Official 2016 Princess Half Marathon Thread

[preciouspups]

I think it might be time to retire a few of my sports bras. Got a look in the mirror at yoga the other day and realized the one I was wearing was depressed and no longer "uplifting".

 

[Ariel484]

@preciouspups LOLOLOLOLOL

I like Victoria's Secret VSX Incredible (the version that clasps in the back).

 

[preciouspups]

@preciouspups LOLOLOLOLOL

I like Victoria's Secret VSX Incredible (the version that clasps in the back).

I have their version that hooks/zips in the front and I really like it. Just need to drag myself over to the mall to get a few more. Maybe they will have a labor day sale.

 

[keahgirl8]

I'm planning Ragland Road and Via Napoli for the first time this trip, and I'm very excited. I have such a mentality of "character meals, character meals, character meals," it's hard to branch out sometimes! SOME DAY I will go on a kids free trip with DH, but until then I'm sure character meals will dominate!

Does Raglan Road have a bar you can eat in, like Rose & Crown?

Also...for sport bras, all I wear is Moving Comfort Juno!

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

This is our last kid-free trip since we're trying for baby #1 right now, so we'll see how that goes, lol! If all goes well, I'll be 4 or 5 months along by PHM weekend, so my goal won't be to PR, but just to run and have fun.

Ohh exciting!! I hope everything goes well with the trying!

I have their version that hooks/zips in the front and I really like it. Just need to drag myself over to the mall to get a few more. Maybe they will have a labor day sale.

I should try a VS sports bra! I have so many different brands, but not theirs!

 

[SherryinBA]

Here's what I've already got booked:

• Thursday 02/18: Dinner at Kona Cafe* @ 7:10pm
• Friday 02/19: Lunch at Sanaa @ 11:45am
• Saturday 02/20: Lunch at Sci-Fi @ 11:30am
• Sunday 02/21: Dinner at Raglan Road @ 6pm
• Tuesday 02/23: Lunch at San Angel Inn* @ 11:50am
• Tuesday 02/23: Dinner at Via Napoli* @ 7:30pm

*restaurant we haven't eaten at before.

So, we have a pretty even mix so far of regulars vs new ones. The leftover TS credit we have we would like to use on Monday 02/22, and it's a non-park day. I'm thinking either The Wave or Grand Floridian Cafe.

We have Kona Cafe for breakfast because it's a tradition for me and my daughter to have breakfast there our first morning then ride the monorail to MK. Also got Brown Derby for dinner the Monday after the race. That's because it's the very first Disney parks restaurant for me. So some sentimentality there. After that, no plans. We're winging it.

 

[preciouspups]

I should try a VS sports bra! I have so many different brands, but not theirs!

I was skeptical but I ended up liking it. I have two moving comforts... one that is ok for yoga and fairly comfortable and one that is for running and I hate.

 

[disneydaydreamer33]

Well, I just did my longest run of the year: 12.62 miles! I'm not going to lie, it was tough for me. I did a 4:1 run walk ratio. The whole time I was super hungry! I brought 2 packs of sports beans, and it was not enough. I think I didn't eat enough carbs last night for dinner? Next week, I'm going to have a pasta night before a long run!

 

[bumbershoot]

Does Raglan Road have a bar you can eat in, like Rose & Crown?

We were actually seated, for our ADR, at a tall two top in the bar, so I'm not sure you can be sure of being able to walk in without an ADR.

 

[bcarey2k]

Does Raglan Road have a bar you can eat in, like Rose & Crown?

Yes they do ..... In the front door and just ask the hostess to sit at the bar. It's pretty large too!

Brian

 

[MousekaMama]

Ahhh! I have no idea what happened to my alerts on this thread, but it looks like I have a TON of catching up to do! Today starts my half marathon training with a local running group. I've done a ton of 5ks and several middle distance races, but I still feel weird referring to myself as a "runner," so I'm a little nervous about how it's going to go this evening. Just another step closer to completing GSC 2016, though!

 

[sperkins921]

Good luck and keep your mind open to the run turning around. A few weeks ago I was in the same place as you heading out for a run. Somehow, despite feeling horrific the first 3 miles, as I got to 4 I felt so much better physically and mentally, I didn't want to stop when I hit my distance for that day. Every now and then a run is the perfect medicine for an out of whack body and life stress!

This exactly! I often start a run saying, "I am JUST doing three miles and I'm going to hate it!" But after I get over that three mile hump, I get into my running grove and end my run thinking why in the world did I think about not doing that?! Now granted, sometimes my whole run drags, but that actually happens far less than the amount of times I start a run thinking it's going to suck.

I ended up not running that day, but did run the next day, and you were both right. I got out there feet dragging, mind begging me not to do this crazy endeavor, and ended going 'that wasn't so bad'. I paid for it physically the day after- I think I just over did it in terms of lack of sleep, rest, and then exercising on top of which- but I got out and got my miles!

 

[sperkins921]

No. Not that I've seen. Maybe Princess is different though. I haven't seen any characters in the post-race area, apart from at the post-race extra-fee breakfast in 2014 over January weekend (and those were random Monsters University characters, not ANY we had seen in passing during the 5K).

Here is the event guide from this year's Princess. http://as1.wdpromedia.com/media/rundisney/pdf/princess/2015/2015-princess-race-weekend-program.pdf Should give you an idea of times etc.

I'd overestimate each bit of the morning. If it starts at 5:30, expect to start maybe 50 min after that if in the last corral. Use your expected per mile time to estimate when you're done. Give yourself time to get your checked gear bags (I've had it take almost no time to nearly half an hour at W&D when my friend at the end of the alphabet and I at the beginning both had a line to wait in, and then they couldn't find mine and had to search). There's a bit of an ending chute to go through, a way to cool down, as the food and drinks are just handed to you, and the medals are just after you cross the finish line.

If yu're leaving right after, you walk to buses or cars, you wait for the bus (can be immediate, can be ages). If you're going straight to a restaurant you don't have to include the cleaning up time as if you're going to your resort to clean up.

After last January's 5K I think we had one of the latest breakfast ADRs at the place that took over Cat Cora's at Boardwalk. I volunteered and DH and DS participated in the event, we had a car, we parked at BW and DS changed in the car and we were very slow, and we were early.

I'm not making ADRs before 1 after the 5K or 10K BUT we're staying at Bay Lake, and I figure I can go just about anywhere to get a breakfast if there are no walkins at The Wave, before going to a lunch ADR. Or just make do and then have that lunch.

This was really informative.

One thing that I'm interested in is a post race massage. Now I know you can book them at the Spas about 4-5 months out for like the morning/day after a race- but do they have those quickie 5-10 rub down (lol no dirty brains people ) massages available? Anyone know? Typically, I try to foam roller or roller stick my legs after a run to help with aches the next day, but if there's a tent I can pop into I might treat myself!

 

[sperkins921]

I am at the end of the 21k app by Clear Sky. I've used their 5k, 10k & 10k pacer apps and I really like them. I wanted to get a training plan in for the half complete before I actually have to start for real.

But I did it!! WOOO! I ran 13.1 miles in 2:08 with a 9:45 pace overall. I took breaks between and had 2 potty breaks but I ran every inch of the miles! At least I know I can do a half-marathon and it's not bad. Now it's all about working on improving the breaks and reducing them when possible.

WAY TO GO!!
You're like a speed demon.
I don't think I'll ever be at the level where I solidly run an entire half marathon, or even a 10k. But never say never....

 

[sperkins921]

I guess so. Now I am thinking I'll have to do both the Rebel and the Dark Side in 2017 so I can get that special Coast to Coast. They know how many suckers there are like me

Oh great....now I've got to do four Disney races in 2017 lol. Two for the regular C2C, and two SW ones for the SW C2C. Thanks RunDisney! lol

 

[sperkins921]

@preciouspups LOLOLOLOLOL

I like Victoria's Secret VSX Incredible (the version that clasps in the back).

I have their version that hooks/zips in the front and I really like it. Just need to drag myself over to the mall to get a few more. Maybe they will have a labor day sale.

I used to wear only VS undergarments, but then they stopped holding up as well as back in the 90's and early 00's and so now I don't buy much of their stuff. I would have never guessed that they made a good supportive running bra- but maybe should check it out...

 

[sperkins921]

Okay, last post guys, promise!

I had to catch up on like 2 weeks worth of posts; or maybe just one really long week.

Still chugging along at training. Can't remember now if it was here or W/D or Tink but somewhere someone mentioned how they shortened their R/W intervals to 90/30 and it made a world of difference in their performance and actually made their overall times faster. Now, I thought that logically, I'd end up with my times slowing down if I was running 90/30 vs 3/1 like I was doing before. My initial thought was that it seems like you'd be doing less running, but if you think about it- the amount of time you spend running is the same per four minute group. All that changes is how often you take your walk break. Before, I had noticed that I literally could not maintain 4/1 (I was trying to increase my R/W time and that's what lead me to post in the first place) for an entire long run. At that time, my long run was 8 miles. So that person or persons chimed in that it helped them and maybe to give it a try.

So I tried it.

And the results?
this past Tuesday or Wednesday I ran 4.2 miles in 45 minutes. That's a 10:42 pace! My typical pace for a night time short run was about 11:30 or 12!!
And saturday, I upped my miles. Went from 8miles long run to 10 miles. I did 10 miles in 1:45 (or :46, can't remember which) which is about 10:30 pacing!!
I was over the moon thrilled! My long run pacing for Saturday or Sunday mornings was typically in the neighborhood of 13 min/mi before I switched to 90/30.

For comparison, my long run the previous saturday was 8 miles in the same exact time frame. I literally told myself that I would run for time using this new technique and see just how far I got- knowing that I should at least make 8 miles. Well surprise, surprise! I not only made 8 miles in that time, I made 10. Now, around mile 4-6 I still had the mental "*** are you doing to me?" moment, but using this new interval did not lead me to having to get to 1.5 miles before my body felt 'broken in' and ready to run. It literally took me maybe 10 minutes or so. BIG difference. Also, I know that most running plans say you should only up your distance by 10% (ie about a mile) on long runs; so this was not in keeping with my training plan in that sense, but I did not increase my time spent running so it's kind of a trade off.

So I'm going to stick with this interval for now, and try it again during next weekend's long ru to see what my results are, but initial results are very pleasing.

****apologies to those who are on all three race threads- you will be seeing this post more than once, SORRY*****

 

[bumbershoot]

sperkins, that's fabulous!

I had my mind opened to a 1:1 ratio over a year ago. I only started trying it a few months ago. In some ways it's super-annoying, but I AM faster.

I experienced it during a Half when a couple nice ladies invited me to join with them. And I literally couldn't keep up, because their running pace was SO fast. Then their walking pace was really slow. They were able to keep it up the whole time, because they were actually resting during their walking minute. Then zooming for their running minute. It was pretty cool.

 

[Anisum]

Wow, I've been doing straight running because I kind of need the confirmation that I can run a good portion of it if I'm being chased by balloon ladies but I'll have to try and work more on intervals when I finish my current training plan.

 

[sperkins921]

sperkins, that's fabulous!

I had my mind opened to a 1:1 ratio over a year ago. I only started trying it a few months ago. In some ways it's super-annoying, but I AM faster.

I experienced it during a Half when a couple nice ladies invited me to join with them. And I literally couldn't keep up, because their running pace was SO fast. Then their walking pace was really slow. They were able to keep it up the whole time, because they were actually resting during their walking minute. Then zooming for their running minute. It was pretty cool.

It's funny that you mention that, because I think as a beginner (literally I was not running with any consistency before late March of this year) you have this idea that to be a runner means that you well, run. And so when you sign up for a race event, you think you must actually run all 3 miles or 6 miles or 13 or 26 miles to actually be doing anything. When I started out, that actually was my goal. To be able to run all 13 miles without stopping. And maybe one day I will. Or maybe I won't. But I will say, I really had to adjust my thinking on intervals in terms of longer equaling better.

I wonder how much faster I'd be if I went to a 1:1 and just let my body all out crush it during my 1 minute on? Sprinting is quite natural and fairly easy for me- it's running fast and holding that for longer periods that my body doesn't seem to be able to do easily. I think that's why adjusting down had such a phenomenal impact on my times.

And I will also say- my body doesn't feel like I just ran 10 miles either. Not on Sunday and not on today.

I think I'm hooked on shorter intervals for now!!

Wow, I've been doing straight running because I kind of need the confirmation that I can run a good portion of it if I'm being chased by balloon ladies but I'll have to try and work more on intervals when I finish my current training plan.

I was trying to do the same and feeling disappointed with my times. My Type A personality was not happy that I went from starting with C2K (didn't keep up with it though) for my first 'run' and not even making a mile during those sessions to being able to chug along for 8 miles- it wanted to be fast too.

Honestly for me at my age, (spitting distance to 40) I don't know why I thought I should still be able to run a 9min/mi for 13 miles. I just knew that I wanted to. And I thought I should be able to run the entire thing.

Clearly, my body had other ideas. LMAO