Official 2016 Star Wars Half Marthon - The Dark Side Weekend

[Dis_Yoda]

My bus horror story (@Ariel484) reminded me

Leaving Princess Half after finish - I boarded shortly after 10AM. We loaded the bus. I didn't get to Animal Kingdom Lodges until 10:55AM (I was running to try to make it before the room locked me out at 11AM)

Green was the way we should have gone, Blue is how we actually got there:

 

[Ariel484]

@Dis_Yoda

 

[J3nn78]

Any course map yet? I would really love to know what course we will be running. I cannot believe how little info/hype there has been around this race on rD's part

 

[opusone]

Any course map yet? I would really love to know what course we will be running. I cannot believe how little info/hype there has been around this race on rD's part

Nothing yet, but it's not for a lack of looking.

 

[Ariel484]

Any course map yet? I would really love to know what course we will be running. I cannot believe how little info/hype there has been around this race on rD's part

Wouldn't expect to see it until the Event Guide is posted (that's what they did for this year's WDW Marathon course). There's a chance it could pop up on USATF's website beforehand...

 

[Dis_Yoda]

@Dis_Yoda

Yup! So glad my husband is speedy and was in the room to let me in! There was no way I wasn't going to enjoy a nice bath after running 13.1 miles (although worst case, I would have just showered at the fitness center at the hotel)...that would have been a horrible drive home otherwise!

 

[Ariel484]

Yup! So glad my husband is speedy and was in the room to let me in! There was no way I wasn't going to enjoy a nice bath after running 13.1 miles (although worst case, I would have just showered at the fitness center at the hotel)...that would have been a horrible drive home otherwise!

I'm wondering how smelly the bus got with a bunch of sweaty runners hanging out for close to an hour!

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Just realized something... for the Light Side Half I got t-shirts form Disney that said "training for...". Did I totally miss these for Dark Side, or did they not release any??

 

[FFigawi]

I'm wondering how smelly the bus got with a bunch of sweaty runners hanging out for close to an hour!

Having been in similar situations elsewhere, let me tell you that some things are better left unknown.

 

[opusone]

Wouldn't expect to see it until the Event Guide is posted (that's what they did for this year's WDW Marathon course). There's a chance it could pop up on USATF's website beforehand...

Completely agree. For the last four races: Avengers, WDW Marathon, Star Wars Light Side, and Princess, they have posted the official USATF course certification AFTER the Event Guide was posted, so I doubt we will see anything before the Event Guide.

 

[Ariel484]

Having been in similar situations elsewhere, let me tell you that some things are better left unknown.

Completely agree. For the last four races: Avengers, WDW Marathon, Star Wars Light Side, and Princess, they have posted the official USATF course certification AFTER the Event Guide was posted, so I doubt we will see anything before the Event Guide.

Yeah, I think this is just how things are going to be from now on - last-minute info for everything.

 

[acbshada]

Yeah, I think this is just how things are going to be from now on - last-minute info for everything.

Which is kind of ironic considering how far out we have to plan everything else for a Disney trip.

 

[Ariel484]

Which is kind of ironic considering how far out we have to plan everything else for a Disney trip.

Agreed!!

 

[MomtoGKC]

Thanks everybody- I'll get there on time! Ive done 3 Disney races and was always lucky with the bus I guess. I did the full the year it snowed during the half and was in the 30's for the start of the full (I think it was 2010?) - it was SO cold waiting around forever for the race to start, but I don't think we'll have the problem in April!

 

[Ariel484]

Thanks everybody- I'll get there on time! Ive done 3 Disney races and was always lucky with the bus I guess. I did the full the year it snowed during the half and was in the 30's for the start of the full (I think it was 2010?) - it was SO cold waiting around forever for the race to start, but I don't think we'll have the problem in April!

I've always been lucky with the buses too (knock on wood). I'm just waiting for that one time when I get the unlucky bus...

 

[AThrillingChase]

Busses can be a lot of different reasons, but I will say, staying at a Boardwalk area resort during a race was a major failure. They sent all the busses onto the same path. They all stopped at BWI, Swan/Dolphin, YC, and then BC. So every time they hit BC, they could board about 4-8 people. The bus line itself stretched all the way up to the lobby at one point. If I stay at one again, I will be walking across to the BWI loading station for the race arrival bus!

Actually, for W&D, I think I may have been close to missing race start. So I guess I should be thanking the crazy weather?? Had we not had weather problems I may have been running just to catch the last corral start.

 

[hauntedcity]

I've always been lucky with the buses too (knock on wood). I'm just waiting for that one time when I get the unlucky bus...

I've been lucky, too (knock knock), but part of that is that I like being on the first bus, and enjoying the pre-race activities (pictures, dancing, costume watching...). My innate paranoia would never let me try to catch a bus after 3:30!

 

[MomtoGKC]

That is good to know - we are staying at the Dolphin so may look into walking over to BWI.

Training is going pretty well. I'm always a terrible trainer - trying to be more consistent this time. We basically do two 3-5 mile runs during the week and then the long run. I know we are supposed to do 3 during the week but we never seem to get there!

We did a 10 mile race this weekend. My training plan had me doing 9 miles but I figured I'd be more motivated with a race so went ahead and did it after my previous long run of 8 miles. I tried to think of it as a training run and not a race but of course once you are there it is hard to slow down. We did OK (did with 2 out of my 3 Dark Side friends) - I ended up with 10:48/mile which is so-so for me. I am glad I did it though because I did start to fall apart around mile 8 and had to start run/walking. Reminded me I have to be better about slowing down at the beginning so I don't burn out.

Two of my friends are way behind. One did the 10 miler but has a hurt hip and ended up run/walking the whole thing - she did finish though. The other got bad bronchitis a few weeks ago and has fallen way behind - her longest run was 5 miles and she is now back up to 4 as of this weekend. She says she doesn't care if she has to walk a lot, she is just excited to do the race.

 

[sunshinecruise]

We are running the 10k and staying at the Swan. I am thinking that we should be able to walk back to the Swan after the race since it ends at Hollywood Studios. Does that sound right? Also, I know there is no course map yet, but we should be running through the Boardwalk or YC/BC area, right?

 

[opusone]

We are running the 10k and staying at the Swan. I am thinking that we should be able to walk back to the Swan after the race since it ends at Hollywood Studios. Does that sound right? Also, I know there is no course map yet, but we should be running through the Boardwalk or YC/BC area, right?

It ends at ESPN WWOS, so you will need to catch a bus.