Official 2015 Disneyland Half Marathon Thread.

[Warm Hugs]

Any thoughts on this article on how to avoid hitting the wall?

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...how-to-eat-and-drink-so-you-dont-hit-the-wall

Thought it was interesting that they suggesting starting carb loading during the week and not just the night before

 

[pigletliz]

Our training group has been following the increased carb a few days before the race for a while. We were told that going carb crazy the night before doesn't really help because you wouldn't have time to digest it and if you were going to go the pasta route, it is best done 2 nights before. If I have a race on Sunday, I will probably add a sweet potato on Thursday or Friday. My Saturday night meal is pretty light, unless I am hanging out with a group.

 

[Ariel484]

Found this. Still gonna email...

http://www.rundisney.com/coast-to-coast-race-challenge/
Eligibility

• Complete a runDisney half marathon or marathon at the Walt Disney World® Resort and a half marathon at theDisneyland® Resort in the same calendar year
• You must have an official time for each of the races that you complete and each race must be either a half marathon or marathon.
• You are automatically entered into the runDisney Coast to Coast Race Challenge when you register and complete the required combination of races
• At the race weekend where you earn your Coast to Coast Race Challenge medal runDisney staff will identify you as an eligible participant during packet pickup.
• You will receive your medal after completing the second leg of your runDisney Coast to Coast Race Challenge.
• Each race can only count once towards a Coast to Coast Race Challenge medal.
• To earn both medals in 2015, four races – two on each coast – must be completed.
• For any runners participating in an eligible Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend event, Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend, the Tinker Bell Half Marathon and the Disney Princess Half Marathon in 2015, runDisney will email you in advance to see which version of the Coast to Coast Race Challenge Medal you prefer to receive.

So remember how I said I emailed rD for clarification on this? My response from them was just the above bolded points copied and pasted into an email. Thanks?

 

[mbwhitti]

Well that was helpful...

 

[Slogger]

So remember how I said I emailed rD for clarification on this? My response from them was just the above bolded points copied and pasted into an email. Thanks?

Wonder if they actually read your question?
I guess you could call them to clarify........but I feel pretty good that my no-box-checking signup will be sufficient for the C2C. (I also might ask at the Expo).

 

[Slogger]

speaking of fueling.....does drinking sufficient amounts of beer during raceday or the evening before count as a good fueling plan?

 

[pigletliz]

So remember how I said I emailed rD for clarification on this? My response from them was just the above bolded points copied and pasted into an email. Thanks?

They haven't used the check off box for several races. I believe it is a computer generated list. I volunteered at both Tink and Star Wars and it seemed to be okay. There were very few coast to coast issues, all of which were quickly resolved at Runner Relations. You should be fine.

 

[Ariel484]

Well that was helpful...

Yeah, like...thanks for sending me exactly what I already found on the webpage.

Wonder if they actually read your question?
I guess you could call them to clarify........but I feel pretty good that my no-box-checking signup will be sufficient for the C2C. (I also might ask at the Expo).

Who knows. Perhaps they have some sort of filter set up that just pinged back an auto-response.

They haven't used the check off box for several races. I believe it is a computer generated list. I volunteered at both Tink and Star Wars and it seemed to be okay. There were very few coast to coast issues, all of which were quickly resolved at Runner Relations. You should be fine.

Thank you for confirming. Do they still give out wristbands to C2C runners? Glad to hear there weren't many issues in the earlier races.

 

[pigletliz]

Yeah, like...thanks for sending me exactly what I already found on the webpage.

Who knows. Perhaps they have some sort of filter set up that just pinged back an auto-response.

Thank you for confirming. Do they still give out wristbands to C2C runners? Glad to hear there weren't many issues in the earlier races.

For Tink, they did use wristbands for C2C runners. Pink for the people who qualified with Princess/Tink and blue for everyone else. The challenge people had their pictures taken. I think there was some confusion because the guide was printed incorrectly and stated that challenge people got a wrist band.

 

[Slogger]

Do they still give out wristbands to C2C runners?

WRISTBANDS?!!!! Oh no.....that was the one sour note I had with WDW weekend. Told we were doing wristbands, and then we were checking in each day or having pics taken, and then it seemed like it was something else. But after finishing the first two mornings and have a race rep tell me not to worry about it, we were covered......that made me worry even more!!! Hope it's not deja vu!

 

[Ariel484]

For Tink, they did use wristbands for C2C runners. Pink for the people who qualified with Princess/Tink and blue for everyone else. The challenge people had their pictures taken. I think there was some confusion because the guide was printed incorrectly and stated that challenge people got a wrist band.

Yeah, as @Slogger said below, the documentation for Marathon Weekend in January made it sound like Goofy/Dopey runners would get wristbands, but they just ended up doing the pictures and verifying times after the marathon. It was very confusing.

WRISTBANDS?!!!! Oh no.....that was the one sour note I had with WDW weekend. Told we were doing wristbands, and then we were checking in each day or having pics taken, and then it seemed like it was something else. But after finishing the first two mornings and have a race rep tell me not to worry about it, we were covered......that made me worry even more!!! Hope it's not deja vu!

Agreed! They had me paranoid all weekend with that!

 

[Keels]

speaking of fueling.....does drinking sufficient amounts of beer during raceday or the evening before count as a good fueling plan?

#AskingForAFriend ...

 

[FFigawi]

Any thoughts on this article on how to avoid hitting the wall?

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt...how-to-eat-and-drink-so-you-dont-hit-the-wall

Thought it was interesting that they suggesting starting carb loading during the week and not just the night before

You definitely want to start your carb loading during the week. Eating a huge bowl of pasta the night before the race is only going make your stomach feel full the next morning. Adding extra carbs in small amounts for the 3-4 days before a race is a better way to get your carb loading done. You should also have a big pancake breakfast the day before the race. Those carbs will be digested, stored, and ready to be used 24 hours later.

 

[Slogger]

Finally decided on a training plan for fall marathon(s). Leaning towards committing to Atlantic City (10/18) and/or Richmond (11/14)and/or/and OBX (11/8).
The plan starts this Monday and it will be a big step up from my previous training plans--more mileage and faster pace. Luckily the schedule works out perfect for DL half weekend--just an easy 10 miler which I will stretch into an easier 13.1 miler!! More time for photo ops!

 

[FFigawi]

Richmond! It's a great race on a beautiful course in a really fun city. My first marathon was Richmond so I might be a little biased.

 

[Slogger]

Richmond! It's a great race on a beautiful course in a really fun city. My first marathon was Richmond so I might be a little biased.

Thanks John! Richmond would be great--heard it's a well run event, closest to me and it would be 4 weeks after A/C marathon. Waiting on family travel plans and school activities before I can commit. (or should I be "committed"?)

 

[hauntedcity]

I'm in for the DDD this year! I completed my first Marathon at WDW in January, so I'll be getting my Coast to Coast, as well.
My wife and I are staying at the Howard Johnson. Does anyone have any experience with that hotel? Is it a good spot for a race weekend?

Thanks!

 

[sumlee]

I'm in for the DDD this year! I completed my first Marathon at WDW in January, so I'll be getting my Coast to Coast, as well.
My wife and I are staying at the Howard Johnson. Does anyone have any experience with that hotel? Is it a good spot for a race weekend?

Thanks!

Welcome to the group! WDW this year was my first full also.
We stayed at the HoJo last year for TinkerBell weekend and really enjoyed it! The rooms were great and we loved the close walking distance to the parks! I think it took under 10 minutes to walk to the gates with 4 kids in tow. If you have kids traveling with you, they will love the pool and water features! For race morning, it's not the closest hotel to the starting line, but still an easy walk. You will have plenty of company along the way!
We will be staying at the HoJo for the first part of the week (Su-Th), and then transferring to the DLH for the remainder of our stay. We are splitting our stay only because we've never stayed on property at DL before, and we want to try it out, but I would absolutely stay at the HoJo for a race weekend anytime!

 

[hauntedcity]

Welcome to the group! WDW this year was my first full also.
We stayed at the HoJo last year for TinkerBell weekend and really enjoyed it! The rooms were great and we loved the close walking distance to the parks! I think it took under 10 minutes to walk to the gates with 4 kids in tow. If you have kids traveling with you, they will love the pool and water features! For race morning, it's not the closest hotel to the starting line, but still an easy walk. You will have plenty of company along the way!
We will be staying at the HoJo for the first part of the week (Su-Th), and then transferring to the DLH for the remainder of our stay. We are splitting our stay only because we've never stayed on property at DL before, and we want to try it out, but I would absolutely stay at the HoJo for a race weekend anytime!

Good to know. We are actually making this trip without our kids. We're fighting off some major guilt, since they've never been to Disneyland before, but we hope to be back within the next year for a trip that wouldn't take them out of school.

Thanks!

 

[McCoy]

They haven't used the check off box for several races. I believe it is a computer generated list. I volunteered at both Tink and Star Wars and it seemed to be okay. There were very few coast to coast issues, all of which were quickly resolved at Runner Relations. You should be fine.

From the way the info on the site is worded (i.e. "automatically entered"), it would seem anyone doing a race on both coasts should be set to go regardless, but there was an option in this year's Double Dare registration for Coast to Coast. Copied and pasted from my registration screen print: "Are you participating in the Coast to Coast Race Challenge? Yes".

Point being, it may still be worth following up again to make sure.