Marathon Weekend 2020

SAFD: I always liked different sports and tried them as people invited me to: “We need a player for lunch hockey, want to join?” Me: “I don’t really know how to skate but sure!” And I played for 10 years. Formal running was not different. I had joined a gym a few years back with a trainer so that I would stay motivated to go. One day a coworker asked if, since I was in good shape, I would accept to do a C25k. That summer, running was often a warmup for the rest of my training program. The next spring, my running buddy was injured and I asked if I could get a trainer/coach specialized in running. I registered and trained for my first 10k, discovered runDisney and ran the Wine and Dine Two Course Challenge.

I specifically remember saying that I did not understand why would anyone want to run more than a 10k in their life. Now, I really get it. I enjoy being in my bubble in motion sort of speak. Seeing different scenery while discussing in my head while my feet and body move in cadence. That equilibrium is achieved only after a few km. I dropped the gym though because running is so flexible: Change, lace shoes and out of the door.

I do like to race for different reasons: The excitement of a formal event, the vibe of the running community, the measured achievement and the bling. If the event can be a full weekend with combined races giving extra bling, even better!
 
SAFD: I ran one year of track in high school and decided running wasn’t for me. For nearly 30 years after that I thought why would anyone run? I have had a physical job outside for my entire career and multiple activities outside of work so luckily I’ve been in good shape all that time but had to hit the couch for close to a year after a couple of shoulder surgeries. While I couldn’t do anything I started walking to stay in shape and then read about the Castaway Cay 5K while looking at activities for a cruise we were taking. That was it, runDisney got its hook in me and I signed up for the princess and star wars 5K races the next year. Looking for a challenge I figured I try this running thing again and did a 10K, then a challenge, then another, we can all see where this is going...

After a couple of years I noticed that I really felt great running and I had lost 20 lbs that I didn’t even know I had, I didn’t need to but wow, I feel better without them.
Now I run for the Disney bling and want it all, as well as to challenge myself. I think I can BQ someday in the future, I won’t be upset if I don’t but it’s a goal I never would have imagined a few years ago.
I’ve been fortunate enough to PR every half I’ve done including the last W&D that should move me to the A corral in the future. Between that and the support of my beautiful wife and the fun that Disney brings, it’s easy to stay motivated.
 
SAFD: I was a gymnast and dancer and I would almost cry when we had to run! I seriously hated it.

DH started running when I was pregnant with our first and he dropped SO much weight. It took 9 years of me watching him at races and wishing I could run to actually get out and start it one day. Now, 3.5 years later and ZERO lbs lost (or gained), I'm still in it! I run for the races, but I really enjoy the quiet time alone and it's given me a kick*** resting heart rate :love:
 
For this week's Sundays are for Disney, I want to know ... why do you run? What motivates you? And why did you choose the particular race(s) you plan to run next month?
SAFD: I started running around my neighborhood in the mid-80s, when it was a thing and after watching Joan Benoit in the Olympics. I loved the feeling of moving through space under the power of my own body! I was pretty seriously immersed in the ballet for most of my youth, and my ballet mistress warned me not to run because it would "bulk up your thighs," so I avoided running for years, but got the same therapeutic benefits from daily ballet classes, so I didn't really miss it. Same when I played soccer and skied in high school. But exercise slacked off in my 20s and I felt lousy, so I started walking and running regularly for mental and physical fitness and the enjoyment of it. That really hasn't changed in almost 30 years, though I added long distances and races to the mix seven years ago. In the end, I run because I can and it makes me feel good. Boring, but true!

I opted for Dopey 2020 after doing it in 2017 and 2018 and taking 2019 off (I "only" did the 5, 10 and full.) Believe it or not, I missed the Dopey-specific training last year! Not that I couldn't just do the training without the races, but it's nice to have those bragging rights at the end, right? I'm also one to hedge my bets: I figure if I'm signed up for all four races and one of them gets canceled, it won't be a total wash. ;)
 


Assuming the craziness of ROTR remains steady over the next month, anyone else trying to do the math to figure out what times they'd need to run the HM and FM on 1/11 and 1/12 to get into HS right after park opening to somehow work in a turnstile tap and BG reservation before running off to the next destination?
 
So with us being a month out, I feel like i'm going to need a TON of assistance in terms of pointers. I still am unable to do a 5k in under 40 minutes, so there's that, but i also am completely lost as to what i should plan on bringing / carrying during the half marathon. Is "Fuel" that big of a deal for a half, or is that mainly for the full?
You've already gotten lots of excellent replies, but I'll go ahead and add mine to the pile :) Fuel really is important for a half unless you're very speedy. Prevailing thought is that one should fuel when running more than an hour, and fuel should be consumed at a rate of around 100-200 calories per hour. So now is the time to start sampling fuel options! Gels, chews, beans, fluids, real food - give some a try and see how they sit for you. rD will hand out fuel late in the half, which is way too late for me as a slower runner (2:50 half PR, but average more like 3:15-3:30 in Disney races), so I always carry my own.

Other stuff you may want to carry? I carry my own water bottle - I prefer to sip every 1/2 mile rather than drink a whole cup at aid stations. I also carry my phone (which plays music and runs my GPS app), inhaler, driver's license (just seems like a good idea to have ID), car key (I drive to the races), and a $20 bill (in case I want to buy something to eat/drink after the race.)
 
Assuming the craziness of ROTR remains steady over the next month, anyone else trying to do the math to figure out what times they'd need to run the HM and FM on 1/11 and 1/12 to get into HS right after park opening to somehow work in a turnstile tap and BG reservation before running off to the next destination?
As of right now you’d need to be at the DHS gates prior to 9AM and that is just to get a boarding group not necessarily a guarantee that you’ll ride. Things should hopefully get better on the coming days. The ride is still struggling.
 


SAFD: Why do I run? I am certainly an unlikely runner. As a child, I hated PE and Field Day, especially. I was shy, and the idea of doing something I was bad at in front of everyone else was just horrifying. I stayed active, and certainly exercised, but never played team sports, and exercise was a solo thing. After joining a gym in my early 30s, I enjoyed the weight machines, and the climbing wall, but only walked on the treadmill occasionally. One day, I decided to try running a little. At some point, I started running short distances outside, at a local park. In 2007, DH talked me into doing a 5k. I couldn't imagine running a race, but I trained for it and finished (he ran with me to encourage me). The next year, I did the same race. In 2010, I did that race again. I still couldn't imagine running anything longer, and didn't have any real interest in competition, or doing anything beyond my solo loops at the park. That changed in 2012, when DH (there's a theme here!), came home and told me that some of the women at his office were going to run a half marathon at Disney in 2013, and there was a princess theme. I resisted for a couple of weeks, and then changed my mind (I like to say he confused me with talk of a Disney trip, and medals, and princess costumes.) I needed a POT, so we signed up for a 10k, and then a 15k "tune up" race. I ran the Princess Half in 2013, and was back for the Glass Slipper Challenge in 2014. In between, I did two other half marathons, a 4-mile race, the 15k again, and the Peachtree Road Race, which I'd always watched when growing up, but never thought I would be in that mass of runners. Obviously, I was hooked.

Although I still claim to hate running (and sometimes do!), it's a part of my life, and has been very good for me. I've done 37 half marathons (plus the shortened 2015 W&D), 5 marathons (two at Disney, including my first in 2016), 1 ultra (a 24-hour race), and numerous other races, including trail races, team races (two trail Ragnars and one road). I've run races in 18 states, DC, and Canada. In 2019, I've gotten involved in a local race series, which is mostly 5ks. This year, I've run 21 5ks, one 8k, one 10k, and six half marathons. My favorite races are, of course, Disney races, but I no longer see running as just a solo thing, and I enjoy the races and the opportunities I've had to do them. Last year, DH and I ran the Disney Marathon together, stopped at most of the character stops and rode EE. After running MCM, I had had dental surgery, and my training was not where it should have been, but we didn't worry about the time, and just had a blast! We finished, ready to sign up for the 2020 Marathon and do it again. This year, DS and his GF are joining us on the trip, and they'll each be running their first half marathon. We are looking forward to sharing rD with them, and hope other DS will be able to join us in the future. As for DH and me, we are looking at possibilities for another of my running goals--earning a race medal in another language.
 
SAFD: It's amazing to read all of these stories and relate to so many of them; the running community is really incredible. <3

I was a chubby nerd all through elementary school. I wasn't a naturally gifted athlete and engaging in any sort of physical activity in front of other people made me feel awkward and self-conscious about my body and lack of skill, so I avoided it the best I could. To me, "athletics" was strongly associated with failure and being mocked by others.

I went to an academically accelerated high school, but we were required to take PE every year and in order to pass PE, those of us that were physically able to do so were required to complete a 5K. There was no time limit to how long you could take to complete it, but it had to be done. I actually sobbed when I found out that was a requirement because it sounded like hell and I knew I'd never be able to do it. The PE coaches essentially walked us through a 5K training program over the course of the year, and by the end of my first year, I was running 9 minute miles. I gained such confidence in my ability to set a fitness goal and achieve it. By the time I graduated, I was completing the 5K in under 24 minutes and I continued to run short distances after leaving high school.

My first marathon was a Disney marathon, mostly chosen because I could "hide out" under the guise of "having fun" and I wouldn't have to apologize to anyone for a "bad" time. That was my first experience running a "big" race and being with so many other people and feeling support from total strangers was really emotional for me. Even though life events would keep me from racing again for a while, I knew it was something I eventually wanted to come back to.

About a decade ago, I spent two years being incredibly sick and unable to get a diagnosis. I was finally diagnosed with Lupus (SLE) and it was a real struggle to get it under control. I spent a lot of time in the hospital and laying on my couch, missing the joy of just being able to move my body. I promised myself that if I ever got well, I would never take it for granted again. After my Lupus went into remission, I started running again, completing two more Disney marathons and a W & D half. I then took a break from distance running/training because I went to law school while working full time and there are only so many hours in the day! After the birth of my youngest (she's 2.5 now), I had another major lupus flare that sidelined me for a while.

I started running again in February, with my initial focus on being able to complete the 2020 WDW Marathon and a mid-September half-marathon in order to submit a POT. I chose this race because the feeling of finishing out that 26.2 in Epcot, one of my favorite places in the world, is always enough to motivate me through tough days.

What I love about running in general:
1) It keeps my depression/anxiety at manageable levels
2) Consistently moving my body and my joints really helps with my autoimmune disorder
3) I feel pretty ordinary in most of my life--pushing myself to be a little better every week makes me feel extraordinary
4) It keeps me honest--I can write down whatever I want in my log book, or tell everyone I'm out there sprinting through 5Ks, but my body and my pace on race day won't lie. Becoming a better runner has given me a greater appreciation of integrity and drive to do my personal best
5) It keeps me connected to my community. I love waving to my neighbors as I run, seeing the various holiday decorations getting put up, looking at the chalk drawings that kids make on the sidewalks, etc.
6) My calves look awesome. lol


Wow. That was long. Sorry!
 
sorry I don’t know how to do this without replying 🤦‍♀️

hi, looking for some marathon advice... while firstly acknowledging that I am an idiot and this problem is my fault, I'm wondering if anyone has advice about corral placement. I just realized I forgot to submit my proof of time by the deadline and will be placed in the last corral. I'm not a fast runner, but the main reason I succeeded in last year's race was that I was placed properly and never had to weave around anyone. Do you think I have any options? Thanks!
 
sorry I don’t know how to do this without replying 🤦‍♀️

hi, looking for some marathon advice... while firstly acknowledging that I am an idiot and this problem is my fault, I'm wondering if anyone has advice about corral placement. I just realized I forgot to submit my proof of time by the deadline and will be placed in the last corral. I'm not a fast runner, but the main reason I succeeded in last year's race was that I was placed properly and never had to weave around anyone. Do you think I have any options? Thanks!

What's your goal for the marathon (characters, time, rides, etc.)? What would your POT have been if you had not forgotten to submit?
 
What's your goal for the marathon (characters, time, rides, etc.)? What would your POT have been if you had not forgotten to submit?

My biggest goal is not to stop running... last year I did it in 4:22 so I was hoping for that or a minute or two faster- time is less important to me than just being able to consistently run (my knees act up starting and stopping or changing angles sharply). I would honestly buy another bib right now just to be able to submit a time, but it looks totally sold out,
 
My biggest goal is not to stop running... last year I did it in 4:22 so I was hoping for that or a minute or two faster- time is less important to me than just being able to consistently run (my knees act up starting and stopping or changing angles sharply). I would honestly buy another bib right now just to be able to submit a time, but it looks totally sold out,

Step 1) See if they can change your corral assignment at the expo.
Step 2) If they can't change it, know that in 2018 runners were able to run sub-4:22 when starting in the last corral.
Step 3) Determine how and when you can best run a sub-4:22 when starting in the last corral.

1) So the first thing I'd suggest doing is going to Runner's Relations at the Expo. Pick up your bib first and then go there with a print-out of the 2019 Disney Marathon results showing you ran a 4:22. Additionally, you could even take a picture of you in the bib with (just as extra level, yea this was me). Go there knowing there is a less than 1% chance they'll be able to help change your corral, but even that is worth a little of your time to at least try. If you go anytime other than Wednesday morning, then I'd venture to guess the line will be shorter and less stressful for everyone involved. Go with a smile and admittance that this was your error. In almost all cases, they probably won't be able to change the corral assignment. But it's worth a shot. Maybe even try for the fastest non-POT corral (F) instead of where you were supposed to be seeded if you had remembered to submit.

2) But in the most likely event that you can't change corrals at the expo, then the following information should somewhat help you mentally.

Here is a tableau of the 2018 Disney Marathon results (link).

In this graphic below I've sub-selected only those who were assigned Corral H.

Screen Shot 2019-12-09 at 2.02.04 PM.png

The yellow line represents the 4:30 marathon. If you pay attention to the far right last three columns you can see those are the runners that were assigned and started in Corral H. So you can see there were lots of runners who were able to run a 4:30 marathon or better starting from the last corral. So at a minimum, that's the good news to show that running a sub-4:22 marathon from the last corral is completely feasible. And those runners weren't all at the front of Corral H either as evidenced by the three columns in H representing the three mini-waves.

Here's a numerical representation of the same information:

Screen Shot 2019-12-09 at 2.05.56 PM.png

Again sub-selected for only those were assigned Corral H. This one does include some runners that were assigned but did not start in Corral H.

So based on these two graphics, I would say running a sub-4:22 marathon is feasible from Corral H.

3) So lastly is determining how to run a sub-4:22 M from Corral H. I picked the first 4 runners I could find that started in Corral H who ran about a 4:22 M.

Screen Shot 2019-12-09 at 2.31.46 PM.png

The green is their split at the timing mat, and the blue is the pace. Just from these four runners, I can already tell that for the most part you could have run your pace roughly from the start. There's a big caveat to this, and that is that the course has changed in 2020. We haven't seen it officially yet, but it appears we'll be running through EPCOT in some shape or form to start the marathon. EPCOT is likely to be more congested than the open roads heading towards MK would have been. So I think that's where studying the new course will be important. Learning where the course is likely to congest, and where it is likely to open up. When we're not in the theme parks or outside GF/Poly you should have more opportunities to pass freely. But I think the EPCOT start is going to take some patience to allow the field to thin out naturally. But it'll be interesting to see the real course and how they might combat this potential congestion.

I anticipate that this is going to be a smaller race than in year's past. I don't know that for sure and we should learn next week when waivers/corrals/guides come out. With that means a smaller gun time to balloon lady time. So that means you're likely to start closer to your POT corral than in year's past. That means if you run at a rate similar to your normal pace, you're likely to pass many of the other runners from corrals sooner than you would have otherwise. So the EPCOT theme park loop not withstanding, it means you're more likely to be in a good position come the exit of EPCOT to make some passes freely that enables you to get with people more like your own goal pacing.

I think ultimately, the best advice I can give you is to be patient and courteous. The above information should help show that it's possible to run a sub-4:22 marathon if you're unable to change corrals. The splits of these runners were not unlike many marathon runners being slow starters, too fast starters, and evenly paced. Given the possible smaller field this year, it may mean the time spent on the roads may be even more open than in the past allowing more opportunity to pass.

Hope that helps!
 
Thank you SO much- that is SO helpful. I’m going to try all those things- including studying all of these graphics some more. Thank you!!
 
SAFD: So I am not the runner (as you might know) but rather my daughter is. I did some 5ks/10ks before my daughter was born but then just months after she was born I was diagnosed with Cancer in my lung (not to be confused with Lung Cancer). After removing one of my lungs and undergoing treatment to say breathing became difficult is an understatement. My lung doc told me I'd never be a runner or well a long distance runner at least. Not a huge disappointment to me as it wasn't that big part of my life. Fast forward a year and my mom dies of lung cancer. Naturally I wanted my daughter to be as healthy can confident as can be....fast forward a few more years and I enroll her in Girls on the Run in her fourth grade year. The program works on self esteem, confidence boosting while training to run a 5k.

Her face at the end of that first 5k is priceless to me. It was so beautiful and radiant I didn't think to take a picture. It was then I knew running was her "thing" -- long before she did. So we kept up the Girls on the Run program.

Several seasons later the Girls on the Run LA CEO challenges her to try running a 10k now that she was finally old enough. She takes her up on it and the CEO ended up running it with her. It was then that my daughter started pushing her running distances further and further.

We've used Run Disney events as her motivator to train for longer distances. Her first half, her first 10k/half challenge, and for the last Disneyland Avengers weekend she ran the 5k, 10k, and half. It was after that she said she wanted to try a marathon. So she did LA in 2018 and then again in 2019. She asked to run Dopey as her high school graduation present because she'd finally be 18 and could run it.

She's run cross country in high school and now college but to be honest she's not that into it as a competition. She just loves the way running makes her feel. Some times she's fast and at times she's slow but she always comes back from a run better prepared to handle life in general.

Here's a photo of her before her first 5k and at the finish line of this years LA Marathon.

cora fundraiser.jpg
 
I started running in 4th-5th grade when a neighbor would host neighborhood track meets around our block, and our school librarian would run cross-country after school. I ran cross country and track through high school. Then stopped....until about 7 years ago.

now I run for both physical and mental health - to get a break from the stresses of work and parenting! RunDisney has been a great motivation for moving from 5ks to longer distances....and I regret losing all those years of running between high school and when I picked back up again!
 
SAFD: RunDisney is the primary reason I run. I lost 150 lbs in 2013-2014 primarily by walking and counting calories. When I was ready to up my workout intensity, I returned to playing Ultimate Frisbee. I always thought running without chasing a frisbee or ball was too boring.

At the beginning of 2015, my PT asked me to do the Wine & Dine half with him. I thought I was crazy to even think about it. But when I ran that first 10k for PoT, I was hooked. We ended up not being able to get into W&D, so I signed up for the 2016 MW 10k and half as my first RunDisney event. Later that summer I somehow got it into my head that trying the marathon that weekend would be a nice way to commemorate my weight loss and check off a potential bucket list item. So why not?

I completed my first marathon at that 2016 MW and the rest is history. Somehow “running is boring” and that bucket list marathon have become 21 halfs, 7 marathons and 3 ultras. So far. I turn 50 next year, so I’m looking forward to seeing where I go from here.
 

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