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

[disneyaway]

Thanks everyone for the different points of view. My goal for this half marathon is just to finish it and have fun and hopefully take some pictures along the way. I am doing the marathon for mortals walk/run plan and i think I should be ok.

The main reason I have been hesitant is more because I am worried I will lose motivation and not want to train anymore and then will have wasted the money. But I hope coming here will help. I am going to look into finding a running group here in Houston that can maybe work with my schedule.

 

[Cripey]

Thanks everyone for the different points of view. My goal for this half marathon is just to finish it and have fun and hopefully take some pictures along the way. I am doing the marathon for mortals walk/run plan and i think I should be ok.

The main reason I have been hesitant is more because I am worried I will lose motivation and not want to train anymore and then will have wasted the money. But I hope coming here will help. I am going to look into finding a running group here in Houston that can maybe work with my schedule.

I'm in Houston too! (well, live in the Woodlands, but work in Houston) I don't belong to any running groups, but I know there are TONS out there. You shouldn't have any trouble finding one I wouldn't think. I'm also doing a run/walk for the Princess (it will be my first HM) but I have a trainer that I'm getting running schedules from...not sure if she uses a specific plan of someone else's or if it's her own. It works though! My BF has been working with her for almost 2 years and is about to complete his 3rd HM at DL and will then go right into training for the Houston full marathon. Do you ever run at Memorial? That is good motivation! So many runners out there at every level...I found that was helpful to notice as a beginner because it made me less intimidated.

 

[disneyaway]

I'm in Houston too! (well, live in the Woodlands, but work in Houston) I don't belong to any running groups, but I know there are TONS out there. You shouldn't have any trouble finding one I wouldn't think. I'm also doing a run/walk for the Princess (it will be my first HM) but I have a trainer that I'm getting running schedules from...not sure if she uses a specific plan of someone else's or if it's her own. It works though! My BF has been working with her for almost 2 years and is about to complete his 3rd HM at DL and will then go right into training for the Houston full marathon. Do you ever run at Memorial? That is good motivation! So many runners out there at every level...I found that was helpful to notice as a beginner because it made me less intimidated.

Yay for Houston people! Like you I work in Houston, but l live in Sugar Land. I work in the Memorial area so I will have to check that out. Although I usually work out in the mornings because I am too umotivated by the end of the day. That's awesome your BF is doing the DL half- is he going to do the Princess with you as well?

 

[cewait]

Yay for Houston people! Like you I work in Houston, but l live in Sugar Land. I work in the Memorial area so I will have to check that out. Although I usually work out in the mornings because I am too umotivated by the end of the day. That's awesome your BF is doing the DL half- is he going to do the Princess with you as well?

Check out Fort Bend FIt.

Their focus now is the Houston Mary but they always have smaller groups aiming at various races. Otherwise head out to Lost Creek Park. There are lots of folks (and small groups) out there all the time.

 

[Cripey]

Yay for Houston people! Like you I work in Houston, but l live in Sugar Land. I work in the Memorial area so I will have to check that out. Although I usually work out in the mornings because I am too umotivated by the end of the day. That's awesome your BF is doing the DL half- is he going to do the Princess with you as well?

I thought about him running the Princess with me, but decided against it in the end. He thinks I will have an even greater sense of accomplishment having pusheed myself through it on my own in the end sicne it's my first. So, I'm flying solo! Plus, after I signed up and told my family, I quickly started getting a pretty good sized group together that wants to come with me in February to support and cheer me on, which is really exciting! So, with him having experience with the Disney World half and the course it follows (Princess uses the same course) I've deemed him the official tour guide for my cheer leaders and making him responsible for getting them to various points along the course on the morning of the race.

Wish I could get my work outs in in the morning! Unfortunately I have a really long commute and already get up at 4:30a just to get ready for work...no way I'm getting up any earlier than that...so I'm forced to do my runs and cross training in the evenings...when it's a SAUNA out there. I did 3 miles at Memorial yesterday after work and the heat index was 105! It was a MISERABLE and SLOW 3 miles, but I give myself credit for at least getting out there and getting it done. There were plenty of die-hards out there with me. I do look forward to my saturday runs though since I can get those done in the cooler hours of the morning.

I see you said you live in Sugarland...you might check out Fort Bend Fit for a running group possibility. I've heard it mentioned a few times by some runners that I work with that also live in Sugar Land.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

With the hot weather, why not train on the treadmill? I can see training in the heat for a warm weather half marathon, but you may find training on a treadmill to be even more beneficial and frankly, enjoyable. It is just too hot and humid to run in the evenings - even at 11 p.m. here and I know Houston isn't much different weather wise. I thought people were crazy to suggest training on a treadmill for the half marathon, but having to keep a pretty consistent pace helped me when it came to running outdoors. Plus, there is the motivation factor of having people run next to you. I love when the gym is busy because chances are, a good runner will be next to me and I can keep up or beat them! Plus, I don't have to carry water which is nice because in the half you won't need to either.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

With the hot weather, why not train on the treadmill? I can see training in the heat for a warm weather half marathon, but you may find training on a treadmill to be even more beneficial and frankly, enjoyable. It is just too hot and humid to run in the evenings - even at 11 p.m. here and I know Houston isn't much different weather wise. I thought people were crazy to suggest training on a treadmill for the half marathon, but having to keep a pretty consistent pace helped me when it came to running outdoors. Plus, there is the motivation factor of having people run next to you. I love when the gym is busy because chances are, a good runner will be next to me and I can keep up or beat them! Plus, I don't have to carry water which is nice because in the half you won't need to either.

I suspect I'm not alone here, but treadmills REALLY hurt my legs and knees. They also don't give you anywhere near the workout that you need to properly race.

 

[HockeyKat]

The Nike+ is Ipod-specific only.

I am a very conservative runner and I waited to run a race of this magnitude until I had at leat one year of running base. I am now past that mark and have built my mileage slowly but safely. If I were you, I would wait another year. Some folks would tell you, sure...just do it. I am not telling you that as I want you to be a healthy injury-free runner! There will be many opportunities ahead of you! Be patient and trust the process of training to run!

I think there is such a thing as being overly conservative. I started running on March 8th, and ran my first 10k, successfully, on May 15th. I added mileage slowly, through Couch to 10k. I am healthy and completely injury free, and run races every other weekend.

Thats your choice, Amy. I am in my early 50's and have NEVER been anathlete of any kind. I have also seen my fair share of running injuries due to overtraining. Personally, I want to enjoy running for years to come and this is the way I decided to approach this sport. I am not telling her what to do as I am just voicing my thoughts. This advice came from a friend that is a certified running coach.

The c25k program is a great tool and congratulations in your accomplishments!

ARGH, work has been killing me and I have so much to say here.


First of all, I am 34. I am not really an athlete, although I have dabbled here and there.

That being said, I had never run before this year other than walking 2 Komen 5Ks pre 2009. I started training in Jan for the March princess. I was also 220 lbs when I started, my highest weight ever, and not in good shape.

That being said, I finished the Princess in 3:11, and was able to train and enjoy the experience with no injuries.

However, I trained to run/walk, and not to run the whole thing. In fact, I walked quite a bit of it. There is no rule that says that you must run an entire half marathon in order to finish it or to enjoy the experience.

In fact, I am about to run/walk my 2nd half marathon in 2 weeks. I am still injury free (and 40 lbs lighter), but now I run more than I walk. Maybe someday I will only run, but based on how I feel right now, I doubt it.

Maybe I am not a runner by some standards, but I still get out there and do my mileage and enjoy it.




Onto the Nike Plus. I run/walk with a large group, and we have various devices. Most of the folks with the nike plus are not accurate in comparison to the Garmins, and can be off by as much as .5 miles. This could be due to calibration but I have heard they are notoriously difficult to calibrate.



Lastly, I did most of my Princess training on the treadmill and I still do my short runs there. It is not as good as outside but when it's 95+ and 80% humidity (and 75 at 4AM), it is really the only way for me to get in any speedwork without dying.

 

[Cripey]

I suspect I'm not alone here, but treadmills REALLY hurt my legs and knees. They also don't give you anywhere near the workout that you need to properly race.

I tend to agree with that. I've been given the advice from my trainer as well as other half and full marathon runners to not get used to training on a treadmill because it's alot different than running outdoors like you will for races so I've tried to stick with that. Plus, I absolutely HATE going to the gym. I've never been able to figure out why...I think it's a combination of a bunch of different things, but I just plain hate it! So, my plan is to save treadmill runs for torrential rain/flooding days where it's just not possible to run outside. So far in my training I've been lucky and haven't had to do any treadmill runs. I have 2 running spots...one near work and one near home...and they are both about 40 miles apart so usually if it's raining at one spot, there's a good chance it's not at the other and I plan accordingly! It's worked so far, but I'm sure I'll end up with more than a few gym runs before it's all said and done. The heat won't last forever, but I'm pretty sure I'll always hate the gym!

 

[cewait]

I suspect I'm not alone here, but treadmills REALLY hurt my legs and knees. They also don't give you anywhere near the workout that you need to properly race.

Sorry, I disagree. No not with the fact it hurts your legs but with the effort needed to properly race. I would not run 100% of the time as it will drive you crazy and it does not give a feel for your real pace nor judging pace while running outside. However, one can adequately do some or much of their training on a mill – that is if you understand training concepts.

First one must set the treadmill on 1.5 – 2% incline to add sufficient work for wind resistance. Most folks I see in a club setting are parked on 0% and never add elevation. Since mills are not 100% accurate in speed or distance do not assume that you will be able to run a 10 minute mile because the mill said 6 mph. Most treadmills register a speed faster than you are running. Next (using my Jillian voice) LET GO OF THE TREADMILL! One must run without grasping onto the machine. You create bad form if you are holding onto the machine for any longer than it takes to stabilize after a stumble, grab a splash of water or a speed adjustment. (OK you may want to hold on if you plan to run your race hanging onto the runner in front.) Finally, run in the center of the treadmill. Most runners will park up near the control panel – afraid of falling off the back. When you run this way you shorten your stride too much and create bad form. It also allows for an easier grabbing of the machine. If you are afraid of coming off the back, use the safety lanyard and you can easily judge when you are getting too far back. If you have no slack in the string then you may want to move forward.

Form wise you should be relaxed in your upper body and freely swinging arms forward. You should be looking about 20-25 feet in front of you as you run and at the horizon. Most tmill runners will stare at the display. I would challenge you to put a small hand towel over the display to prevent you from staring down at it.

Next the treadmill is a great tool for hill work and an adequate tool for speed work. Most of us cannot get to a hill without hopping in a car and driving somewhere. I have a bag full of workouts where we set folks up at 6% incline after a warm-up and ramp up a % every other minute. We repeat this mezzo interval 5 times and then warm down for an hour. This coupled with a few more typical workouts where we run 6-8% for 3 minutes with a 1 minute off (2%) will improve one’s speed tremendously. It also alters muscle balance in the legs. It created a stronger glute/hamstring complex – offsetting the overly strong quads most runners struggle with – and lessens the chances of injury.

So I went long on saying that you can in fact train for a long event on a machine. Preferably one will get out for the longer runs but along the gulf coast it is perfectly acceptable to run all runs on the machine.

 

[peachygreen]

Can I join in? I just decided to do the Disney Princess as a 35th birthday pressent to myself. The half is my favorite race distance, but I haven't run one since Jan 2008. I tore my MCL during that race (someone step on my foot, took my shoe off and I twisted my knee in the 2nd mile. I proceeded to finish the race, but did some damage to my MCL and cartalidge afterwards) and didn't run for a while. I took a year off racing and then got pregnant so took the next year off. I'm starting from scratch again right now but I figure I can get back to 1/2 marathon shape by Feb. I'm so excited to have the opportunity to run a 1/2 a Disney.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Thanks Charles! I love all your tips!! I thought that the treadmill wouldn't prepare me for running the half but the last two weeks before the Princess, I stuck to it because we had so much rain in Atlanta. I think my running actually improved because I was able to do more inclines and work on my form. I can get a bit sloppy when I run outside and the treadmill seemed to force me to focus on improving that.

As far as the Sportbands...The Nike Sport Band is not 100% accurate which is why I just added an extra mile to whatever distance I ran at first. That is just outside. It is more accurate on the treadmill just because I think you are more apt to have a consistent stride. I just use mine for the time feature - I know the distance of the trails and at what times I should reach each point and finish my run. I think it is a good math workout too!

It is great that so many are already getting ready for the race. If the treadmill does hurt your knees/legs, I would consider trying new shoes and socks with the assistance of your local running specialty store. There are a few runners in my group that wear different shoes based on if they are running outside or on the treadmill.

 

[peachygreen]

Oh, I'm from Houston too. I live in Katy and work in the Galleria area. I used to run with a group when I first moved to Houston, but after I had kids, it was easier on my schedule to do it on my own.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Can I join in? I just decided to do the Disney Princess as a 35th birthday pressent to myself. The half is my favorite race distance, but I haven't run one since Jan 2008. I tore my MCL during that race (someone step on my foot, took my shoe off and I twisted my knee in the 2nd mile. I proceeded to finish the race, but did some damage to my MCL and cartalidge afterwards) and didn't run for a while. I took a year off racing and then got pregnant so took the next year off. I'm starting from scratch again right now but I figure I can get back to 1/2 marathon shape by Feb. I'm so excited to have the opportunity to run a 1/2 a Disney.

That is so scary...I hope that the person at least stopped to help you! I think you should definitely be able to get in shape by that time. I think it will be to your advantage to have so much time to prepare so that you can get back into training gradually. I think it is an awesome birthday present!

 

[dvcdenise]

Does someone know what kind of drink they drink at that they serve at the princess? Do they also have clif shots as well? Do they have them all along the course? Getting in shape and wanted to drink what they serve in training as well.

 

[jcwishes]

I'm ready to sign up but wondering what the official host hotels will be. We are hoping for the the Poly--has it been made public yet?

 

[jenn-]

They are listed on the official site. Looks like you are in luck.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Does someone know what kind of drink they drink at that they serve at the princess? Do they also have clif shots as well? Do they have them all along the course? Getting in shape and wanted to drink what they serve in training as well.

They serve Powerade Lime, Water and Clif Shots - I think they had Strawberry. I stuck to my Gu Roctane for gels as they taste better.

 

[HockeyKat]

I had my own fuel and mostly took water, so I can't help here either.

14 miles done, this morning. Brutal humidity.

 

[SummerIrmoma2_3]

AWESOME!!!

I have seen folks just start running and they choose a HM for their first race. They are just asking for running injuries. I learned the hard way as I have had piriformis issues from overtraining and was treated my a physical therapist. THAT was a pain in the rear! LOL

Well the Princess 1/2 will most likely be my first race. I have walked a couple 5Ks, but that was like 10 years ago and I will be walking another in November. Ideally I would like to get a 10K under my belt first but I am really looking for a fall 10K and I have mostly only found 10ks locally at the end of Aug/ first part of Sept and that is just hotter then I want to do.

The main reason I have been hesitant is more because I am worried I will lose motivation and not want to train anymore and then will have wasted the money. But I hope coming here will help. I am going to look into finding a running group here in Houston that can maybe work with my schedule.

I'm in Houston too. Atascocita to be exact. This heat has been killing my motivation, but I am hoping to start my *official* training in mid-Sept. Hopefully the weather will be slightly more tolerable by then.

That being said, I finished the Princess in 3:11, and was able to train and enjoy the experience with no injuries.

However, I trained to run/walk, and not to run the whole thing. In fact, I walked quite a bit of it. There is no rule that says that you must run an entire half marathon in order to finish it or to enjoy the experience.


Maybe I am not a runner by some standards, but I still get out there and do my mileage and enjoy it.

Kat you really give me a lot of inspiration. The princess 1/2 wil be my first HM and probably even my first race and my time goal is under 3:00 and you totally make me feel like it is possible. I honestly have little interest in running the whole thing right now and plan on doing a run/walk training program once I figure out the right one for me. I am sure there are many out there who would not consider me a runner because of that, but it really doesn't matter to me what they consider me if I am out there and getting it done. KWIM? I am doing this for me anyway, not them.

Oh, I'm from Houston too. I live in Katy and work in the Galleria area. I used to run with a group when I first moved to Houston, but after I had kids, it was easier on my schedule to do it on my own.

I have thought about joining a running group, but since I have 4 kids I just don't feel like I have the time to commit to something like that right now. I am trying to get my sister to run the HM with me and since she lives next door we will sometimes run together or trade off watching the kids.