Official 2011 Princess Half Marathon Thread - Link to new thread Post 3703!

[ban26ana]

Today was my first day of training! I am using an iPhone app called run coach pro for my half marathon training. But that is only 14 weeks. So I am doing a modified 6 weeks of C25K. This is my first race, and I have never been a runner before. Am I the only complete newbie that is doing this?

I bought candy at Sams Club today to sell at work to start my Fundraising for TnT. Dh said he'll take some to his work too.

I am also going alone. I feel kind of guilty too, but at the same time it feels nice to do something just for me. Dh is totally supportive. I am going with my local TnT club, but I will probably fly on my own. Is it sad that I am so excited just to go on a trip by myself? Dh and I have been together since we were 18, so I never really did anything on my own.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

At the moment, I'm using Higdon's Intermediate 15k training program for a 15k on December 19th in New York. Then, when I finally decide if I'm doing Princess/NYC Half/National Half, or some combination thereof, I should be in pretty good for to go from being able to race 9.3 pretty well, with at least 8 weeks of training after the race.

Went out and did 4 tonight, per plan, but my legs were super heavy, and I was a little crampy also. Not so much fun, but I plugged along at a 11:18 pace.

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Just curious to see if anyone else here is following the MfM plan??:

I have been using that plan. I am at 8 miles as of last week,
But I am also training for a 15K iin 4 weeks. I also plan on going up to 14 before the princess.


I am going Solo also, I do feel a little sad that my girls will not be in MK with me. But I am so looking forward to meeting now people and just doing something for myself!!


I printed the Gallaway plan from the disney website and my plan takes you to 14 miles only!!

Would running the 5K hurt me in anyway of doing the 1/2?? Worried that I would be tight or sore for the 1/2

 

[UGAFan0829]

I am following the run/walk plan. This is my first HM. I dont feel bothered by only getting to 10 miles. I have run seven already and even doing that I was thinking what the heck getting to 10 is only 3 more...I can do it. So I think its a personal preference. Everyone is different in how they do things. What ever works for one may not for another.

I followed the walk/run plan for this year's Princess, and it worked for me as I was able to finish. Granted my time was very slow, but with it having been my first half, I was only concentrating on finishing. I think 10 miles was the longest I went during training as well.

I agree that everyone is different. I've seen a lot of people here mention Galloway's program, and while I like his, it seems a bit confusing to me as far as figuring out your pace and the "MM". I just figured that since MfM worked for me last time, hopefully it will work for me again!

 

[natale1980]

I'm doing the 5k with my mom since she's not going to do the half.
Just curious, how long are the character lines for pictures during the 5k's? I'll be walking with my mom, and she finished her last 5k just under 16 minutes per mile, will we have time to stop for pictures if we're supposed to keep a 16 minute mile pace? I was told by others that the non existent lines I saw for the wine and dine half were unusual. I felt bad passing the characters and not taking a picture with them, they were just standing there!

I did the UP family fun run 5k in January and the only character stop was before the race even started (that line was CRAZY!). Nothing along the way.

-nat

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Would running the 5K hurt me in anyway of doing the 1/2?? Worried that I would be tight or sore for the 1/2

I think it depends on what your goal is for the half. If you want a sub-2, a HUGE PR, something like that, I'd rest on Saturday to give yourself fresh legs for Sunday morning.

If you want to finish the race upright, running (not racing) the 5k is fine. Be sure not to do too much after the 5k.

Conventional wisdom is that it doesn't matter how much you sleep the night before a race, but it is VERY important that you get a good night's sleep two nights before a big race. If you're waking up at the crack of dawn for a 5k, be sure to go to sleep super early on Friday night.

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

I think it depends on what your goal is for the half. If you want a sub-2, a HUGE PR, something like that, I'd rest on Saturday to give yourself fresh legs for Sunday morning.

If you want to finish the race upright, running (not racing) the 5k is fine. Be sure not to do too much after the 5k.

Conventional wisdom is that it doesn't matter how much you sleep the night before a race, but it is VERY important that you get a good night's sleep two nights before a big race. If you're waking up at the crack of dawn for a 5k, be sure to go to sleep super early on Friday night.

Thanks for the advice. I think I am going to pass on the 5K and just train for the 1/2.. I don't what to be stressing over it.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Would running the 5K hurt me in anyway of doing the 1/2?? Worried that I would be tight or sore for the 1/2

Absolutely not. It is an easy 3.1 miles - which since you are following a training plan will be a piece of cake for you since you will have easily surpassed that distance by the time you get to the race. If you were doing the Goofy Challenge in January, that would be one thing but a 5K at Disney is a fun run. You will be fine the next day...just use the 5K as a warm-up. It isn't stressful at all.

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Absolutely not. It is an easy 3.1 miles - which since you are following a training plan will be a piece of cake for you since you will have easily surpassed that distance by the time you get to the race. If you were doing the Goofy Challenge in January, that would be one thing but a 5K at Disney is a fun run. You will be fine the next day...just use the 5K as a warm-up. It isn't stressful at all.

I have not done a short run and a long run back to back.
I will try it in training and see how I do then I will see about the 5K.
I think i would be fun, I am going solo!! It would give me something to do!

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

I have not done a short run and a long run back to back.
I will try it in training and see how I do then I will see about the 5K.
I think i would be fun, I am going solo!! It would give me something to do!

Even if you don't end up running it, go and watch and cheer the runners/walkers on. We went to the ones at DL this year (I didn't run because they were full by the time I was interested - they are so popular!) and the energy was awesome. So different than the half. Plus, there aren't many 5K's at least around here where you actually get a medal but at Disney you still do!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Even if you don't end up running it, go and watch and cheer the runners/walkers on. We went to the ones at DL this year (I didn't run because they were full by the time I was interested - they are so popular!) and the energy was awesome. So different than the half. Plus, there aren't many 5K's at least around here where you actually get a medal but at Disney you still do!

Sorry to disagree with this, but if you can at ALL possibly sleep in the day before the Half, why wouldn't you do so? Getting a poor night's sleep two nights before the Half is one of the easiest ways to bonk during your big race.

I was disappointed in the 5k "medal" at Wine & Dine. Disney could spring for something nicer than plastic.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Sorry to disagree with this, but if you can at ALL possibly sleep in the day before the Half, why wouldn't you do so? Getting a poor night's sleep two nights before the Half is one of the easiest ways to bonk during your big race.

I was disappointed in the 5k "medal" at Wine & Dine. Disney could spring for something nicer than plastic.

No one sleeps all day during the half. Not sure what time the 5K was during the Wine & Dine but maybe you think it is at night? The race isn't even early in the morning. If anything, you get a better nights sleep right before the race instead of most people who get a couple hours.

I think we all get that you are disappointed with Disney races and their medal choices. Not all of us are about trying to get in the front corrals like you - most of us actually do this to just finish and enjoy the weekend. Besides, you aren't running the Princess right? You have been to one Disney race and suddenly you are the expert? I think the medals were nice for having a $45 entry fee.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

No one sleeps all day during the half. Not sure what time the 5K was during the Wine & Dine but maybe you think it is at night? The race isn't even early in the morning. If anything, you get a better nights sleep right before the race instead of most people who get a couple hours.

I think we all get that you are disappointed with Disney races and their medal choices. Not all of us are about trying to get in the front corrals like you - most of us actually do this to just finish and enjoy the weekend. Besides, you aren't running the Princess right? You have been to one Disney race and suddenly you are the expert? I think the medals were nice for having a $45 entry fee.

I thought the 5k was Saturday morning before the parks opened.

And I'm not in the front corral, so I'm not sure what you're talking about.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

didn't run this morning - mommy & me class starts at 9:30 but because i'm the new teacher/leader (yay) i have to be there around 8:45 to set up. baby boy didn't get up until a little after 7am and i didn't have enough time to wake up (takes me a while to actually wake up), have my coffee, get baby fed and dressed, run, cool down, and shower by then.

so, at nap time i did 40 minutes on the elliptical. i know it's not running but at least it's exercise, right?

some of the moms at the playground yesterday were talking about how beauty and the beast is on sale now and they wanted to get it before "it goes back into the vault." they were all talking about how much they love the movie and it was fun to tell them, "hey speaking of belle, i'm running the princess half marathon in disney and my chosen princess is belle!" -i think they were at least a little impressed

 

[HockeyKat]

Sorry to disagree with this, but if you can at ALL possibly sleep in the day before the Half, why wouldn't you do so? Getting a poor night's sleep two nights before the Half is one of the easiest ways to bonk during your big race.

I was disappointed in the 5k "medal" at Wine & Dine. Disney could spring for something nicer than plastic.

I have to agree with Amy here, and I am far from the "front corral", and I loved the Princess in 2010.

I think it isn't so much about sleeping the day away, but getting that good night's sleep on Friday night because you don't have to get up way early to go run a race.

I also think, no matter how sleepy you are from a Sat AM 5K, that you will still have trouble sleeping on Sat night due to first-half jitters.

For your first half marathon, I would recommend greatly against the 5k the day before. I would also agree, based on the Princess half medal, that the 5k bling is a bit sub-standard.

 

[MamaCrush]

Sorry to disagree with this, but if you can at ALL possibly sleep in the day before the Half, why wouldn't you do so? Getting a poor night's sleep two nights before the Half is one of the easiest ways to bonk during your big race.

I was disappointed in the 5k "medal" at Wine & Dine. Disney could spring for something nicer than plastic.

I really loved my medal!! And I can't wait to do a longer race to get the more serious bling!

 

[Korileigh]

T Am I the only complete newbie that is doing this.

I am also a complete newbie and am glad to see another on here! I had been planning on using MfM plan and I made up my own first 6 weeks from a Jeff Galloway beginner's plan but today I saw the 20 week plan on the rundisney site from Jeff Galloway so now i am reconsidering - need to look them both over later today and decide. I am a newbie but also overweight and just hope I can finish in the 3:30 time! My best friend from the 6th grade is doing this with me - we never get to see each other so I am excited to train long distance "with" her and do this race together!

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

I thought the 5k was Saturday morning before the parks opened.

And I'm not in the front corral, so I'm not sure what you're talking about.

No it is at 10 a.m. Which in my book is still sleeping in time. Getting to the start line for the 5K sure seemed a lot better than the half marathon at DL or the Princess.

I didn't say you were in the front corral. What I was saying is that not all of us are like you - who wants each and every race to be a PR and to have a pace that requires running the entire distance, that is concerned with what corral Disney sticks them into, etc. To me, there are competitive races out there but Disney is not in that category. Some of us do this for the fun and achievement but aren't about discouraging others from doing something that is a great accomplishment because it doesn't matter when you finish, it just matters that you finish.

Yes, when you compare the 5K medals to the full and half marathon medals they aren't the same but the races are also a lot more expensive. It doesn't make that accomplishment any different. I admire someone that finishes the 1K, 5K, Half or Full the same. I love the medals but that isn't the only reason I run and I for one think that Disney does a great job. It just sucks that you attended a race that they had for the first time as your first Disney race. You really need some serious Pixie Dust! My view is that if thousands of people do the Goofy Challenge each year without many issues, someone can certainly do a fraction of that without any.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

No it is at 10 a.m. Which in my book is still sleeping in time. Getting to the start line for the 5K sure seemed a lot better than the half marathon at DL or the Princess.

I didn't say you were in the front corral. What I was saying is that not all of us are like you - who wants each and every race to be a PR and to have a pace that requires running the entire distance, that is concerned with what corral Disney sticks them into, etc. To me, there are competitive races out there but Disney is not in that category. Some of us do this for the fun and achievement but aren't about discouraging others from doing something that is a great accomplishment because it doesn't matter when you finish, it just matters that you finish.

Yes, when you compare the 5K medals to the full and half marathon medals they aren't the same but the races are also a lot more expensive. It doesn't make that accomplishment any different. I admire someone that finishes the 1K, 5K, Half or Full the same. I love the medals but that isn't the only reason I run and I for one think that Disney does a great job. It just sucks that you attended a race that they had for the first time as your first Disney race. You really need some serious Pixie Dust! My view is that if thousands of people do the Goofy Challenge each year without many issues, someone can certainly do a fraction of that without any.

Not sure where you got that impression of me, but I don't run the whole time, and I'm not always looking for a PR.

I do think racing a 5k before your first half is a bad idea.

 

[cewait]

I have been using that plan. I am at 8 miles as of last week,
But I am also training for a 15K iin 4 weeks. I also plan on going up to 14 before the princess.


I am going Solo also, I do feel a little sad that my girls will not be in MK with me. But I am so looking forward to meeting now people and just doing something for myself!!


I printed the Gallaway plan from the disney website and my plan takes you to 14 miles only!!

Would running the 5K hurt me in anyway of doing the 1/2?? Worried that I would be tight or sore for the 1/2

Coach here….

I think that it actually does the body good to get out and go for a LIGHT run the day before a race. I know that many programs say no way no how but frankly most folks do not taper properly and they really could use a nice jog on that morning. Most folks reduce distance and effort and tapering is only about a reduction in distance.

If one goes out for the 5k they need to work on hydration and a recovery meal. Just heading out for a 5k then off to the parks is not a great idea. You should have a nice recovery drink waiting for you after the 5k and then head off to a character breakfast post run. Have a bottle of water with you most of the time so you will remind yourself about hydration.

Finally, if as a first time half runner you know in your heart that you mailed in much of the training then maybe you should sit out the 5k. if you found yourself in survival mode on long runs, missed a few long runs, skipped out on midweek runs for the last month or so… you know who you are; OR, if you are feeling injured in anyway then do not run the half. It is not worth the added stress to the system.

Running Epcot early in the morning is magical. Disney took and modified the Epcot 5k course for the first Princess race and I think it is great run.

Hope this helps