My 1/2 marathon dilemma :(

[sanapunk]

So for a few weeks I had my heart set on signing up for the WDW half marathon in 2014. Everything was all hunky dorie, until my best friend mentioned wanting to do the princess. I said "Oh, I was planning on doing a disney 1/2 marathon!" then somehow I got roped into doing the princess with her and a friend from her gym. I thought doing it with friends would be fun, but I cannot get the WDW 1/2 out of my brain! I know it is the same course but that Donald Duck medal has my name written all over it

I tried hinting on Facebook by making a status about, would it be nuts if I signed up for both?? I have never ran a half at all, and the cost plus accommodations for two back to back races would be a little punch in the purse. Her response to doing both when I said I really wanted to do the WDW was "There is always next year" NO THERE ISN'T I MY ONE TRACK BRAIN!!

What should I do?? I really had my heart set on the WDW and 2015 really is not an option for me! And I don't want to wait three years!!

 

[mufasa0505]

"My boss won't let me take vacation in Feb. I'm so bummed! I'll have to join you next year."


That should work...

 

[cewait]

run both

 

[sanapunk]

"My boss won't let me take vacation in Feb. I'm so bummed! I'll have to join you next year."


That should work...

LOL! I wish! But technically i don't have to take any time off for the race since i live 6 hours from WDW. I drive down without taking off all the time :/

And I would love to run both but the cost of reigstering and staying in FL is a bit much. It comes at a bad time as I'll be moving from school in SC back home that year.

 

[goofeygirl]

Just how did you get roped into the princess anyway? Perhaps you can say that you REALLY want to do the half in January and you just can't do the both and perhaps the following year for the princess.

Having said that....since you already sound like you commited this to your friend...can you book a room at the less expensive hotels in Disney such as the Animation? I booked a room there for my brother for under a hundred dollars a night during the marathon weekend...I booked it in June. If you can get a room there for about 100.00 for both races...then (gasp) pay for both races you can have the best of both worlds .

If you plan it financially now you will be all set and paid for by the time the races happen and you do have 10mos to get this done. You can drive down after work to the hotel...get up in the am...do the race...come home. I think all of us have done nutty things like that!

I flew to Memphis for the St Jude half marathon for a weekend. It took two flights all day to get there...but it was worth it.

Think about how you can do this...you know what they say...where there is a will...

 

[limabeanmom2003]

Do the three of you run at the same pace? If not, you wouldn't even run the race together so I would go with your heart and run the 1/2 during marathon weekend.

 

[dewingedpixie]

If you've never done a half before doing 2 in one month maybe a bit much. Just be honest with your friend that you really want to do the one in January .

If you're different paces you wont be in the same coral anyway as another person said. My bridesmaid is going to attempt her first sub 2:15 half this year to get coralled with me and my cousin for the Princess Half.She knows I'll still finish 20-30 minutes ahead of her despite us starting together. I will probably run one sub 1:55 this spring and hoping for a sub 1:50 this fall. Disney doesnt recognise these timings which many large races do they just shove everyone Sub 2:15 in one corral :/ worried about getting choked on these races.

I'm running tink and princess back to back so it can be done. I'm a seasoned runner/triathlete though.

 

[PrincessV]

My advice is to think carefully about what you want out of your first half-marathon... are you more interested in the individual achievement of meeting your personal goal, or has this been a team effort with your friends that you really want to celebrate with them?

I ran the Princess this year as my first half following a year of a group of friends planning, training and preparing for it together. It was important to me to complete the same race together to celebrate that. The majority of the group wanted to do Princess, so that's the one we chose. Had that background not been a factor, I'd have much preferred to do the WDW Half.

I think if the WDW Half is the race you want most to run, and you're okay with them choosing to do Princess instead, you should stick to your guns and get that Donald

 

[Rose&Mike]

My advice is to think carefully about what you want out of your first half-marathon... are you more interested in the individual achievement of meeting your personal goal, or has this been a team effort with your friends that you really want to celebrate with them?

I ran the Princess this year as my first half following a year of a group of friends planning, training and preparing for it together. It was important to me to complete the same race together to celebrate that. The majority of the group wanted to do Princess, so that's the one we chose. Had that background not been a factor, I'd have much preferred to do the WDW Half.

I think if the WDW Half is the race you want most to run, and you're okay with them choosing to do Princess instead, you should stick to your guns and get that Donald

This.

And I will also add, I was scheduled to do the Princess in 2011 with 3 of my sisters. One bailed in Oct, one in Nov, and one in Dec. Life happens, things come up. But don't give up what you want to please them, if you are going to be heartbroken if they bail on you after you've paid your registration, etc. Hope that makes sense.

 

[wiigirl]

run both

This...

 

[sanapunk]

Just how did you get roped into the princess anyway? Perhaps you can say that you REALLY want to do the half in January and you just can't do the both and perhaps the following year for the princess.

Having said that....since you already sound like you commited this to your friend...can you book a room at the less expensive hotels in Disney such as the Animation? I booked a room there for my brother for under a hundred dollars a night during the marathon weekend...I booked it in June. If you can get a room there for about 100.00 for both races...then (gasp) pay for both races you can have the best of both worlds .

If you plan it financially now you will be all set and paid for by the time the races happen and you do have 10mos to get this done. You can drive down after work to the hotel...get up in the am...do the race...come home. I think all of us have done nutty things like that!

I flew to Memphis for the St Jude half marathon for a weekend. It took two flights all day to get there...but it was worth it.

Think about how you can do this...you know what they say...where there is a will...

If I could get a $100 a night room rate, I would be estatic! I guess I forgot that January is a cheaper time of year, I booked for the Everest 5k and Pop Century is costing me 250 for the weekend!!

I got roped in because in casual conversation she mentioned the princess and I said "Oh I was planning on doing a disney 1/2 in 2014!" Thinking it would be a fun girls weekend with her gym friends. But later on found out it was only one other girl that was interested! I'm just worried they will miss the registration and end up not doing it unless I am the one reminding them to sign up.

I think I am just going to suck it up and do both. Or maybe once I made the announcement that I am running the 1/2 she will change her mind and also sign up for the half, haha!

And yea, we just ran our first 5 mile race together and lost each other in the crowd two minutes in, so running the princess "together" probably would not happen anyway!!!

 

[goofeygirl]

If I could get a $100 a night room rate, I would be estatic! I guess I forgot that January is a cheaper time of year, I booked for the Everest 5k and Pop Century is costing me 250 for the weekend!!

I got roped in because in casual conversation she mentioned the princess and I said "Oh I was planning on doing a disney 1/2 in 2014!" Thinking it would be a fun girls weekend with her gym friends. But later on found out it was only one other girl that was interested! I'm just worried they will miss the registration and end up not doing it unless I am the one reminding them to sign up.

I think I am just going to suck it up and do both. Or maybe once I made the announcement that I am running the 1/2 she will change her mind and also sign up for the half, haha!

And yea, we just ran our first 5 mile race together and lost each other in the crowd two minutes in, so running the princess "together" probably would not happen anyway!!!

You think they might miss registration? A lot of people talk and thats all they do, is talk. So this might be something she talks about but when the time comes...doesn't do it for various reasons. I know MORE people like that than any other type person. They could also bail on you the last minuet too.

That being said...yes...if you book far enough in advance you can get GREAT deals on the family style motels in Disney...like Art of Animation. I booked a week for my brother there and it was about 80 something odd dollars a night then with tax it came to over a hundred a night..perhaps it was 104 or something. I booked them the same time I booked the Goofy challenge. By Sept all rooms in that area were long sold out.

 

[sanapunk]

You think they might miss registration? A lot of people talk and thats all they do, is talk. So this might be something she talks about but when the time comes...doesn't do it for various reasons. I know MORE people like that than any other type person. They could also bail on you the last minuet too.

That being said...yes...if you book far enough in advance you can get GREAT deals on the family style motels in Disney...like Art of Animation. I booked a week for my brother there and it was about 80 something odd dollars a night then with tax it came to over a hundred a night..perhaps it was 104 or something. I booked them the same time I booked the Goofy challenge. By Sept all rooms in that area were long sold out.

I can see my friend registering, but NOT her friend. I hate having to base my plans on a group of people! But I think if they did register they would go, they are not cheap races to just change your mind on.

That is a really awesome rate for art of animation. do you remember if that was that a rundisney price??

 

[goofeygirl]

I can see my friend registering, but NOT her friend. I hate having to base my plans on a group of people! But I think if they did register they would go, they are not cheap races to just change your mind on.

That is a really awesome rate for art of animation. do you remember if that was that a rundisney price??

No it wasn't a special RunDisney price. I think it might have been an aaa deal or just that I booked it so long in advance.
When registration opened for RunDisney...the first thing I did after was book my hotels. I needed three, I booked two in the Epcot resorts and one in Art for my brother. I was shocked when I saw the rate...starting at 87.00 I think it was..plus tax. I booked the whole week for him and that rate and paid for it all in advance so when the time came, no one owed anything. I believe the key is to just book it asap. Right now though they wont let you book a room that far in advance...I just tried it.

 

[sanapunk]

Just came back to say that not only am I doing the Princess and the WDW 1/2...I'm doing the WDW 10k So much for saving dough!

 

[timmac]

Just came back to say that not only am I doing the Princess and the WDW 1/2...I'm doing the WDW 10k So much for saving dough!

On the positive side, I will say that you've got plenty of time between now and then to get yourself trained to be able to do two halves a month apart. That's actually not as big a deal as you might think. Mostly it will be about proper recovery/maintenance runs in between the two.

 

[croach]

Just came back to say that not only am I doing the Princess and the WDW 1/2...I'm doing the WDW 10k So much for saving dough!

My travel agent has a group rate and they got me a night at all star sports for $81. And if it's your first half you should do the one you want. Talk your friends into doing the half you want and not the Princess.

 

[goofeygirl]

Good for you! Do all these things while you can. I know its expensive but make a cut someplace else.
I was going to do the RnR Las Vegas half marathon..because it sounds cool and is at night but Disney and the Dopey challenge have put that on the back burner. Not this year for Las Vegas. I am also not running the St Jude half either because getting to Memphis (and a lovely city it is) is a major pita.

So in lu of those I am doing the Dopey.

 

[sunshine girl]

Good luck to you on your races!

I just wanted to say that I think you were putting waaaay too much pressure on yourself to be responsible for others and their happiness, to your own detriment. But you've decided to do both races and so problem solved!

It sounded like she jumped on your bandwagon and then took over and steered it in a different direction than you'd intended. She may have had good intentions but this is a big, expensive deal and you need to do what's right for you, and as a friend she should understand and support that. Pixie dust all around.

(And honestly, you can't worry about whether she'll bother to REMEMBER to sign up, if that's a true concern then I'd say do not depend on this girl for ANYTHING related to your race!)

 

[sanapunk]

Good luck to you on your races!

I just wanted to say that I think you were putting waaaay too much pressure on yourself to be responsible for others and their happiness, to your own detriment. But you've decided to do both races and so problem solved!

It sounded like she jumped on your bandwagon and then took over and steered it in a different direction than you'd intended. She may have had good intentions but this is a big, expensive deal and you need to do what's right for you, and as a friend she should understand and support that. Pixie dust all around.

(And honestly, you can't worry about whether she'll bother to REMEMBER to sign up, if that's a true concern then I'd say do not depend on this girl for ANYTHING related to your race!)

I am actually running the EEC with her in a few weeks and trying to get her to agree with me on stuff has been nothing short of difficult And of course when I post on facebook about running the half marathon, hoping she will change her mind and just do the WDW with me instead of the PH, she says "let me know when registration opens for the princess" so no changing the mind of this lady!!

I'm actually relieved to be running marathon weekend alone, it will feel great to cross that finish line knowing I put in all the time and effort on my own. Now if I could only find a room mate haha