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

[Jeter02]

You have no idea own much I love this board and getting some awesome help, opinons and advice from all of you....I am going to look online for details on this watch now...super excited!

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

You have no idea own much I love this board and getting some awesome help, opinons and advice from all of you....I am going to look online for details on this watch now...super excited!

You can find it on Amazon at the lowest price I have ever seen. You cannot go wrong with the 305.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Is there a running log (online) that anyone is currently using, and would recommend?

I use a Nike Sportband and follow the Hal Higdon Novice Half Marathon Training Plan. You can find it for free at his website. I found that the Nike+ Half Marathon Plan was a bit too ambitious whereas the Hal Higdon Plan made a lot more sense and didn't ramp up too quickly.

 

[HockeyKat]

Is there a running log (online) that anyone is currently using, and would recommend?

I use dailymile.com. It's a freebie and is linked up to facebook, and you can log pace and distance and even upload garmin files or google earth for your routes. You can also build a friend group much like facebook, although I haven't.

It will also keep track of other workouts you do.

I don't use a watch for pacing or mapping, as I downloaded a free app for my Android phone called RunKeeper that does pretty much the same thing. Gives me pace, distance, elevation, splits, maps it on google earth (google maps), etc. I believe it's available for iPhone as well, and there is one called SportyPal that is available for Blackberry, iPhone, Android that is also free and very similar.

I have another app called HIIT Interval, to tell me when to run and when to walk.

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

I used Smart Coach on runningworld.com and simply plugged in my latest 5k race time and it "spit out" my program for my first HM end of September. Its an awesome training program and FREE.

 

[Jeter02]

oh boy its a big guy. I am such a small person with a tiny wrist, however I noticed most of the watches are rather large. Did you say there was also a similar one, but smaller face?

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

oh boy its a big guy. I am such a small person with a tiny wrist, however I noticed most of the watches are rather large. Did you say there was also a similar one, but smaller face?

I have small wrists also and I only stand 5'4" on a good day and do not feel its that big. The next one up is the 405 but it is pricey and has a very touchy bezel.

 

[Jeter02]

Hmm I huess I need to my homeowrk on this, Thanks so much for all your wonderful information......just out of cuorsity any recommendations on watch minus GPS?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I don't like wearing watches at all. I map/pace with iMapMyRun which is an iPhone app. It maps out your whole run, and tells you your distance and pace however often you want (I have it update me every mile or half mile, depending on what I feel like that day).

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

Hmm I huess I need to my homeowrk on this, Thanks so much for all your wonderful information......just out of cuorsity any recommendations on watch minus GPS?

I also have a Polar F7 for cardio/heart rate only. I love that too but don't use it very often now since I have my Garmin. This Polar is very affordable.

 

[ljcrochet]

I use runkkeeper on my iphone.

 

[Piglet24]

Hi Everyone,

I am currently training for the Wine and Dine, which will be my first half but have been following this forum and looking at this race. It looks like a lot of fun, but I'm not sure DH would be able to go with me if I signed up (depends on what happens with his work).

Do any of you run this by event by yourselves? What are the best and worst things you found about running it by yourself? Is it advisable to do this? Any thoughts, suggestions, comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for all your feedback!

 

[AquaDame]

AquaDame doing the race and cruise is doable. Not sure how fast you will be, but if it takes you 3 hours and yo are in the last corral (which started around 6:30-you will be done by 9:30-get a pix, grab your snacks and you could be back in your room by 10ish, shower and off to cruise ( an hours drive from the resort). Hope that helps-others have done it.

What a coincidence, Im not quite sure how fast I will be either!

Right now we are doing 13.5min/mile with a 5 min warmup walk but we only run for a little over 2 at a time - I hope to be able to keep that up for the whole 13.1 miles come February! Thank you for the info! <3

 

[KarenAylwood]

Hi Everyone,

I am currently training for the Wine and Dine, which will be my first half but have been following this forum and looking at this race. It looks like a lot of fun, but I'm not sure DH would be able to go with me if I signed up (depends on what happens with his work).

Do any of you run this by event by yourselves? What are the best and worst things you found about running it by yourself? Is it advisable to do this? Any thoughts, suggestions, comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for all your feedback!

I'm doing the Princess alone. I've done 3 races so far- an 8K with friends, a 5K pretty much "alone" (DBF is a speed demon) and a 10K with friends up until the last half a mile when I pulled away. I'm flying down to the Princess w/ my mom but she'll just be a spectator so I'll be running the whole race alone. I'm a little scared but excited since it will be so high energy. I'm sure there are plenty of people running alone.

I found when running my 5K without anyone it was hard to keep pace (motivation and the lack of having someone else to keep up with I guess) but now I have a Garmin 305 and it's more than enough to keep me on track. I do all my training runs alone so I'm not too worried.

 

[Poohlove]

Thank you for the suggestion on the shoes - any excuse to buy new shoes makes me happy

I will also be running alone, I have never run with anyone so I am not to sure how I would do. I think that I may be making this trip alone as well. Depending on the cost of airfare, etc at the time of the race I may have to leave my kids home due to cost. (I am a single parent) My birthday is in August and I never know what to tell people to get me but this year I am asking for Disney gift cards.

 

[Cripey]

Hi Everyone,

I am currently training for the Wine and Dine, which will be my first half but have been following this forum and looking at this race. It looks like a lot of fun, but I'm not sure DH would be able to go with me if I signed up (depends on what happens with his work).

Do any of you run this by event by yourselves? What are the best and worst things you found about running it by yourself? Is it advisable to do this? Any thoughts, suggestions, comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for all your feedback!

I'll be doing this run alone as well. It's going to be my first 1/2 marathon and my BF said he would run with me if I wanted him to (by then he will have completed 3 1/2's and his first full marathon) but suggested that I might come away with an even greater sense of accomplishment having done the first one alone. In the last day or two I've also gotten several family commitments to come to WDW with me and support me as spectators so I'm thinking I'll do this one alone and let him play "tour guide" to my cheerleaders and get them where they need to be on the morning of the race to cheer me on. I'm hoping to split them up and have them at at least 3 points along the course and then all of them at the finish! I was able to make it to two points and the finish as a spectator during the half marathon in January, so I think it's doable for them. I also do my training runs with just myself and an ipod, so I think I'll be ok with running this one alone...but with all the other runners there, will we really be "alone?" Nah!

 

[joan4mickey]

Hi Everyone,
Do any of you run this by event by yourselves? What are the best and worst things you found about running it by yourself? Is it advisable to do this? Any thoughts, suggestions, comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for all your feedback!

I ran by myself this year (sort of). My daughter was with me on the trip, but didn't run. (she did do the 5k by herself).

At the race corrals, I thought to myself "what am I doing?", but once the race started it was great and while in the corral I talked to many girls. My DD was at the MK to cheer me, twice, on Main Street and then she moved forward and yelled at me coming out of the castle and once again at the finish line.

There is a lot of entertainment at Disney and I find that the race goes by so much faster, than my solo long training runs. There are people you don't know cheering for you and other racers encouraging you. And then the "bling" at the end of the race and the feeling of great accomplishment.

Both my DD ran the first Princess with me and the one that went with this year said after her first she won't do it again....well...after seeing me this year she is back in next year and so is my other daughter.

 

[HockeyKat]

I think you would be fine by yourself! This is such a great, supportive race.

I started with 3 of my friends, but lost them at the start line. I caught up to 3 other friends at about mile 9, though, and finished with them.

The 9 miles alone were fine, though! I had my music, and there were a lot of people around and plenty to see and enjoy.

Also, as the year progresses on this thread, you may find a few people to meet up.

 

[mla1977]

I just booked my room for the race. I haven't registered yet though...

I snagged the last DVC value studio for that weekend so I'll be at Jambo house. Hope no one wants to travel with me!

As for doing this race alone...

My first half was the first Princess and while I met people on the boards here, I was essentially on my own. My boyfriend, mom and stepdad and grandparents came down to cheer me on. For this year's race, I was traveling on my own, but a friend from the boards came over for the race and another friend introduced me to his wife and the three of us raced together.

Spending time on this thread and on the general WISH boards, you will get to know people and you'll never be alone for too long during the race. We usually have a meet the night before the race, but people share their schedules and you might be able to meet up with more people throughout the weekend.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Hi Everyone,

Do any of you run this by event by yourselves? What are the best and worst things you found about running it by yourself? Is it advisable to do this? Any thoughts, suggestions, comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for all your feedback!

I was originally going to run it with my sister but then she backed out. In the end, I think that ended up working out better because I could pace myself and didn't have to worry about if one of us slowed down or needed a porta potty break, etc. I did end up pacing myself based on some of the other runners which helped a lot. My fiancee came with me just to drop me off at the race and met me at the finish line. That was very convenient as frankly I didn't want to drive to the race myself. I tried to talk him into doing the Disneyland Half with me, but I am sure it will work out just as well with him just being there to support me rather than run. He hates to run more than I do and would probably whine the entire time. I can see the point of running in a team for the Wine & Dine with the relay option. That is very appealing. But, since there isn't that option with any of the other races, I think it all depends on what you are comfortable with. I liked being able to talk to a lot of the different ladies there - a ton of ladies were by themselves and my favorite thing was that I didn't ever run into a situation where I was blocking people from passing. Not sure why, but when you run with a group you always run side by side - there are parts of the course where that is not a good thing for the other runners.