Official 2012 Princess Half Marathon Thread!

[SummerIrmoma2_3]

What's this Gu I keep reading about? And would I really need Body Glide products for a 30 minute run?

I agree with what everyone else said, but wanted to share my story. I didn't start taking any supplements until I was up to about 7 or 8 miles. I started out with sports beans, since I have a bad gag reflex, but they gave me stomache aches so I switched over to shot bloks. I usually took them at around 6 to 7 miles on my long runs, but I was suprised that I only ate one blok at the princess and that was at about mile 9.

As for body glide, I have not used it. I guess I have been lucky but I have only had 1 tiny blister on my little toe through out my whole training, and that was because I did an 11 mile run in a pair of shoes that only had about 5 miles on them. I did buy some to bring to Disney, but I didn't use it and I didn't have any issues. But I do wear running carpis to avoid my legs rubbing.

OMG Yes! That's how I found out about my sports bra chafing on my back.

My sister has the same issue, and found out the same way. LoL

 

[yankeesmom21]

I haven't been on in a few days. Life, just like everyone's has been crazy! Haven't been on a run, outside or on the TM since my February 27th race. Trying not to get discouraged....I know I have so much time but I need to get my butt in gear! I'm running my first half in October and then the Princess. Excited but I need to get motivated!

 

[MamaWolf]

I have the vibram five fingers, I got the Komodos. I recently got them, right before the ESPN 5k, it does take some time to get used to cause your muscles are adjusting. First few runs, I had some really sore lower legs from them, but as I read else where, that was expected. I got them to help with my knee pains and when I run, I don't get any pain now, it's great. I went 20 miles the other day, you get to the point where you don't even notice you have shoes on, they are light and air travels through them easily. So I am training in them and will try them out for my next race and see how they go, but so far so good.

I, for one, would be really interested in how the five fingers work out for you. I've heard good things but I just have a visual problem with them.

 

[mla1977]

Hi Princesses! I just finished my 2011 Princess race report.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

 

[slp1650]

I too would be interested in how the five fingers work out for everyone. I personally am not going to change shoes because I have a hard enough time dealing with knee and ankle issues that since I found good shoes, I'm keeping them.

I asked my physical therapist about those shoes and he said the studies have showed that they are different and most people assume different=good. While they make your running more natural, we are no longer running on natural terrain a lot of the time (asphalt and concrete... ya, not so natural). He said that if they work, then great! He wouldn't stop someone from wearing them. But like I said, I have enough knee/ankle problems I'm sticking with shoes I know work.

I just have to get back out and run again. I've been on 1 run since the race and a few swim practices. Unfortunately, finals and presentations have kept me stressed and inside far too much and more than I definitely like. I'm heading back to Dworld for my graduation trip on Sunday (and not running) and then I'll get back into training after that.

 

[Danhockey04]

The shoes have been great, did a 5k today as training and improved my time by ~3 minutes to 21 minutes even. My knees feel stronger than ever and my legs feel so good that I'm ready to run again. I'm not encouraging the shoes on anyone, everyone has their own shoes that they prefer. I've had many pairs of shoes and these are the first to fit so well and do such a great job helping me run without pain; also no blisters. The shoes are doing great for my training and plan to continuously run in them.

 

[Mama_Dis]

I'm interested in the barefoot running thing too. I generally prefer being barefoot or in minimal footwear (slip ons, flip flops etc.) so they sound great to me, but I wasn't sure if I had "the right kind of foot for them" and was afraid to take that big of a $ chance that they would be terrible for me. I would like to try them though.

 

[cewait]

Can I jump in for a couple comments.....

First - Gu's gels and other supplements, Oh my. Do not need them until you long runs start to approach 90 minutes. Taking them on a shorter run may actually do harm from an endurance aspect as you are not training the body to work with stored fat and glycogen. Taking a gel before a 30 minute run allows the body to run off of the easily available blood sugar and not off fat stores. (or so some research says). Once your long runs start to pass 90 minutes, start gelling (or supplementing ) around the 45 minute mark and then every 30-60 minutes.

Minimalist Shoes. Great training shoes, but they take some getting used to. Note that they are not for everyone. If you are in a motion control shoe you should not run in a minimalist shoe. Your mechanics are just enough off so that you risk injury in a minimalist shoe. Motion control shoes are for folks who over pronate, meaning the foot over collapses on impact to absorb the shock of the stride. Easy ways to tell are flat feet or if you look down or at a photo of you running, your are toeing out while you foot is on the ground.

 

[RemembertheMagic98]

For those who have run the Princess previously, can you give me a sense of the "hilliness" of the course? I have heard about on-ramps and off-ramps, but would you say most of the course is flat?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Danhockey04]

The course is flat, until you get to the last couple miles, you go up a ramp, over two bridges I believe. There is small hills, one over by the contemporary and one going down from epcot to world drive. Overall it is a flat course, it does have its climbs but not for long extended distances.

 

[cewait]

Flat by most folk's standards......

The overpasses come at miles 1, and then 10, 11 and 12. Mile 1 is almost unnoticed. Mile 10 is the gradual incline through the clover leaf approach from World Dr to Epcot Drive (backwards to normal auto traffic). This is actually more a side slope issue that a hill. The next over pass is immediately after the first overpass. The final overpass goes over the Epcot parking lot entrance road.

There are two 'reverse hills'. The first is the tram way from the MK parking lot under Floridan Dr. The other and most severe sloped reverse hill is under seven seas lagoon near the Contemporary.

Two hidden hills are the approach into MK where you climb one story and in Epcot where Spaceship Earth is on top of a small hill.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

Flat by most folk's standards......

The overpasses come at miles 1, and then 10, 11 and 12. Mile 1 is almost unnoticed. Mile 10 is the gradual incline through the clover leaf approach from World Dr to Epcot Drive (backwards to normal auto traffic). This is actually more a side slope issue that a hill. The next over pass is immediately after the first overpass. The final overpass goes over the Epcot parking lot entrance road.

There are two 'reverse hills'. The first is the tram way from the MK parking lot under Floridan Dr. The other and most severe sloped reverse hill is under seven seas lagoon near the Contemporary.

Two hidden hills are the approach into MK where you climb one story and in Epcot where Spaceship Earth is on top of a small hill.

Did the course designer have an evil streak when they said let's have the runners do hills at mile 10? For years I've heard about the overpasses where they are, but never gave it any though. Now I've been bitten by the running bug and realized, uh-oh! That's going to be me

 

[Cripey]

Did the course designer have an evil streak when they said let's have the runners do hills at mile 10? For years I've heard about the overpasses where they are, but never gave it any though. Now I've been bitten by the running bug and realized, uh-oh! That's going to be me

Ha ha ha! Once you get to the top of one of those last overpasses you can actually see where the finish area is and the back of the ChEar Zone bleachers...that was enough to rev up the adrenaline for me and I didn't even feel it. I also credit my bootcamp trainer that I cross train with...she puts us through alot of incline drills at the 2 parks we train at. At the bottom of the crazy underpass near the Contemporary, I imagined myself back in class, told myself I've done something like this time and time again, and I just blew through it...then, after the incline, I repeat to myself "recover, recover, recover...", and slow my pace a little if I feel like I need to, until my breathing stabilizes and I settle back into a comfortable pace. You just have to use all this time training to figure out what mental and physical combo works for you to get you through the tough spots...and it can take a while to figure that out sometimes! It did for me!!!

 

[Saylan]

The dip near the Contemporary, while short and steep, was fun because they had a DJ at the top of the overpass playing fun music (Fresh Prince, Spice Girls, etc.) and he was very energetic making comments and cheering us on that I recall I was dancing more than running down that part. I also started singing Spice Girls lyrics everytime on the bus to MK when we went through that dip. My DBF was not impressed by our third MK day, let me tell you.

 

[HockeyKat]

I'm in!! 2010, 2011, and now for 2012!

Now to go back and look through the rest of the thread...

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I'm in. And I think I've convinced my friend who has never been to WDW to go with me. I want to do the 5K and the half! I cannot wait to register on July 5! I want to do a Coast to Coast that year, or maybe even go Princess Half, Disneyland Half and Wine & Dine. But we'll see.

Hopefully, we'll be staying at the Beach Club!

 

[kappyfamily]

Can I jump in for a couple comments.....

Please jump in! So glad you have joined us! Question for you if you don't mind. I've got shin splints! Have always heard about them and yep I've got them now. I have really flat feet and am currently running in a pair of Brooks defyance 4's. What is my best course of action? Should I get inserts? New shoes? I've been icing a lot which feels better until i run again. Do compression socks work?

Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thank you thank you! Michele

 

[kappyfamily]

Ok me .....again. Does anyone have any thoughts on chi-running? I'm in Oregon where running is a way of life out here and chi-running is getting pretty big. Just curious if anyone uses that method?

Thanks....again.

 

[HockeyKat]

Please jump in! So glad you have joined us! Question for you if you don't mind. I've got shin splints! Have always heard about them and yep I've got them now. I have really flat feet and am currently running in a pair of Brooks defyance 4's. What is my best course of action? Should I get inserts? New shoes? I've been icing a lot which feels better until i run again. Do compression socks work?

Any thoughts would be appreciated! Thank you thank you! Michele

I also have very flat feet

My recommendation to you is to go to a running store and get fitted. They will find the best shoe for you and can recommend the right inserts. I skipped that step last year and wound up with a stress fracture in my shin.

Brooks Defyance 4 is a neutral shoe and you likely need a stability shoe. I started out in a more neutral shoe and after the stress fracture, got fitted with ASICs Gel-2150. My sports med doctor blessed them as well.

 

[wlake]

Non-runner back again with a question about the hills on the course:

I know we all have a different definition of hill, so let me try asking this way: I have a hill by my house that I consider steep (actually, I live at the tippy top, so I go uphill on the way home no matter which direction I leave in). I have a manual transmission car, and the hill is steep enough that I have to downshift going up it. Does this sound much steeper than the hills at Disney, and if I learn to walk up it without collapsing, will I be in decent shape for the hills on the course? Thanks!

Edited to add: I have never, in 10 years of living here, seen anyone run down my road on that hill (and very few bikers) -- you'd think they would all the time because you then go past a beautiful lake.