Marathon Weekend 2016

[cavepig]

2016 showed up on the active link drop down now....

 

[Z-Knight]

http://live.xacte.com/wdw/?id=820

2016 option is now available, but no names yet.

 

[Keels]

2016 showed up on the active link drop down now....

Welp. It's about to get really real now.

 

[CamColt]

I don't know if I'm excited, or scared to death now.
Does anyone else just want it to be over? I feel like I think about this 24/7...I'm obsessing over everything.

 

[SarahDisney]

I have to say ... I expected everything to go up between 1 and 4 today when I wasn't home and wasn't checking on my phone. I'm a little surprised it took until later than that for 2016 to be an option. I'm expecting bib numbers to go up after 4 tomorrow ... because that's when I'll be off the computer for over a day.
That or they'll go up at like 3:30 but I'll forget to check.

 

[Keels]

I don't know if I'm excited, or scared to death now.
Does anyone else just want it to be over? I feel like I think about this 24/7...I'm obsessing over everything.

I'm stuck in between wishing I had like six more months AND wishing today was 5K day.

The more time part so I could be more prepared. So I could be faster. So I could be stronger. So I could squeeze in a full marathon so I won't feel so nervous about it.

But I'm ready to get to Florida.

I'm ready to see all of my friends from back home - the people I've known since I was a little girl and that I've grown up with. I'm ready for my friends from afar (my girl @mbwhitti and my friends from here in Texas) to come to Florida and for everyone to meet.

I'm ready to put more names with faces of all the great people on this thread and this board.

I'm ready to see our shirts. I'm ready to spend all my Christmas $$$ and money I've been squirreling away all year on merch.

I'm ready to make my way down Main Street in front of a cheering crowd, in a completely different capacity than I did 16 years ago.

I'm ready to cross the finish line. I'm ready to have those medals around my neck. To hear the clang when I walk around.

I'm ready to do what one year ago I thought was beyond impossible. And, you know what, maybe it still is - but I'm sure going to try.

 

[Keels]

I have to say ... I expected everything to go up between 1 and 4 today when I wasn't home and wasn't checking on my phone. I'm a little surprised it took until later than that for 2016 to be an option. I'm expecting bib numbers to go up after 4 tomorrow ... because that's when I'll be off the computer for over a day.
That or they'll go up at like 3:30 but I'll forget to check.

I want to say that for W&D, there was no database attached for a couple of days. There are STILL TAs selling bibs (no without hotels) with a deadline of tomorrow, so I'm guessing we'll see bib numbers on Monday or Tuesday.

 

[SarahDisney]

The more time part so I could be more prepared. So I could be faster. So I could be stronger. So I could squeeze in a full marathon so I won't feel so nervous about it.

Truth ... I've been thinking about this a lot because of my own nerves.
I can't imagine that most people feel prepared for this. If the race was 6 months away, 5 months from now you'd probably still feel unprepared. You have to trust your training to get you to where you need to be. You've put a lot of time and effort into your training and that's all you can do.
There are more things to be excited about than to be nervous about.

 

[CamColt]

You are so inspiring, Keels! I agree about needing more time to prepare, but I'm also so afraid of getting hurt or just another ache or pain popping up, that I'm at the point of I just want to do it (or at least try, LOL). We signed up for this sort of on a whim in Sept and I feel like it has taken over my life, especially since getting back from W&D.

 

[BigEeyore]

Just trying to get psyched up for the 9miler/19miler weekend ahead and wishing Disney would throw us a bone of information to motivate me! Bib #'s, the marathon course, shirt designs,the DOONEY....just something! I think we must all feel a little desperate for something to make this thing feel real at this point (when you get excited that your race just shows up as an option on a results page, it is lean times indeed!).
Am I the only one feeling this way?

 

[Keels]

Truth ... I've been thinking about this a lot because of my own nerves.
I can't imagine that most people feel prepared for this. If the race was 6 months away, 5 months from now you'd probably still feel unprepared. You have to trust your training to get you to where you need to be. You've put a lot of time and effort into your training and that's all you can do.
There are more things to be excited about than to be nervous about.

So true. My performance in my Thanksgiving 10K helped my confidence, so I think I'm going to squeeze in another half marathon next weekend - using it as a supported training run, but it's one of the biggest race weekends in DFW so I think that will help.

And I have one more long run to do, hopefully 20 miles, and then I think ... after that, I'll be ready.

Just trying to get psyched up for the 9miler/19miler weekend ahead and wishing Disney would throw us a bone of information to motivate me! Bib #'s, the marathon course, shirt designs,the DOONEY....just something! I think we must all feel a little desperate for something to make this thing feel real at this point (when you get excited that your race just shows up as an option on a results page, it is lean times indeed!).
Am I the only one feeling this way?

UGH. I seriously think I would calm down if I could see what the damn marathon course is!

 

[Keels]

You are so inspiring, Keels! I agree about needing more time to prepare, but I'm also so afraid of getting hurt or just another ache or pain popping up, that I'm at the point of I just want to do it (or at least try, LOL). We signed up for this sort of on a whim in Sept and I feel like it has taken over my life, especially since getting back from W&D.

I'm ready for a FUN rD race weekend! W&D was a let down after we had such an amazing time at the Disneyland Half in September. Heck, if every other race weekend turns out to be amazing, I'll take that right now as well!

 

[Neoflynn]

catching up here....I really ought to know better than to not check this thread everyday LOL

I also ran the first 13.1 just 3 minutes off my best time just over 2:10,that shows how much I drop in the second half.But a PR is a PR,hopefully I'll break that 5 hour mark one day,It'll be hard as I only do a limited number of fulls,but someday!!

I wonder if you worked on running the first half a little bit slower if you could minimize that drop off a bit

have deferred the 2016 Dopey.

will still be in WDW for the races. We are actually headed down for the New Year's celebration so will be there for 2 weeks before our cruise.

So sorry to hear this Buckeye but you seem to have the right mind set and hey that cruise is a great way to recover right?

I'm currently in 14s too. I was going to grab a few pairs of the 15s since they are marked down but they get BAD reviews. Gonna have to bite the bullet and try the 16s, I guess.

I LOVE THE 14's, For some reason they messed with the 15's and I hated them the moment I stepped in them, I havn't had a chance to try the 16's yet but have heard positive feedback on them and I am due for a new pair so I may check them out here soon and ill be sure to report back here

I have about 225 miles on my current pair of Saucony Guide 8s. If I continue to use them for every run from now until marathon weekend, they'll be somewhere between 275 and 300 miles.
I bought another pair of the Guide 8s on sale last week, and they arrived today.
Do you guys think I should start rotating in the new shoes so that I have two pairs of shoes for marathon weekend (and can wear different shoes for my two races)? Or should I stick with the pair I'm currently wearing and not think about the new shoes until after January?
Neither pair of shoes matches my costumes, so color is not a factor.

As many have already said its a good idea to rotate them now, and ideally if you can swing its a really good idea to rotate at least two pairs all the time this allows you to stretch the life of the shoes but I understand shoes are expensive and this isn't always feasible for everyone

The first place they can see you is at the TTC on your way up to Magic Kingdom. It's not as exciting as Main Street, but it's a little less crowded which makes it easier for them to spot you and you to spot them. From there, they can walk over to Poly and GF to see you again as you leave MK and get ready to turn to Animal Kingdom. After that, they can head to BW/BC/YC to see you at mile 24 before they walk through Epcot to see you after the finish. If they want to stick with the packages, they'll be able to see you cross the finish line, but there won't be much opportunity to kiss and run at that point.

you basically just laid out what my plan was going to be for my wife and family so it sounds like this has been tested and is successful. our plan is for the wife to go to the start with me then head off to TTC see me there and Poly then head over to the boardwalk area where the rest of my family will meet her and then have them head to the finish area and rendezvous there

Anyone running with their names on their backs (as in Disboard names)? I've taken a LOT of advice from you guys and would love to give you a pat on the back if I saw you!

No name but ill be dressed as Mike W. for the marathon if that helps LOL

 

[SarahDisney]

As many have already said its a good idea to rotate them now, and ideally if you can swing its a really good idea to rotate at least two pairs all the time this allows you to stretch the life of the shoes but I understand shoes are expensive and this isn't always feasible for everyone

It occurred to me earlier that for $50 each, I probably should have bought two new pairs of shoes.
But I'm on a budget right now and even that $50 was a bit of a stretch for me, so ... a good idea in theory, but not feasible for me right now.

 

[Ariel484]

I LOVE THE 14's, For some reason they messed with the 15's and I hated them the moment I stepped in them, I havn't had a chance to try the 16's yet but have heard positive feedback on them and I am due for a new pair so I may check them out here soon and ill be sure to report back here

Yeah, I just walked the dog around the block (0.5 miles) in my 15s and my right foot was going numb by the end. I don't even want to try to run in them at this point.

 

[DOOM1001]

I wonder if you worked on running the first half a little bit slower if you could minimize that drop off a bit

LOL

I could probably take the blame for part of that for starting close to the front of the pack and staying with the 3:30 marathon pace group for a couple of the early miles.No corrals in this race,I probably should have moved back a little at the start but I didnt.Once I got going it was actually pretty crowded and while I kept up fine doing 8 minute something miles I knew I would be falling back to something in the 10 minute per mile pace.So yeah I took off too quick but I think the bigger reasons for the bad second half were not getting a good night sleep and not getting enough long runs in training,I basically did one half marathon in October,the shortened Wine and Dine race and a few 8-10 mile runs in the months before.My quads usually tighten up at certain points when I do the Disney full,but I'll take a GU and some water and they get better but for this race the tightness was not going away easy causing me to walk more than I wanted to at the end,I literally was telling myself around mile 22-23 that I could still go under 5 hours if I could just run a good portion of the last miles,but I just couldnt.Also seeing a fit runner down in serious pain around mile 18 and an ambulance cutting through the runners to get him told me the most important thing is to finish standing up which I did!!And even though I was pretty dang sore I did Ice at Gaylord Palms Sunday after the race and Monday and Sunday at Disney,pretty successful trip.You never know I might go under 5 hours in a month for the Disney full,if I get plenty of sleep and feel good I think its possible,plus doing the Space Coast full will be like getting a true long run in.

 

[Waiting2goback]

The first place they can see you is at the TTC on your way up to Magic Kingdom. It's not as exciting as Main Street, but it's a little less crowded which makes it easier for them to spot you and you to spot them. From there, they can walk over to Poly and GF to see you again as you leave MK and get ready to turn to Animal Kingdom. After that, they can head to BW/BC/YC to see you at mile 24 before they walk through Epcot to see you after the finish. If they want to stick with the packages, they'll be able to see you cross the finish line, but there won't be much opportunity to kiss and run at that point.

I have heard the Mickey Miles podcast team give this strategy many times. It seems to be the best places to cheer from if you want to do more than one location.

My parents bought my husband the ChEAR package. He's done the past two rD races with me and his response was essentially ...

"So, I can sit in a grandstand where you can't see me, listen to them butcher your name when you cross the finish line and then wait 45 minutes for you to get through that whole thing? Nah. That doesn't work for me."

I think his plan is to ultimately be at mile 24 and then he'll find me after the mayhem. That probably works the best.

OMG. I can't believe this is about to happen.

I can't believe I'm about to attempt this.

I'm going to freak out now.

It can be overwhelming when you think of it all but the only reason it is, is because you are about to do something extraordinary. Nobody every freaks out about sitting on the couch for a few hours. But, you will do this and you not only be fine, once you start the first race you will relax and enjoy what you worked so hard for.

Anyone running with their names on their backs (as in Disboard names)? I've taken a LOT of advice from you guys and would love to give you a pat on the back if I saw you!

I don't plan to have my name on my shirt but I am not opposed to meeting up with anyone that wants to the morning of the race. We will be there for 2 hours before it starts so if people want to meet up while we wait to start I am game.

LOL! I feel that I don't even want to look at a forecast after that but I'm sure once we are 15 days out I will start stalking all the sites.

This talk of shoes comes at a time when I've been a bit confused myself. I've been wearing my running shoes since late Sept/early Oct and I like them, but I also feel like it may be time for a new pair. I couldn't find the same ones when I went shopping last weekend. Now I'm concerned if I change anything will it be bad, or would it be worse to run in shoes that are too old but I know I like?

If you are not feeling any pain I would say you are good. But keep in mind you will be adding another 100 miles or so this month before the race even begins.

I'm stuck in between wishing I had like six more months AND wishing today was 5K day.

The more time part so I could be more prepared. So I could be faster. So I could be stronger. So I could squeeze in a full marathon so I won't feel so nervous about it.

But I'm ready to get to Florida.

I'm ready to see all of my friends from back home - the people I've known since I was a little girl and that I've grown up with. I'm ready for my friends from afar (my girl @mbwhitti and my friends from here in Texas) to come to Florida and for everyone to meet.

I'm ready to put more names with faces of all the great people on this thread and this board.

I'm ready to see our shirts. I'm ready to spend all my Christmas $$$ and money I've been squirreling away all year on merch.

I'm ready to make my way down Main Street in front of a cheering crowd, in a completely different capacity than I did 16 years ago.

I'm ready to cross the finish line. I'm ready to have those medals around my neck. To hear the clang when I walk around.

I'm ready to do what one year ago I thought was beyond impossible. And, you know what, maybe it still is - but I'm sure going to try.

Keels, the only reason you will fail is if you don't believe you can do it. I was scared to death before my first marathon, its understandable. But you can, and will, do this. If you are struggling and you need help I will help you cross that finish line. You PM me and I will give you my number. If you run into trouble and you can text me. I will find you and make sure you finish the race! I know you won't need me but my point is, there are many people on here that will help make sure you succeed if needed. But the offer is on the table if you need it.

 

[Waiting2goback]

This brings me to a related question I have for people. It's more for people that have run at least one marathon but it could apply to anyone really.

A co-worker (I have mentioned this person before) approached me about running a 100 mile ultra marathon next summer. They wanted to know my opinion. This person hasn't completed a 1/2 marathon yet. They were signed up for Wine and Dine but obviously it got cut short. But they were complaining about the humidity for that race. My response was, "Maybe you should try a marathon before trying to do 4 of them in one day, in August."

So my question is this, am I the only one that thinks some of these races are hard? Do some of you more experienced runners find a marathon to be easy and I am just over thinking how hard it is that this person doesn't even feel the need to complete one before trying 100 miles in a day, in mid summer?

I left that conversation feeling like I might just be a wimp because I couldn't jump from a longest distance run in a race of 6.8 miles and do a 100 mile race 10 months later? I am completely intimidated by the marathon. I'll still do it. I will finish it, even with less than ideal training. But I just don't think I will ever get to the point it feels easy. I don't even see a 1/2 marathon as being "easy". It's not intimidating to me, but still not easy.

OK, hopefully I made some sense with this post. I'm interested in the feedback.

 

[SarahDisney]

This brings me to a related question I have for people. It's more for people that have run at least one marathon but it could apply to anyone really.

A co-worker (I have mentioned this person before) approached me about running a 100 mile ultra marathon next summer. They wanted to know my opinion. This person hasn't completed a 1/2 marathon yet. They were signed up for Wine and Dine but obviously it got cut short. But they were complaining about the humidity for that race. My response was, "Maybe you should try a marathon before trying to do 4 of them in one day, in August."

So my question is this, am I the only one that thinks some of these races are hard? Do some of you more experienced runners find a marathon to be easy and I am just over thinking how hard it is that this person doesn't even feel the need to complete one before trying 100 miles in a day, in mid summer?

I left that conversation feeling like I might just be a wimp because I couldn't jump from a longest distance run in a race of 6.8 miles and do a 100 mile race 10 months later? I am completely intimidated by the marathon. I'll still do it. I will finish it, even with less than ideal training. But I just don't think I will ever get to the point it feels easy. I don't even see a 1/2 marathon as being "easy". It's not intimidating to me, but still not easy.

OK, hopefully I made some sense with this post. I'm interested in the feedback.

My dad ran 3 NYC Marathons. I don't think he ever thought they were easy. I don't think he would have ever considered an ultra. He was certainly not an elite runner, but I'd say he has a lot of running experience, and there were definitely races that he thought were difficult, even later in his running career.

As for me ... my longest run to date is 7.78 miles. I'm just getting to the point where I think half marathon might be reasonable. If you approached me about doing an ultra, my response would likely not be DIS-friendly. Then again, I don't even want to do a marathon, and if I did, I don't think I would ever find it to be easy. I'm not sure if I'll ever get to the point where a half marathon is easy. But for me ... it doesn't have to be easy. I don't mind hard, as long as it's worth it. And I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way ... I'd guess that a lot of marathoners feel that way as well.

(And you're right - you'll finish the marathon because you've been putting in as much training as you can despite rough circumstances, and it will be awesome when you cross that finish line and get your Mickey medal!)

 

[mbwhitti]

Yeah, I just walked the dog around the block (0.5 miles) in my 15s and my right foot was going numb by the end. I don't even want to try to run in them at this point.

Never tried the 14s but I'm on my 3rd pair of the 15s. When I got fitted for them, the guy told me to go 1/2 size up from my normal running shoe size bc they were running smaller than the 14s. Not sure if this would make a difference for you or not. I'm curious how the sizing of the 16s is running.