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

[El&Asmom]

I did the Princess last year and LOVED it!!! I'm running the Half in January at WDW and I'm trying to decide between the Princess again on Feb. 27th or the Rock and Roll Half in New Orleans on Feb 13th -- my birthday.....

Help me decide.... Princess Half again or Rock and Roll NOLA?? -- maybe I asking this question to a biased group

For the experienced runners, do you think it would it be too much to do both that close together? Not sure that would be in our budget but we might be able to do it with a super strict savings plan. We would probably only do one night in NOLA.

We live outside Mobile, AL and have season passes to WDW -- so travel isn't a huge issue for us.... Just room and food at either location.

I'm not much help, as I say do both. How cool would it be to spend your b-day in NO running a half? I think it would be totally doable just take it easy between.


So where is everyone eating on the night of the race?
I made the ADRs for our group. There will be 6 of us all moms , with only 4 of us staying on site at WL for free dining.
The two extra will join us for our Sat night dinner.
So far we have AK on Fri with Boma Fri night.
MK on Sat with O'hana Sat night.
And for our post race dinnner.....Akushus with the princesses!! I'm so excited even though it's not somewhere I would normally eat with adults. I think it's fitting to dine with princesses after our princess race.

 

[FFigawi]

I did the Princess last year and LOVED it!!! I'm running the Half in January at WDW and I'm trying to decide between the Princess again on Feb. 27th or the Rock and Roll Half in New Orleans on Feb 13th -- my birthday.....

Help me decide.... Princess Half again or Rock and Roll NOLA??

Both! As long as you don't run too hard or get injured during the first one, you'll have plenty of time to recover between them. I think even a week is plenty of time, although that's probably because that's all the time I had between Goofy and Houston this past winter.

 

[schmass]

I don't think so - the marathon transportation buses only go between the hotels and EPCOT on race day, and they stop between 5 and 7 AM for traffic reasons. You will be through the Magic Kingdom before the regular park buses start getting there. So the options are probably either for them to get up early enough to get to the EPCOT parking lot by 5 AM and hop a monorail over to the Magic Kingdom, or take a cab from the Boardwalk to the Magic Kingdom. (They'll be able to take the monorail over to EPCOT afterwards to see you at the finish).

Thanks for this. At this point I don't see them getting up at 5 am, so the cab to MK might be the best. If they just went from the Boardwalk to the finish line at Epcot, would the International Gateway entrance be open by then?

 

[dumbo_buddy]

10.17 miles baby!! woot! WOOOT!!!!

my feet and knees are KILLING me. i can feel the blisters already i wonder if i need a different pair of sneakers? or different socks? or maybe my feet just need to buck up?

i'm sitting here post-chug of my chocolate milk and thinking that this half marathon is way more do-able than i had originally thought! sure, i still need to do three more miles after those 10 but 3 more is a heck of alot less than 10 more!

dh took ds to the poconos to see his parents. i opted not to go as the thought of hanging out with those crazy people sounds like a fate worse than death. so it's just me and the dog today. i think i might head out to a movie

 

[schmass]

10.17 miles baby!! woot! WOOOT!!!!

my feet and knees are KILLING me. i can feel the blisters already i wonder if i need a different pair of sneakers? or different socks? or maybe my feet just need to buck up?

Wow, that is great! I just did 7.3, which is my longest yet. It felt really good!

Have you been fitted for running shoes? That has made a huge difference for me. Every time I put them on they feel so great.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

I did the Princess last year and LOVED it!!! I'm running the Half in January at WDW and I'm trying to decide between the Princess again on Feb. 27th or the Rock and Roll Half in New Orleans on Feb 13th -- my birthday.....

Help me decide.... Princess Half again or Rock and Roll NOLA?? -- maybe I asking this question to a biased group

For the experienced runners, do you think it would it be too much to do both that close together? Not sure that would be in our budget but we might be able to do it with a super strict savings plan. We would probably only do one night in NOLA.

We live outside Mobile, AL and have season passes to WDW -- so travel isn't a huge issue for us.... Just room and food at either location.

I vote for both too! I have heard that the RNR races are so much fun but haven't been to one yet. Nearly everyone in my running group goes to the RNR in Nashville or NOLA. I think it would be so much fun and a huge accomplishment for you.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

10.17 miles baby!! woot! WOOOT!!!!

my feet and knees are KILLING me. i can feel the blisters already i wonder if i need a different pair of sneakers? or different socks? or maybe my feet just need to buck up?

i'm sitting here post-chug of my chocolate milk and thinking that this half marathon is way more do-able than i had originally thought! sure, i still need to do three more miles after those 10 but 3 more is a heck of alot less than 10 more!

dh took ds to the poconos to see his parents. i opted not to go as the thought of hanging out with those crazy people sounds like a fate worse than death. so it's just me and the dog today. i think i might head out to a movie

I would go to your nearest running store and check with them. For the long runs (especially when it got colder) the padded socks really helped a ton for me. But, ultimately, the shoes seemed to be the big difference. You may be ramping up your running too fast as well. So, you may want to take it down a notch. Considering that most Half programs only get you up to 10 miles, you are there already so going down to 7 for example wouldn't be a bad thing, and then the next Saturday going back to 10. Regardless, it is a huge accomplishment! Way to go!

 

[natale1980]

Sorry if this was asked already... but what are the discounted ticket rates? I can't seem to find them.

Thanks!
nat

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

10.17 miles baby!! woot! WOOOT!!!!

my feet and knees are KILLING me. i can feel the blisters already i wonder if i need a different pair of sneakers? or different socks? or maybe my feet just need to buck up?

i'm sitting here post-chug of my chocolate milk and thinking that this half marathon is way more do-able than i had originally thought! sure, i still need to do three more miles after those 10 but 3 more is a heck of alot less than 10 more!

QUOTE]

Way to go, I feel the same way that doing a 1/2 is way more do-able now.
I did 9.3 miles today (enough for my 15K in 2 weeks) I am amazed I went that far. !!

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Sorry if this was asked already... but what are the discounted ticket rates? I can't seem to find them.

Thanks!
nat

From what I remember for a 3 day hopper it was like $170, but you have to wall the I Run# and tell them you registered for the princess to get the discount.

 

[saysay]

10.17 miles baby!! woot! WOOOT!!!!

my feet and knees are KILLING me. i can feel the blisters already i wonder if i need a different pair of sneakers? or different socks? or maybe my feet just need to buck up?

i'm sitting here post-chug of my chocolate milk and thinking that this half marathon is way more do-able than i had originally thought! sure, i still need to do three more miles after those 10 but 3 more is a heck of alot less than 10 more!

dh took ds to the poconos to see his parents. i opted not to go as the thought of hanging out with those crazy people sounds like a fate worse than death. so it's just me and the dog today. i think i might head out to a movie

CONGRATS! Sorry you are dealing with the aches. Good shoes and socks make all the difference. I would go to a running store just to see if you need new or diff shoes.

Enjoy your Me time! Very jealous of that.

 

[chernabogfamily]

The Contemporary might be a good idea (for your mom at least...it's not a host resort for this race though, so might make it more difficult for you)...the course runs right in front of it around mile 5 or so...your mom could walk out to the road to cheer you on from there. I got a spot there to see my BF during the WDW half in January and it was a great place...wasn't too terribly crowded (I did get there early though) but plenty of other spectators around. Then, depending on what side of the roadway she's spectating from, she can either walk back to the Contemporary or take the pathway to Magic Kingdom (this is what I did since I couldn't get back across the street to the hotel because of all the runners and it wasn't too long of a walk, if I remember correctly) and take the monorail to EPCOT to catch you at the finish. I'm thinking this same plan could work from the Grand Floridian as well if that's in your budget...looks like the course runs right in front of that one too!

Thanks for your info. None of the cost of this trip was budgeted for-- so I'm having to seriously think hard about the hotel/ticket/food scheduling for the week. I will be paying for the entire trip for my mom and I, so expense is an issue, but I sure would love the Poly or Contemporary. That would be so much nicer for my 60+ yr olld mom to handle for cheering.

 

[Jade_C]

Hi Everyone!!!
I am seriously considering doing the Princess Half this year and I would love to find a great group to run with during the race. If anyone is interested please contact me. This will be my first half marathon, am I completely crazy for doing this? I'm really excited/nervous.

 

[chop456]

I have not been able to check in here lately. The start of school kept me quite busy and trying to fit in running and driving the kids from place to place has taken up all of my time. School has finally settled down a bit so here I am. Hoping to have time to check in more often.

I have not started an official training plan yet. I am running 3 days per week about 3 miles per run. My pace is consistently between 12:40-13:00 mm, which I continue to be happy with. My wonderful daughter is getting up with me on Saturday mornings to attend a runner's training class. We meet every Saturday at 6:30 for an hour. We work 30 minutes on running/speed/conditioning and then move inside for cross training - shoulders, legs, stomach, etc. Seeing that my daughter is only 12 and has agreed to get up early on her sleep-in day - I think she is pretty special! There are only 3 people in the class so it seems like a personal training session and the best part is it is only $15/month! Seems the the deal of the century to me!

The running/trainer is e-mailing me a training plan for the 10K race I am running on Thanksgiving Day. From there, he will provide me with an updated plan to train for the 1/2 marathon. Other than that - my daughter and I are running a 5K this weekend in Holland, Michigan. Glad to be back here!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Nancy, super job running 10 miles. Double digits can be daunting. I would definitely go to your local running store and have them check out your gait while you run in your current shoes. If there's nowhere in the Bronx, try to find a Super Runner's or a Jack Rabbit. Both are awesome.

chop456, that is awesome progress. You and your daughter sound like fun people. 6:30 is EARLY.

As for me, I was supposed to do a 10 mile group run yesterday, but when the alarm went off at 5:30 AM, the bed was a little too comfortable. I ended up going out later, and did 4 miles at 10:30 pace, and the last mile in 9:12. Then I went to my first public yoga class, which was great, and not too mortifying. I got a lot of great hints on how to help my balance.

I have a goal race next weekend! My 5 mile PR is very, very bad, due to the fact that my only other 5 mile race was done on a HOT, sunny day, before I got used to running in the heat or the sun. Hoping to cut about 6 and a half minutes from my time. I have to look up which direction the course is in, though. If it's clockwise through the park, I might be able to cut as much as 7 or 8 minutes.

 

[knieriem]

I'm considering doing the Princess Half Marathon in 2011. I haven't run ever really, except for PE class in high school. My husband and I started the Couch to 5K program last week and I'm on week two. My goal is to be able to at least just walk the Princess. I had a few questions though!

Has anyone else that's had no real experience running been able to finish the race?

Any Type 1 Diabetics out there that are runners that could offer advice? I wear an Animas Ping pump and so far I've had to take it off when I run because my BS drops terribly. The reason I've set the half marathon goal for myself is that we're wanting to start a family and exercising and getting my A1C down is the next step. So the desire to have a baby is my #1 motivation for running!

Anyone run this with their husband? I know I can't run it by myself and my husband has offered to be on a team with me but I didn't want him to feel out of place.

 

[Trudes]

I am 2 weeks post half marathon. I planned to take one week off running and just walk. Well...........it's been 2 weeks and finally, I got out for a run today. I NEEDto get my running groove back on.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

I'm considering doing the Princess Half Marathon in 2011. I haven't run ever really, except for PE class in high school. My husband and I started the Couch to 5K program last week and I'm on week two. My goal is to be able to at least just walk the Princess. I had a few questions though!

Has anyone else that's had no real experience running been able to finish the race?

Any Type 1 Diabetics out there that are runners that could offer advice? I wear an Animas Ping pump and so far I've had to take it off when I run because my BS drops terribly. The reason I've set the half marathon goal for myself is that we're wanting to start a family and exercising and getting my A1C down is the next step. So the desire to have a baby is my #1 motivation for running!

Anyone run this with their husband? I know I can't run it by myself and my husband has offered to be on a team with me but I didn't want him to feel out of place.

I can't give you advice regarding all your questions, but will try...the great thing about the Princess is that there are a ton of first-timers. This year was my first and I planned on it being my last. Didn't happen - caught the Disney bug and now this will be my fourth Disney Race in a year. Given your health condition, I would get the support first of your doctor before starting anything. Bring half marathon training plans to your appointment and go through them. The two big ones are Galloway or Hal Higdon (I prefer Hal Higdon and he also has walking plans for a half). After you get approval (they may actually know of a running coach or group that has diabetic runners in it) then start the plan and see how it goes. I can't stress the importance of actually preparing for the race by following a training program.

Although I don't have diabetes, I have other health conditions and my doctors were not on board initially but after they saw that I was following a plan and doing well on it, they gave their blessings and now actually see the benefits from my participation in these events. They do have quite a large medical staff for the race so if at any time you weren't feeling great, there are options for you both to take a time-out.

As far as the couple thing - so many couples race together! I was actually surprised. The support that some offer each other was inspirational - either by dressing up, wearing shirts supporting their other half, etc. I can't pay my dh to race with me which ends up working for me as he serves as my chauffer to and from the races so he supports me for that. So, I think it is pretty cool that other couples can participate together.

I hope that your doctor gives you the go ahead and you get to participate! I hope some diabetics chime in.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Trudes, good job getting out there today. I was pretty tired after Wine & Dine, for a few weeks, and feel like I'm JUST getting back in my groove now. I was able to log 20 miles last week, aiming for 22 this week with Sunday "long runs" of six miles. Listening to your body is so, so important. The fact that you're a half marathoner is GREAT. Let your body recover at it's own pace.

knieriem, I had NO experience running before I started Couch to 10k in March, and ran my first half marathon six months later. I think you're probably cutting it pretty close if you're just starting Couch to 5k now. You might want to think about registering for the 5k the day before the Princess Half, and make your goal to run the whole thing with a great time. You certainly COULD walk the Princess Half, but it'll probably take a LOT of hard training from now to February.

My partner doesn't run with me, but I think it's sweet of your husband to run with you. I know there were quite a few men who ran last year's Princess. There was an article someone liked a bunch of pages back about men who run women's races. As long as they aren't running to WIN, I think it's fine.

 

[El&Asmom]

I'm considering doing the Princess Half Marathon in 2011. I haven't run ever really, except for PE class in high school. My husband and I started the Couch to 5K program last week and I'm on week two. My goal is to be able to at least just walk the Princess. I had a few questions though!

Has anyone else that's had no real experience running been able to finish the race?

Any Type 1 Diabetics out there that are runners that could offer advice? I wear an Animas Ping pump and so far I've had to take it off when I run because my BS drops terribly. The reason I've set the half marathon goal for myself is that we're wanting to start a family and exercising and getting my A1C down is the next step. So the desire to have a baby is my #1 motivation for running!

Anyone run this with their husband? I know I can't run it by myself and my husband has offered to be on a team with me but I didn't want him to feel out of place.

Good luck with your training and trying!
My friend who is running the half with me is a type one diabetic. I don't know exactly what she does, but I know she turns her pump off if her BS is high prior to start of a run. Last week she ran 8m and didn't bring water with her BS at 254 at the start. She said she was dying of thirst the whole time so will start running with water. BS was 100 by the end of her run.
I would ask your Dr for advice. Good luck and have fun!