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

[schmass]

We'll be eating at Tutto Italia the night before the race and Le Cellier for dinner aftter the race. It is going to be really hard for me to not order a glass of wine at Tutto Italia!!

 

[disneyaway]

I emailed them my time last night, and I got an email back today stating the placement cut off is a 2:45 or less finish, but they still did update my time.

Does this mean is you don't meet that 2:45 cutoff, your corrall placement is arbitrary?

We're dining at Portobello the evening before the race. I figure I'll either have just plain pasta with tomato sauce...nothing too spicy...or the grilled chicken. I seem to do well with either of those meals the day before a run. Post-run I'll be sitting down to the mushroom-swiss burger at the House of Blues...I actually think about that meal when I'm training...very sad. I love cheeseburgers and I made a promise to myself to give them up until after the Princess...I haven't had one since the beginning of March at Cosmic Rays in MK. I can't wait!!!

Yum! Where are you running your 10K? I was signed up for the Seawall, but the date changed and now I can't do it.

We booked at the Port Orleans Riverside and plan on eating at Cape May the night before. We have a GREAT travel agent (email me if you want her information) who got us a great room rate and it happens to be a free disney dining weekend!


Already made all our reservations (with nothing planned on race day) for our entire trip. I think staying onsite and offsite both have really good advantages... there really isn't a wrong way to go....

We also just entered our 5 year old in the kids run.... just for fun.

We entered DD4 in the race as well. It looks cute!

I have no dinner plans for the night before-- figured I would get something from Picabu and hang out in the room since I figured I would be tired by then. We have ADR at 1900 PF for dinner after the race-- DD is a big princess fan and it seems appropriate to round out the day with a princess dinner. And I figure I will be hungry enough to justify the cost of a buffet

 

[Bookwood]

Good Morning Princesses!

DD#2 and I are doing the Princess and staying onsite at ASMovies (I am directionally challenged and don't like to drive on vacation- besides I don't mind the Disney Busses- although I hate being out to the race so early.) We are doing a girls trip with a couple of days at Universal first to see the WWoHP then on to Disney. Our post race celebration meal this year is at Tonys Town Square, if things go as usual we'll take the afternoon a little easy but get going again around 3-4 pm to keep the lactic acid from pooling anywhere too long.

Those of you having training problems now good luck! I'm changing my training a little from the norm as I will be on the Wonder for the Panama Canal cruise in Jan. and won't do any long miles while on the ship- I will do my regular runs though!

Have a Magical day!

 

[Kensgirl519]

Great Idea about dinner at PF!! I just made ADR for the same night at 6:50pm. I figured by then I will either be okay or sound asleep and better to have a reservation and cancel it than not have one at all!

 

[Jeannekay]

I ate a big Italian pasta dinner the night before a race once. Big mistake. I had cramping. I should have dined on 1/2 cup of pasta and a salad and a little bit of fruit for dessert. That will be my dinner before the Princess 1/2 marathon.
The morning of I will eat the same as always. One piece of toast and a 1/2 cup of coffee. My husband will have a banana waiting for me.

Do they have food at the race???

How fast does it warm up in Florida??? I figure it will be 35F ish??? to start? How many minutes will it take to warm up to 55-60? I don't want to dress too warmly but don't want to freeze either.
I hate the cold and always wear pants, cold gear, windbreaker, polar tech, hat and gloves at the start. I throw out the polar tech after the second mile and take off the hat and wind breaker half way through.
All of that stuff really weighed me down and I ran slower. I couldn't throw away the windbreaker and hat because it cost too much.
This year I will bring a cheap hat.

Are those tights as warm as Nike winter jogging pants? I think the flare at the bottom of the pants dragged me down also.

 

[haleofafamily]

We'll be eating at Tutto Italia the night before the race and Le Cellier for dinner aftter the race. It is going to be really hard for me to not order a glass of wine at Tutto Italia!!

We are eating at these places as well. I was so excited when we got the Le Cellier reservation!

Oops we are eating at the new Italian restaurant in Italy the night before.

 

[crain]

Hi everyone- I just signed up for the Princess Race as part of a team with my 67 year old mom. I am a veteran of the Disney races and can't get enough of them. My mom ran the Donald 1/2 from 2005-2007, but then stopped running. She hasn't been down to Disney since then, and the promise of a trip to see Mickey has motivated her to start training again. I love hearing about everyone's training and plans on this thread- it definitely gets me excited!

 

[koolgirl]

Well, I've made the commitment and am running the Princess for the third time. I can't really believe it. I've begun calling myself a "destination" runner as I've only done these races at Disney and one other in Boston. I do run/walk and am pretty slow - I started on the couch 2 1/2 years ago - 4 months before I turned 40 - just saying that to encourage everyone---YOU CAN DO THIS!! I'm hoping to finish this year in 2:30 (first year was 2:50, last year 2:40).

I feel like I have good info about this one having done it twice and after browsing a little...I'm not the only one! YAY for repeat runners!

The first year I stayed off-site with some girlfriends and last year we stayed at the Swan. So, I haven't done the on-site race transportation. I have to say, having the rental car to sit in in the cold and to throw our stuff was THE BEST! Especially this year when it was FREEZING.

I'm staying at The Swan again but we aren't renting a car and I'm going with just my hubby & kids so I may be looking to share a cab that morning (ok, night!) if anyone is doing that. We definitely have time to figure it out.

Couple answers to some recent questions I saw...
I remember bananas after the race. I think on the course it was a gel (maybe Clif?).
It was cold this year. We wore layers...I had a sweatshirt over a long-sleeve shell over my tank top; stretchy gloves; running skirt with pants over it to start. I did strip down by mile 5--wanted to be ready for pictures in MK! It was cold after MK on the long stretch back to Epcot. However, I was never freezing. My body works very hard to do this and I get really heated up. I also train in MA through the winter so I could be just a tad more used to the cold than some of you

I don't know that it warmed up too quickly but defintely was warmer on the last 4 because the sun was out. THe first year, we stood around after the race and never put jackets on whereas this year I wanted pants and fleece almost immediately. I think it was probably about 50 when I crossed the finish line at 8:55 or so (I was in Corral B so started at 6:18, maybe---can't remember the stagger times now).

So, just wanted to say hello. I don't post a lot on boards but LOVE this thread because everyone is so encouraging. Keep up the great training...see you in 106 days!! Woo Hoo!!

~~Jennifer~~

 

[Jeannekay]

Kool Girl! - Thanks for the post! It was fun and interesting to read. I can't wait to talk to my husband when he gets home. I think I need a car to stay warm in! Le Cellier sounds nice.

Sounds like it will be cold for me down there. I forgot to mention that I bought wick away underwear from Nike. It's like a boyshort. It kept my buns warm. I just don't warm up like some of you do.

It is fun talking about the marathon!! Thanks everyone!!!

Yesterday, I ran at the gym's indoor track and pretended I was passing people that were walking to develop my hip muscles better.

I didn't practice that zigzagging ever before and my hips were a little sore the next day after my first 1/2 marathon. Anyone else do that???

 

[Camping Griswalds]

I am going to try to complete this. I've never run a race, but am really wanting to try. Even just to walk. How quickly (really slowly) do you have to finish with out being "swept" off the track??

 

[verticalchaos]

You have to maintain a 16 minute mile pace.

 

[FFigawi]

How fast does it warm up in Florida??? I figure it will be 35F ish??? to start? How many minutes will it take to warm up to 55-60? I don't want to dress too warmly but don't want to freeze either.
I hate the cold and always wear pants, cold gear, windbreaker, polar tech, hat and gloves at the start. I throw out the polar tech after the second mile and take off the hat and wind breaker half way through.
All of that stuff really weighed me down and I ran slower. I couldn't throw away the windbreaker and hat because it cost too much.
This year I will bring a cheap hat.

Are those tights as warm as Nike winter jogging pants? I think the flare at the bottom of the pants dragged me down also.

It can take several hours to warm up, especially when running on roads or paths that are shaded and out of the sun. I wouldn't count on it being 35 at the start and 60 half an hour later. That said, I think you're always better off if you're dressed so that you're a little chilly at the start. If you're comfortable at the start, you'll be way too hot later on once you start heating up internally and the air warms up.

Personally, I usually wear short sleeves and shorts if the start is in the 40s because I know I'll warm up quickly. If it's in the 30s, I'll switch to long sleeves and maybe tights, depending on the conditions and the forecast. I hit Target a few days before to buy some thick, cheap sweats to wear before the start and then dump them right before I start running.

 

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Kool Girl! - Thanks for the post! It was fun and interesting to read. I can't wait to talk to my husband when he gets home. I think I need a car to stay warm in! Le Cellier sounds nice.

Sounds like it will be cold for me down there. I forgot to mention that I bought wick away underwear from Nike. It's like a boyshort. It kept my buns warm. I just don't warm up like some of you do.

It is fun talking about the marathon!! Thanks everyone!!!

Yesterday, I ran at the gym's indoor track and pretended I was passing people that were walking to develop my hip muscles better.

I didn't practice that zigzagging ever before and my hips were a little sore the next day after my first 1/2 marathon. Anyone else do that???

That sounds like a good idea to practice weaving around others especially at Disney - most of us don't realize how hard that can be on your body - I sure didn't. This year, my strategy is to stay in the middle, not necessarily to go around. Going around people and having to go up and down curbs wasn't good for me at all at the DL half. I ended up with an IT band strain.

I have really started to focus on my circuit training to help combat a lot of that. Hip Abductor and Hip Adductor exercises seem to help a lot so if anyone training isn't incorporating circuit training into their workout, you may want to consider it. It has made a world of difference with my IT band. Definitely something to consider for all the girls out there. Apparently, guys don't have as much of a problem with weak hips.

I am not deciding on clothes until we get closer. I have a feeling it won't be even close to as cold as it was this year. The weather has been a lot more mild in the south. We are still in the 70's during the day...does Mother Nature know that it is November?

 

[Jeannekay]

Rupert - Thanks for the great advice. I will look those up to make sure I am doing those at the gym. There are so many that I get them mixed up.

I have done knee physical therapy that came with a boat load of exercises that I do 3 times a week.

Two people fell near me during a race, so I would like to be nimble and agile too to be able to dodge stuff like that. One person was really old and another was 100 pounds overweight.

I had one free session with a personal trainer the other day and she told me that I might like a foam roller to roll my legs on. On the outside of my thighs, from hip to knee and to relieve charlie horses in my calves. She said they sell them at Dick's Sporting goods.

I will definitely check out the hip abductor and hip adductor exercises! Thanks

 

[Jeannekay]

One more question:

Two weeks before the Marathon should I have worked up to 15 miles, so that the 13.1 won't feel so bad?

Hal Higdon's beginner shows 8, 9, 10 every Sunday, and 13.1 as the next Sunday's race day.

Also, Team in Training told me to taper down the last week. What do you think they mean? What's a good taper down??

 

[verticalchaos]

My half plan (I'm doing the WDW Half...but the Princess is a Half also) only takes me to 10. I'm not going to worry about it. At some point you just have to go on faith.

In terms of tapering, it's reducing your mileage for a couple of weeks before the race so you're not burning your legs out. Some people need the taper, others don't. Depends on you.

 

[mermaid&cinderella]

One more question:

Two weeks before the Marathon should I have worked up to 15 miles, so that the 13.1 won't feel so bad?

Hal Higdon's beginner shows 8, 9, 10 every Sunday, and 13.1 as the next Sunday's race day.

Also, Team in Training told me to taper down the last week. What do you think they mean? What's a good taper down??

Before I ran my first half, my training guide was to run 12 miles and the 13.1 felt the same as the 12. It doesn't hurt to do the 15 but it isn't necessary. Remember running the half distance is so different when its the actual race, atleast that is what I find!

My taper week is I do my last long run exactly one week before a half (its different for different distances) and then I will do shorter runs that week before and also do some easy bike closer to the race just to keep the legs moving and I usually don't do anything 2 days prior to a big race.

As for carb load, someone asked, I eat very very little carbs on a day to day basis BUT 2 days before a race I eat carbs and the night before its aloways a pasta dinner....nothing big or spicy but its always pasta. I feel I need that for the race and I haven't been disappointed yet. Race morning its always an english muffin or bagel with sunflower butter (my DD is allergic to peanust so no peanut butter in our house) and a bit of jam and water and I am good to go.

Good luck!

 

[verticalchaos]

I don't carbo-load. It's a throwback to times when people did things differently (they'd try to run off all their glycogen stores and then try to cram it all back in) and really isn't necessary.

Before a race, I just eat a nicely balanced dinner - usually some type of chicken, brown rice and salad with some kind of fruit (usually a chocolate covered banana) also. I feel MUCH better than if I'd crammed my body with stuff it doesn't need.

Race-day is a banana breakfast shake.

So far it's worked perfectly. No carbo unloading on the side of the road (which yes, I have seen).

 

[Jeannekay]

What is considered a shorter run the week before? 2-3 miles? I used to rest totally for two days before a race. Then, I was just itching to run!

But, since it's Disney, my husband wants to get there Thursday and roam around Disney Thursday and Friday but rest on Saturday. I am thinking, "Oh no!"

How many hours of walking around Disney World would be safe for my legs?? I know for sure, that the day after the race, I will be pretty sore and not up for walking anywhere.

 

[dumbo_buddy]

hi all, just checking in since i've been mia. i visited a podiatrist on monday and he suspects tendinitis. he wrapped up my foot and of course it fell off right away. i got it re-wrapped today and realized that i don't like this podiatrist at all. i made an appt with a sports guy for tuesday. until then i am sort of just...not running...at all.

i'm so depressed. i want this tendinitis bs fixed asap so i can get back to running. until then i'm doing the elliptical here and there.

oh and my friend who said she'd run with me has decided to stop contacting me. she's going through a divorce and "some other stuff" which i'm very sad for her about but she never paid me back for the race, the room, and the flight. i put it all on my card. i've emailed her several times and she actually blocked me from looking at her facebook wall. i can't believe it. we've been friends since we were kids.

sorry for the debbie downer post!!! i swear i'm a shiny happy person!