parking is a pain so if you drive it can take a while to get from the parking lot to the buildings. If you take a bus you'll spend time waiting for buses so you'll likely need to add that too.