"Now It's Time to Say Good-bye, to All of runDisney" - A PTR *Updated 12/7!!*

[FFigawi]

If you are drinking around the World on the day after the marathon in January, perhaps we will cross paths! My fiance and I are doing our bachelor/bachelorette parties that day in the World Showcase!

I feel like you need to post a picture of all your runDisney medals! It must be quite the collection now!

@Keels - we've got a party to crash!!

 

[Keels]

@Keels - we've got a party to crash!!

You know I LOVE a good party!!!!

 

[missjackiemcg]

The title of your TR drew me in as I am about to embark on my first ever runDisney events (the 5 and 10Ks marathon weekend!) and I'm soaking up all the information and tips I can along the way.

I love that you're going out with a great big bang and getting all the bling in the process--that is really the whole reason I started running in the first place!!

That being said, your plans sound incredible so far, but this is what really got me excited!!!......

Jan. 5 - Walt Disney World 10K
An even earlier, even longer fun run around Epcot and the Epcot Resorts - where my friends will be waiting to give me a beer at Mile 5.

Is this a thing?!!?! My husband will be joining me on the trip but not for the runs, so I wasn't really sure what to tell him to do in the meantime. I'm like, just watch for me and cheer or something BUT, this idea can give him spectating a purpose Tell me how to make this happen!!!

 

[Keels]

Ha! I bet y'all all thought I forgot about this PTR!

AND GUESS WHAT?!?!?!























I did.

But, get ready ... I'm about to make up for it!
Stay tuned for a Wine & Dine Weekend Review, a Ragnar South Beach Review, some friend visits in between ... and what a PTR is for - a Marathon Weekend Update!!

 

[Keels]

2017 Wine & Dine Weekend Recap: More Like Whine & Dine, AMIRITE? (Part 1)

So the first (also last) time I ran this weekend was back in 2015 - the dreaded "Half of a Half" Half Marathon.

For me, it was a big deal because I was registered for my first-ever Challenge (2016 Dopey Challenge during WDW Marathon Weekend) and this was going to be my first two-race day ever. You see, back in the day this race weekend only had a 5K and a Half Marathon - and they were both on the same day! I ran the Jingle Jungle 5K that morning with my bestie, had brunch at Boma, had late lunch at Chefs de France and then ran the half marathon with my husband where we finished at Epcot at 1 a.m. and proceeded to drink and eat around the World. We ran through the Osborne Lights, we ran straight to a party, and even though we were delayed and the course was cut short and was brutally hot & humid for a 11 p.m. start time, it was a GREAT experience.

I happened to be in Orlando and had a chance to do the new Wine & Dine Weekend - now, all morning races and a new 10K - so, I decided that if I was retiring from RunDisney, I needed to at least have a Two-Course Challenge Medal and a new Fall Feast 5K medal.

So ... here we go! Another WDW three-race weekend!

Thursday - THE EXPO!

This proved to be a Race Weekend of firsts for me ... and it started with the Expo! Usually, I pay for early entry to the Expo or I line up early to get in right when the Expo opens. But this race weekend, I had no motivation ... and RunDisney did nothing to help that by not providing a merchandise preview prior to Expo opening. In fact, I don't even know that they bothered with a merch preview? But, after seeing the merchandise that WAS for sale ... maybe they did all of this for a reason.

So, for Wine & Dine Weekend ... I didn't arrive to the Expo until - 2 p.m.!!!!! Yup - I let the crowds die down! Instead, my Mom and I went to Animal Kingdom so she could ride FoP for the first time, and then we had lunch and then went over to the Expo (Mom needed to buy a few new Sparkle Skirts). In the time that it took her to pick out her skirts, I picked up my two bibs (5K and Two-Course Challenge), my four shirts, and my pre-order jacket. I also raced through Official Merchandise to buy my Medal pin for my C2C medal, a W&D Weekend visor ... and that was it.



In what should've been a sign for the weekend ... I HATED the pre-order jacket. It was an impulse purchase because I loved my Marathon Weekend pre-order jacket so much, but this jacket was just SO uninspired. I'm still trying to understand why there's a clipboard on the back ...

After that, it was home to hang out. I set my alarm:



And then tried to settle in for the evening. Up next was ...

RunDisney's Fall Feast 5K

I generally can take or leave RunDisney 5Ks (with the exception of Dopey, where it's required) - but this 5K is always intriguing to me. Why? It's the only WDW RunDisney 5K that's NOT at Epcot! This fun course is entirely at Animal Kingdom!

When I ran this 5K in 2015 - it didn't start until 7 a.m. -- SO HOLY HOTNESS, BATMAN! This time around, it was back to the normal RD start time of 5:30 a.m.

I made my way to my assigned corral ... Corral:



And then, after a few moments we were off!



This course spend the first mile circling the Animal Kingdom parking lot before going through the main entrance. We went down to the Tree of Life:



and then took a left - we were running through PANNDDOOOOOOOORRRAAAAAAAAAAAA! My goal for this race was to basically go as fast as I could so I could get into Pandora before it got crowded. I was really nervous about running through there as it's SUPER dark, and I definitely did not want to get hurt before Ragnar South Beach - that was my A Race for this Florida trip. The lights were slightly up in Pandora, which was nice - and the crowds were minimal. There wasn't really anything to stop for, so I just kept going and kept up a good pace (it felt like a good pace to me, but I'd been working on running consistent 11-12:00/miles in preparation for Ragnar, so I felt fast).

Up through Africa, then down into Asia and across the bridge to Nemo: The Musical, I FINALLY stopped for a picture.



Animal Kingdom is SUCH a beautiful morning person!

One more uneventful mile backstage and then I crossed the finish line!

BLINGS!



I walked back to my truck and had to wait about 25 minutes to leave because runners were still running the circle of the parking lot.

One race down, two to go!

 

[Keels]

2017 Wine & Dine Weekend Recap: More Like Whine & Dine, AMIRITE? (Part 2)

5K done, it was back to the house to get some rest ... but I could sleep for TOO long. Why? MY BESTIE WAS COMING TO TOWN!!!!!

After medal reveal for Wine & Dine Weekend, @mbwhitti HAD to come run the Two-Course Challenge because of that passport medal.

First up - it was to Epcot to meet up with some friends:



And take the required Booze & Bling photo:



On my walk back to the car, I went by the Finish Line and the crews were setting up for the 10K - including new signage for the ChEAR Squad!



I grabbed my bestie at MCO, and then it was back to the Expo! She grabbed her bib and shirts, I grabbed us some drinks and we took some silly photos:



After the Expo, it was off to the real reason for this trip -- Food & Wine Festival at Epcot!

On our way out, we visited our Future on Spaceship Earth:



And then returned to my house to get ready for the next day ...

 

[Keels]

2017 Wine & Dine Weekend Recap: More Like Whine & Dine, AMIRITE? (Part 3)


RunDisney Wine & Dine 10K

The half and the full were slated to start in the parking lot of the TTC - not a great starting location for anyone driving from off-site. So, we left my house at 3:30 to make sure we were parked at Epcot and on a bus to the TTC by 4 ... to just stand around and wait for the race to start. Luckily for us, this was our FP+ morning for Marathon Weekend, so that definitely helped kill some time.

Around 5:15, we went to our corrals and the FINALLY it was go time:



I wish I could say positive things about this course, but man ... it was boring.


"Recruit! Is this the most boring RunDisney 10K ever?
"SIR, YES SIR!"

And then mercifully, it was all over.



Parking lot beer procured:



And then it was time to get serious about the IMPORTANT parts of this day ...



FLIGHT OF PASSAGE AND CALIFORNIA GRILL!!!!

We made a quick stop at Steak 'n' Shake for cheese fries (because duh), and then we enjoyed mimosas in the hot tub at home, showers and a nap before we made our way to Animal Kingdom. Our friend J was joining us for FoP, so we met up by the Tree of Life and watched Christmas Special taping trying to figure out who was performing (B thought it was Keith Urban ... but the guy just turned out to be a guitarist for Darius Rucker).

We stopped by Sat'uli Canteen for some Cheeseburger Pods and sangria, and then made the long walk to our FoP FP+!

Things were going great, the line was moving along well until this ******* cut the line in front of us:



A guy goes and wins a World Series MVP and suddenly he thinks he can do whatever he wants (I'm a Rangers fan, so I'm not bitter at all ...)

So, after Mr. Correa cut the line WITHOUT A FASTPASS, it was our turn to take part in a sacred Na'vi rite of passage:



This ride is amazing. Not "Wait 4 Hours in Line" amazing, but DEFINITELY "Stalk FP+s Every Day for Weeks" amazing.

We said good-bye to J, who was headed off to Stormalong Bay for some pool time. We were off to the Contemporary for dinner and a (fireworks) show:



Stay tuned ... the final leg of the Two-Course Challenge is up next!

 

[Keels]

2017 Wine & Dine Weekend Recap: More Like Whine & Dine, AMIRITE? (Part 4)

And here it is ... Half Marathon Day.

Wine & Dine Half Marathon

This race was going to be ... how can I say it? I wanted nothing more than to get this race done and over with. The course was NOT appealing (who needs to run by the waste plant TWICE in one year), and all I really wanted to do was to go hang out at Stormalong Bay. Why is that? Oh yeah - postrace we were checking in for a night at Yacht Club ... and we were living the Club Level life for a night!

So, once again, alarms went off and we were out the door - but this time, we were able to park at the Yacht Club and take the race transportation (a first for me!) instead of parking at Epcot and riding a bus to the TTC.

We killed some time in the parking lot, and then ...


It was time to run!

Once again, the first stretch of this course was very dark and very boring. We hit Bear Creek Road and I finally stopped for a photo ... with no line:



KUNGALOOOOOSH!!!

Twelve miles later, look who I found!



This was my first time meeting Dopey! I was pretty excited!

Crossed the finish line, grabbed my parking lot beer and enjoyed it while I took my final bling photo of 2017:



Final Thoughts:

I love RunDisney. I'm thankful for RunDisney ... without RunDisney, I NEVER would have run a marathon (let alone two and looking straight at my third), or would have felt confident to train and finish a triathlon OR attempt a 24-hour relay. But I'm tired of RunDisney. I'm tired of going to Disney with friends and having to wake up early in the morning, having to watch what I eat and how much I drink, I'm tired of having to go to bed early or of being so tired that I can't fully enjoy the things I want to enjoy while I'm at Disney with my friends. I'm tired of the laziness from RunDisney as an organization, and the lack of communication. I'm tired of the masses at the races with a lack of race etiquette (this is MOST apparent in the 10K, if you're reading this and are thinking of doing a rD 10K) and the corral jumpers and other bad apples that ruin the experience. I'm tired of being slammed into because someone's PhotoPass picture is more important than everyone else on the course.

Wine & Dine Weekend made me realize all of this, and then some - I'm obviously ready for my RunDisney break. I'm ready to go to Disney with my friends and just go to Disney!

But I also think RunDisney is tired of RunDisney. The 5K was great (it's Animal Kingdom - how cool is it to be at Animal Kingdom when it's dark?!), but the 10K and Half were two of the most uninspired RunDisney courses I've ever experienced. These races aren't cheap, and the selling point is the on-course entertainment. But 6 and 13 miles where the bulk of the "entertainment" is TV trucks showing movie clips or cartoons or screechy Carissa telling us to "hurry" to get to Food & Wine Festival? No, thanks.

I had fun with my friends (more to come on that!!!!) during Wine & Dine Weekend - and I'm glad I had the Wine & Dine experience that I had, because it made me realize that it's a good time to step away. My only race weekend left is Marathon Weekend and in 2018, it will be with 15 of my favorite people. I LOVE Marathon Weekend - the good AND the bad - so I think it would be a lot harder for me to walk away from RunDisney if I only had Marathon Weekend after Disneyland Half Weekend (my second-favorite rD weekend). This weekend helped put a lot in perspective!

235.7 Magical Miles down, 48.6 Magical Miles to go ...

 

[Anisum]

I love your skirt during the half and your shirt during the 10k. I mean all your outfits were on-point but those were highlights for me. I definitely understand how you can get tired of runDisney even though you love it. I was tired just doing a Coast to Coast last year so I can't imagine doing all of the races you've done. I think everyone continuing to do races will miss you but hopefully you'll continue to be a regular on the boards. I will say I can't until the meet and greet in a few weeks.

 

[fallonkendra]

I'm tired of going to Disney with friends and having to wake up early in the morning, having to watch what I eat and how much I drink, I'm tired of having to go to bed early or of being so tired that I can't fully enjoy the things I want to enjoy while I'm at Disney with my friends.

This! I've only run two 5k's in my life (and both at Disney), but I was thinking about this a few weeks ago when we were in California for Avengers Race Weekend. The parks were open until midnight, but we had to leave to go to bed and missed out on low crowds in the late hours. I really enjoyed the 5k, and my fiance enjoyed the half marathon there, but I just selfishly wanted more park time! My fiance is also saying he's going to be taking a break from running after his full marathon in January though.

 

[missjackiemcg]

I'm sorry your Wine and Dine experience didn't live up to your expectations....I have read lots of comments on various reports that make me wish I had done my first runDisney events before this year!! BUT I'm still looking forward to experiencing it all for myself.

Love your pics of parking lot beer and bling I always take those pics, too! It feels necessary!

 

[dmross]

I'm so glad I got to meet you and your friends over at Beach Club bar! You are a hoot, and I enjoyed the meet up. Wine and Dine got me started on distance races, so it has a special place for me. I'm the same as you... RunDisney really motivated me to train because it meant I was going back to Disney! Now I've started splitting my trips for the same reason you mention: go to do a race, or go to enjoy the Parks. Otherwise the early am race schedule defines the whole weekend.

 

[Keels]

I love your skirt during the half and your shirt during the 10k. I mean all your outfits were on-point but those were highlights for me. I definitely understand how you can get tired of runDisney even though you love it. I was tired just doing a Coast to Coast last year so I can't imagine doing all of the races you've done. I think everyone continuing to do races will miss you but hopefully you'll continue to be a regular on the boards. I will say I can't until the meet and greet in a few weeks.

Thanks! I appreciate the comments about my outfits ... I've really felt my creativity fall off the last couple of races (though, I was pretty pleased with our DLH outfits this year). It's still one of the things that excites me about races, so I feel like I've got a few good looks to close out my RD career.

But don't worry ... y'all won't be rid of me on the boards!

AND I'M SO EXCITED TO MEET YOU IN JUST A FEW WEEKS!!!!!!

This! I've only run two 5k's in my life (and both at Disney), but I was thinking about this a few weeks ago when we were in California for Avengers Race Weekend. The parks were open until midnight, but we had to leave to go to bed and missed out on low crowds in the late hours. I really enjoyed the 5k, and my fiance enjoyed the half marathon there, but I just selfishly wanted more park time! My fiance is also saying he's going to be taking a break from running after his full marathon in January though.

Right?? Disneyland is the HARDEST for me because I don't get to be there as long as I do in Florida. Ugh. I want to live in CarsLand. Like, forever.

I'm sorry your Wine and Dine experience didn't live up to your expectations....I have read lots of comments on various reports that make me wish I had done my first runDisney events before this year!! BUT I'm still looking forward to experiencing it all for myself.

Love your pics of parking lot beer and bling I always take those pics, too! It feels necessary!

You're going to have a GREAT time!! Marathon Weekend is my favorite RunDisney weekend ... they pull out all the stops!

I'm so glad I got to meet you and your friends over at Beach Club bar! You are a hoot, and I enjoyed the meet up. Wine and Dine got me started on distance races, so it has a special place for me. I'm the same as you... RunDisney really motivated me to train because it meant I was going back to Disney! Now I've started splitting my trips for the same reason you mention: go to do a race, or go to enjoy the Parks. Otherwise the early am race schedule defines the whole weekend.

I was so thrilled to meet you!! You are absolutely awesome!!

And that's so true - we'll do ANYTHING for a Disney Trip ... even run a crazy amount of miles!

 

[Anisum]

Thanks! I appreciate the comments about my outfits ... I've really felt my creativity fall off the last couple of races (though, I was pretty pleased with our DLH outfits this year). It's still one of the things that excites me about races, so I feel like I've got a few good looks to close out my RD career.

But don't worry ... y'all won't be rid of me on the boards!

AND I'M SO EXCITED TO MEET YOU IN JUST A FEW WEEKS!!!!!!

I'm super excited about your RD outfits for Marathon Weekend. The VIP Plaid is my favorite. Luckily costumes can be used at other races though it won't be as exciting.

I'M EXCITED TO MEET YOU TOO! I saw you once from a distance while running one of the races at Tink last year but you were too far ahead of me for me to shout and say anything. At least I hope it was you because the back of your shirt said 'Keels' and I would hate to think there was an imposter.

Also congrats on being a Nuunbassador. I feel like that title should come with a sash.

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

At least I hope it was you because the back of your shirt said 'Keels' and I would hate to think there was an imposter.

Another @Keels??? Never.

 

[Keels]

I'M EXCITED TO MEET YOU TOO! I saw you once from a distance while running one of the races at Tink last year but you were too far ahead of me for me to shout and say anything. At least I hope it was you because the back of your shirt said 'Keels' and I would hate to think there was an imposter.

That WAS meeeee!!!!

Another @Keels??? Never.

Let's be honest ... I don't think the world can handle more than one Keels ...

 

[CheapRunnerMike]

Let's be honest ... I don't think the world can handle more than one Keels ...

Haha you got that right!

 

[lovingeire]

I love RunDisney. I'm thankful for RunDisney ... without RunDisney, I NEVER would have run a marathon (let alone two and looking straight at my third), or would have felt confident to train and finish a triathlon OR attempt a 24-hour relay. But I'm tired of RunDisney. I'm tired of going to Disney with friends and having to wake up early in the morning, having to watch what I eat and how much I drink, I'm tired of having to go to bed early or of being so tired that I can't fully enjoy the things I want to enjoy while I'm at Disney with my friends. I'm tired of the laziness from RunDisney as an organization, and the lack of communication. I'm tired of the masses at the races with a lack of race etiquette (this is MOST apparent in the 10K, if you're reading this and are thinking of doing a rD 10K) and the corral jumpers and other bad apples that ruin the experience. I'm tired of being slammed into because someone's PhotoPass picture is more important than everyone else on the course.

I kind of get this. I am so ready for a non running Disney trip! It probably won't be world though as I'm looking to go home to CA this summer so it will probably be a Land trip. And I am running W&D again next year, but that is my only Disney race. I'm going to do more local races instead. I did enjoy the 1/2 course, but felt the entertainment on the 10K course was lacking.

 

[keahgirl8]

I kind of get this. I am so ready for a non running Disney trip! It probably won't be world though as I'm looking to go home to CA this summer so it will probably be a Land trip. And I am running W&D again next year, but that is my only Disney race. I'm going to do more local races instead. I did enjoy the 1/2 course, but felt the entertainment on the 10K course was lacking.

I get it too, but I don't know if I can stop. lol It sounds so relaxing to not have to worry about sleep or eating bland food for days though.