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

[Jeannekay]

GREAT Post! Thanks for the reminder of how great my first princess is going to be!

I ran my first 1/2 marathon a few weeks ago. No one wanted to do it with me. I practiced for months and was nervous I would get sent back to the start for not finishing.

I lost weight during the 10 months I trained. I felt great and looked great. I finished it in 2:42.

As I jogged along, all alone, I came across other women and chatted while I walked and gave a thumbs up when I was jogging. It was fun.

After it was over. I wanted to go home and take a nap. Lol

Good luck and if I see you at the Princess 1/2, I will chat with you too.

I am still wondering if there will be pretty flowers to look at during the marathon. Sure would be dull if there was only grass, bushes and trees.

 

[chop456]

My daughter (12 years old) and I are running a 5K tomorrow. This will be my 2nd 5K since I started running. We made a long weekend getaway for the family. It will be nice to have my son, husband and daughter (she is much faster than me) cheering me on at the end. Then I start training for a 10K on Thanksgiving day.

 

[joan4mickey]

Jeannekay Flowers, sure. I have run twice and I'm so busy looking for photo ops with the Princesses that I forgot to look for flowers. for the most part there is something going on to keep you going along the route. Music, men running dressed as princesses-alway entertaining. And 11,000+ of your closest new running friends.

 

[Kensgirl519]

So what does anyone know about the "you are too slow" bus that picks people up who aren't keeping the 16 min mile? (sorry, just stressing here!) I did look at the finish times for the last 2 years and there seem to be several people (hundreds) that finished in over the 3 1/2 hours allowed? Some even over 4 hours? My goal is just don't get picked up by the slow bus!

I'm doing about a 15 1/2 min mile now, but I have only done "almost" 3 miles. There is a big difference between 3 and 13.1!!

Shelby

 

[Jeannekay]

I used Hal Higdon's training for 1/2 marathon beginner. It's free online and I never got an injury following this routine.

I watched my diet carefully. Always mindful of a healthy diet. I ate modestly fruits, veggies, salads, protein and snuck in pickles, Pringles, a few M&M's plain and Sun Chips to get my salts and sugars back in my body. Electrolyte replenishing is very important.

I lost weight along the way and working out at the gym made my legs stronger. I started running faster, the stronger my legs got. The improved running time was all so gradual.

One 1/2, I jogged 10-12 minute miles and finished it in 2:42. Another half I jogged in 2 hours because there was no hold ups (bottle necking of people) and no hills.

Being aware of the big mean old BUS is good for you. Keeps you going!! I thought of the bus every time I started walking, so as soon as I caught my breath and slowed down my heart rate to about 140, I started jogging again. Good Luck!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

I used Hal Higdon's training for 1/2 marathon beginner. It's free online and I never got an injury following this routine.

I watched my diet carefully. Always mindful of a healthy diet. I ate modestly fruits, veggies, salads, protein and snuck in pickles, Pringles, a few M&M's plain and Sun Chips to get my salts and sugars back in my body. Electrolyte replenishing is very important.

I lost weight along the way and working out at the gym made my legs stronger. I started running faster, the stronger my legs got. The improved running time was all so gradual.

One 1/2, I jogged 10-12 minute miles and finished it in 2:42. Another half I jogged in 2 hours because there was no hold ups (bottle necking of people) and no hills.

Good Luck

Agree about the nutrition.

If you are running a sub-2 half, you aren't jogging.

 

[Jeannekay]

What a beautiful Disney medal!! Looks like it says "Wine and Dine"? Nice little charms hanging on the bottom and the little mickey at the top.

What do you do with your medals? Looks pretty enough to frame.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

What a beautiful Disney medal!! Looks like it says "Wine and Dine"? Nice little charms hanging on the bottom and the little mickey at the top.

What do you do with your medals? Looks pretty enough to frame.

Yup, mine is framed:

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

So what does anyone know about the "you are too slow" bus that picks people up who aren't keeping the 16 min mile? (sorry, just stressing here!) I did look at the finish times for the last 2 years and there seem to be several people (hundreds) that finished in over the 3 1/2 hours allowed? Some even over 4 hours? My goal is just don't get picked up by the slow bus!

I'm doing about a 15 1/2 min mile now, but I have only done "almost" 3 miles. There is a big difference between 3 and 13.1!!

Shelby

Are you looking at the clock time or actual time? I think you were looking at Clock time and not chip time because I saw the last runners at 4 hours, 3 minutes. Not all corrals leave at the same time, so the clock time corresponds as an overall time for everyone rather than the actual time you start. They do allow up to 4 hours to complete the race from your start time. Evidently they did allow some that were really close to finish a little after that.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Are you looking at the clock time or actual time? I think you were looking at Clock time and not chip time because I saw the last runners at 4 hours, 3 minutes. Not all corrals leave at the same time, so the clock time corresponds as an overall time for everyone rather than the actual time you start. They do allow up to 4 hours to complete the race from your start time. Evidently they did allow some that were really close to finish a little after that.

From my understanding, the sweep van only picks up people who are behind pace who still have a bunch of highway running to do. If you are running 17 minute miles towards the end, and you're going to be running through the parks or backstage areas, no big deal.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

well poo. my foot still hurts. i ran 4 miles today. up until about 3.5 i felt ok but the last half mile my foot was killing me. i kept running only because i just wanted to get home because it hurt so much.

what to do, what to do. rest? run through it? if i go to the doctor then i'll have to wait for him to send me to an ortho or something. wait for that appt and have that doc say i need an x-ray, wait for the x-ray appt, wait for the results, blah blah blah.

this stinks. even if it's just rest, i'm not at the point in my running where i can just take a week or so break. i'm afraid of losing motivation.

poo.

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

well poo. my foot still hurts. i ran 4 miles today. up until about 3.5 i felt ok but the last half mile my foot was killing me. i kept running only because i just wanted to get home because it hurt so much.

what to do, what to do. rest? run through it? if i go to the doctor then i'll have to wait for him to send me to an ortho or something. wait for that appt and have that doc say i need an x-ray, wait for the x-ray appt, wait for the results, blah blah blah.

this stinks. even if it's just rest, i'm not at the point in my running where i can just take a week or so break. i'm afraid of losing motivation.

poo.

OK, first of all, deep breath.

You are at the point in you're running where you can afford to take any amount of time off that will keep you from being injured.

I would skip your general practitioner and go straight to an ortho. Call the receptionist at the GP's office and ask for a referral, if you need to. It may be as simple a thing as you needing orthotics in that shoe, or some similar fix, or there might be a real injury that you're aggravating by pounding on it.

In the meantime, take the weekend, at least, to rest, or swim, or bike, or something. Even the elliptical might be okay.

 

[MamaCrush]

OK, first of all, deep breath.

You are at the point in you're running where you can afford to take any amount of time off that will keep you from being injured.

I would skip your general practitioner and go straight to an ortho. Call the receptionist at the GP's office and ask for a referral, if you need to. It may be as simple a thing as you needing orthotics in that shoe, or some similar fix, or there might be a real injury that you're aggravating by pounding on it.

In the meantime, take the weekend, at least, to rest, or swim, or bike, or something. Even the elliptical might be okay.

If I may so humbly suggest, I would try to see a dr. who specializes in sports medicine. I'm three weeks off of a stress fracture in my leg, and I went to a sports med dr. because orthos tend to prescribe surgery, sports med drs. typically work with rehabbing you so you can continue your sport. Just my opinion and certainly this is a broad generalization. But I'm very pleased-- my dr. is actually in the Cornell Hall of Fame for her track running performance. She "gets" the whole running thing and is working to healing me safely so I can run again.

Just my $.02!

 

[verticalchaos]

well poo. my foot still hurts. i ran 4 miles today. up until about 3.5 i felt ok but the last half mile my foot was killing me. i kept running only because i just wanted to get home because it hurt so much.

what to do, what to do. rest? run through it? if i go to the doctor then i'll have to wait for him to send me to an ortho or something. wait for that appt and have that doc say i need an x-ray, wait for the x-ray appt, wait for the results, blah blah blah.

this stinks. even if it's just rest, i'm not at the point in my running where i can just take a week or so break. i'm afraid of losing motivation.

poo.

Owie! In "Marathoning for Mortals", their rule of thumb for injuries from running is to take three complete days off. Meaning since it hurt today, take Saturday, Sunday and Monday off. On Tuesday see how it feels. If it's better, great. If not, take three more days (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). If it STILL hurts, it's definitely time to see a doctor.

If it would make you feel better, definitely get the appointment with a sports medicine doctor to get it checked out.

I used the three total days off thing when I aggravated my IT band doing a 10K with 2 weeks notice and it really did work for me.

Good luck!

 

[HockeyKat]

Are you looking at the clock time or actual time? I think you were looking at Clock time and not chip time because I saw the last runners at 4 hours, 3 minutes. Not all corrals leave at the same time, so the clock time corresponds as an overall time for everyone rather than the actual time you start. They do allow up to 4 hours to complete the race from your start time. Evidently they did allow some that were really close to finish a little after that.

They allow 3.5 hours from the last person who crosses the start line. So if you are that person, you only get 3.5 hours.


This is going to get sort of time/math heavy, so bear with me.

The last registered clock time was 4:11. That would indiate that the last person crossed the start line 41 min after the clock start, which honestly makes some sense. I started 23 min after the clock time started (according to my clock/chip times), and I was toward the front of corral D, with E being the last corral.

Unlike some races, like the RnR series race that I participated in, Disney has fewer but larger corrals. Each corral starts ~5 min after the last, and has 2-3K people in it.

The final chip time was 4:03. That person and the rest of the late 3s/early 4s finishers were likely toward the front of corral C and had a 20 min lead, and/or was given some leeway to walk slowly for the last mile in Epcot (past the need to close the roads).

I have heard with the Princess they are a bit more forgiving on that 3.5 hours than they are with the Jan half marathon, but I have also heard first-hand accounts of being swept.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

thank you amy, mamacrush and verticalchaos! thank you for your great advice. i'm going to look up a sports medicine person.

actually, amy or vertical, do you know of any doctors downtown?

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

thank you amy, mamacrush and verticalchaos! thank you for your great advice. i'm going to look up a sports medicine person.

actually, amy or vertical, do you know of any doctors downtown?

No... I should find a sports doctor myself, anyway. My left knee keeps threatening to act up.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

No... I should find a sports doctor myself, anyway. My left knee keeps threatening to act up.

if i find one that i like i will give you his/her info.

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

well poo. my foot still hurts. i ran 4 miles today. up until about 3.5 i felt ok but the last half mile my foot was killing me. i kept running only because i just wanted to get home because it hurt so much.

what to do, what to do. rest? run through it? if i go to the doctor then i'll have to wait for him to send me to an ortho or something. wait for that appt and have that doc say i need an x-ray, wait for the x-ray appt, wait for the results, blah blah blah.

this stinks. even if it's just rest, i'm not at the point in my running where i can just take a week or so break. i'm afraid of losing motivation.

poo.

When is the last time you got new shoes, that may be your issue
I had major pain in my knee and my DH talked me into acupuncture and my pain has not come back.

 

[swim-mom]

If I may so humbly suggest, I would try to see a dr. who specializes in sports medicine. I'm three weeks off of a stress fracture in my leg, and I went to a sports med dr. because orthos tend to prescribe surgery, sports med drs. typically work with rehabbing you so you can continue your sport. Just my opinion and certainly this is a broad generalization. But I'm very pleased-- my dr. is actually in the Cornell Hall of Fame for her track running performance. She "gets" the whole running thing and is working to healing me safely so I can run again.

Just my $.02!

MamaCrush - I too have a stress fracture in my left shin. I think I did it in August and then I took off running for 3 weeks basically the whole month of Sept and THEN I HAD A FAB IDEA ..................... I ran the Diva Half on October 3rd! haha, I could only run the first 7-8 miles and then OMG I was not sure I could finish. I was thrilled to have done it, because my time was still under 3 hours.

I am waiting to see the sports dr, due to their office being closed for a week. I had x-rays which confirmed it two weeks ago Monday.

I have decided to stop running until the end of Nov, worse case I should be back running mid Decemeber with enough time to do a 10 week half plan.

What did your dr advise you to do?

Hugs, cause I know how this feels