Official inaugural Tower of Terror 10 miler thread. September 29, 2012

[mickeysgal]

Times are posted!

Strangely enough our times are there but they have us tied to a completely different bib number. Anyone else experience this?

 

[satman1962]

Yes. The "official results" link seems to have the wrong bib numbers. The "get results" link has them right though

 

[tinkeast]

My daughter and I started together and finished together side by side. But our results show me finishing ten minutes faster even tho our finish time is the same. My time ties to my runkeeper results.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I see the posted times, but is there a way to get a mile by mile breakdown? If so, I am missing how to find it. I really hope there is.

 

[APrunner]

I enjoyed this race. I think I like Wine and Dine better, but this was fun. The heat and humidity did rock though. It felt better when I was down there in July. I was way too conservative early on, not knowing how this would affect me. I finished really strong though.

My garmin had me running 10.11 miles. A little long, but not too bad, I guess.

The splits for me were off. They had me way too fast at the 5K mark. The 10K was probably about right. So it looks like I ran fast for the first 5K, slow for the next 5K, and then picking it back up for the end. Reality was that I was much more consistent, with a pretty strong last mile.

The only thing I would like to see is some indication of where the villains were in the after race party. We found a few walking around, but none of the cast members could tell us where to look. So we wasted a bit of time (and energy, what little was left), walking all over the place looking for the characters. Not a big deal, but would be nice.

 

[capeseal]

Finished my first Disney race! I finished in 2 hours, which was my predicted time before injury, so I was pretty happy with that for only a month of training and my longest run before being 5 miles. As a first time Disney racer, hearing that this was a disappointing one makes me excited to try another, because I thought it was a pretty fun course. I really liked the trail because I train on trails mostly in Colorado. I was in group B and most people were running, but I was a little frustrated by walkers walking several people abreast in such a narrow area. I also was a little lonely since DH left me after mile 1 to run ahead. I was hoping other runners would be more friendly? I tried to strike up conversations and kept my headphones off most of the race, but no one was interested. (Probably too hot to talk .) The humidity was horrible and I think I could have run a minute per mile faster without it since I trained in the dry Colorado mountain air but I did start to develop some major chills around mile 8 so that helped . I really wish I had stopped at some of the character stations, but the lines were long and I was super paranoid about being swept until mile 7-8.

I want to do a Disney half now but don't know what to pick. Would love to do the princess but DH is my only running buddy. I was so jealous of everyone who had friends to run with because it looked like they were having loads of fun. And I have a strange desire to purchase a sparkly running skirt now . (DD, who is 4 wants to run a family 5k together and is also demanding sequined running-wear, hahahaha.)

 

[mickeysgal]

My daughter and I started together and finished together side by side. But our results show me finishing ten minutes faster even tho our finish time is the same. My time ties to my runkeeper results.

Same with my husband and I - we are showing 10 seconds apart though.

 

[mickeysgal]

Now I want to do the wine and dine- except it's full already.

 

[celicababi03]

So this race was definitely not as good as other Disney races. Not many characters to keep you entertained, the course was mostly highway and nothing fun to look at! For paying this much money I expected much more. I really liked the off road trail part, that was more of what I hoped for during this "terror" run! Dark, spooky and exciting! I was definitely hit hard by the humidity! I am a born and raised Floridian, but DANG! I did not expect it to make the run so hard, had to walk/run after mile 5 and by mile 8.5 I had to sit down and drink my water bottle (thank goodness I brought it)! I was so close to calling the medics to help, but thankfully that little bit of powerade gave me strength to make it into hollywood studios. Had to sit and drink every .25 miles after that....I did this same distance a week before and finished in 2 hours, this time it took me 3 HOURS! I have done about 5 - 1/2 marathons and never had issues...I felt horrible due to the weather, very concerning to me since I signed up for the FULL in January! EEK now I am so nervous I wont be able to finish I loved the after party and got to ride some rides before they closed. Bag check was very far to get to, definitely should change that next time. I was also disappointed that they kept yelling at anyone sitting on the sides of the finish line. After the 3rd person came to tell me to move, I had to yell at them because if I got up I would probably faint. I just wanted to get some fluids down and eat my banana! ...Definitely not Disney's best race, but no matter what I love Disney and had a great time just being there!

 

[longhorns2]

I want to do a Disney half now but don't know what to pick. Would love to do the princess but DH is my only running buddy. I was so jealous of everyone who had friends to run with because it looked like they were having loads of fun. And I have a strange desire to purchase a sparkly running skirt now . (DD, who is 4 wants to run a family 5k together and is also demanding sequined running-wear, hahahaha.)

If you want to do one this year, the Princess is the only one still open! Your DH can TOTALLY run with you- a lot of men do. They just make them start back a little bit (corral C last year out of A-H) since it is a woman's focused event, but he wouldn't be alone at all!

 

[Disneychix]

Wow-that was rough! Heat and humidity kicked our butts! My DH was frustrated with all the narrow spaces and pin point turns, especially in WWoS. We drank lots of powerade in the 1st few water stops to stay hydrated but by the end it was getting too sweet. If I never drink another warm powerade it will be too soon.
I also was underwhelmed with the course and the finish. How boring to keep running in circles on highways. At the finish my back just gave out, I was done! My DH grabbed some ice for me and I just wanted to rest for a second but the officials made me keep going. Man, that was a long walk to bag check! I was feeling really bad but got a cheeseburger and fries and within 20mins was much better. We did TSM and TOT and called it a night.
Most people I overheard said they would not do this race again. I have to agree. Even when we ran through DHS the park was still boring.
Oh, and our time wasn't too off pace-we finished in 2:10 and trained for about 2. I was happy with that.

Another thing, ppl not running the race were able to get fast passes for rides but runners didn't have tix so couldn't. I think our medals should have allowed us in the FP lines!

 

[capeseal]

Wow-that was rough! Heat and humidity kicked our butts! My DH was frustrated with all the narrow spaces and pin point turns, especially in WWoS. We drank lots of powerade in the 1st few water stops to stay hydrated but by the end it was getting too sweet. If I never drink another warm powerade it will be too soon.
I also was underwhelmed with the course and the finish. How boring to keep running in circles on highways. At the finish my back just gave out, I was done! My DH grabbed some ice for me and I just wanted to rest for a second but the officials made me keep going. Man, that was a long walk to bag check! I was feeling really bad but got a cheeseburger and fries and within 20mins was much better. We did TSM and TOT and called it a night.
Most people I overheard said they would not do this race again. I have to agree. Even when we ran through DHS the park was still boring.
Oh, and our time wasn't too off pace-we finished in 2:10 and trained for about 2. I was happy with that.

Another thing, ppl not running the race were able to get fast passes for rides but runners didn't have tix so couldn't. I think our medals should have allowed us in the FP lines!

I didn't even know about the FastPass thing! That's silly, and it should have been the opposite.

I forgot to comment about the HS portion of the race. I was super annoyed that I had to run past dumpsters filled with trash. My super-sensitive nose and cramping stomach thought that was pretty gross in the final tenth of a mile.

 

[capeseal]

If you want to do one this year, the Princess is the only one still open! Your DH can TOTALLY run with you- a lot of men do. They just make them start back a little bit (corral C last year out of A-H) since it is a woman's focused event, but he wouldn't be alone at all!

Thanks for the information about the Princess half. I don't think we could afford another Orlando trip that soon after this one, but it's great to know because the Royal Family 5k is what DD wants to do...(Even though she's still upset that the Shadow Man was at Mom and Dad's race because she's obsessed with meeting him despite her fear of anything remotely spooky.) I couldn't figure out whether men could run from the RunDisney info...it's not entirely clear, so I really appreciate getting a definitive answer on that one from your post. DH has already said he's fine running a women's race.

I'm thinking Tinkerbell or Princess half in 2014. Disneyland is a more affordable flight for us from Colorado and I feel more confident that DD could complete the 5k on her own at 5.5 years than at 4.5.

 

[PrincessV]

Ok, what is this elevator thing at WWoS people keep talking about? I was there but have no idea what y'all are talking about. WWoS is all a blur to me.

Me too!

Me three, lol! I saw the video, but there was an elevator?! Missed that completely.

I got the elevator thing, but I was confused about the baseball uniforms at all of the bases and outfield. There was also a score on the scoreboard with specific team names, but I don't remember what they were. What was that from?

Um, I saw none of that, either. Yikes!

Another thing, ppl not running the race were able to get fast passes for rides but runners didn't have tix so couldn't. I think our medals should have allowed us in the FP lines!

WHAT?!?! I did not know that. I'm glad I didn't; it would've sent me right over the edge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This sounds weird, but I'm relieved to hear so many others were disappointed in the lack of entertainment. I don't know that it would have bothered me as much, had I been able to actually run, but having to spend soooo much time walking - an extra 45 minutes on the course than my 10-mile training run - made for a very long, very boring race.

Oh, and my bib is under two wrong names, too. But I like their times better.

 

[RebelAthena]

My mother and I both did the TOT 10 and we were anxious to read about the experiences of others; I stumbled across this forum as we drove home from Orlando and many of the posts confirm our experience. My mom and I did the half marathon in January and it was a treat; this race, however, was disappointing.

First, the weather -- my mom and I both live and train in the Deep South, but neither of us was prepared for 80 degree weather with 80% humidity (in late September!). Despite this, we agree that the race support and volunteers were stellar! There were quite a few folks who were in a bad way and it appeared that there was plenty of medical/volunteer assistance.

Second, the course -- we agree with many of you who were disappointed with the course. For starters, the course was pretty much empty highway; the WWoS was disappointing and the portion of the course in DHS was, for the most part, "back lot." Notably, the character presence on the course was thin, and, sadly, there were no characters at the finish. Finally, I was quite surprised that Disney did not warn participants that part of the course was on gravel in the dark.

Third, and finally, the after party -- this was what I was most looking forward to and was the biggest let down. Most notably, they should have made the trek from the finish line to bag check part of the race; bag check -- which was a second race route, was single line, and required stairs -- was not a pleasant experience. Heck, even getting to family reunion was an event. Additionally, there was nothing "exclusive" about the after party -- DHS was PACKED (what is telling about the difficulty of the race were the number of participants who were just SITTING on the ground throughout the park). Neither my mom nor I felt well and we just left.

We'll do another race, but not this one.

 

[mickeysgal]

My thoughts on the race:

I am not a morning person so the vast majority of our training runs are run at night after work. We were in our element for this race. That said:

When we first stepped out of the airport doors Thursday night, we both cringed. The humidity was awful. So glad we had Friday and most of Saturday to try to acclimate. I firmly believe that running in 90-100 degrees plus extreme humidity all summer held us together and didn't make us fall to pieces and get sick. We both saw many people sick - especially afterwards in the park - being tended to by medics. Thus is life in Florida I guess. I swear that it was more humid than when we were there in early August.

I thought having the porta potties in each corral was a smart move.

I thought the walk to the starting line was standard fare for races. Nothing unusual there. We walked more at the WDW 1/2 in January.

They should have had more photo op backdrops in the parking lot pre-race...the lines were incredibly long. We did however, finally do the one where we had to sign the registry. Very fun!

The bussing from the resorts was fantastic. Although I felt we got there too early (7:30) and were sitting around far too long. I was hungry by the start of the race...note that next time, I'm bringing a snack...and something to sit on (to not snag my skirt).

Side note: Anyone considering a sparkle skirt - do it! I bought one and broke the cardinal rule of not running a race in any new gear. It does exactly what you've heard...the tech shorts don't ride up at all and the pocket storage on it is amazing. I'm sold on them.

Loved the starting stage looking like a hotel front desk.

This race theme has so much potential, but Disney didn't capitalize on it. They definitely need to tweak this race to make it more exciting. The WDW half runs on a whole lot of highway as well, but the difference is that there are spectators and entertainment. This night race has empty long stretches of road - I think I saw only a handful of non-cast spectators. Sort of sad.

The hills (overpasses) didn't bother me. Coming from the Atlanta area, hills are everywhere...it's what we run on all the time . The only place it bothered me was that last banked turn. It was a steep banked turn and I walked it not wanting to twist an ankle or injure myself in some way.

I had no problem with the water stations. I made sure I drank something at every station due to the humidity.

I wondered whether all the busses I saw were for the sweepers or where they were potentially cooling stations for people who needed to get out of the humidity? Saw the street sweepers going on the opposite side of the road...they mean business and were trying to get the road cleaned up and opened, I guess.

The dirt haunted trail...too narrow to run. Might have been great for the 3K fun run but not for 10,000 runners at night.

LOVED the elevator jumbotron!!

Lack of entertainment on the course is something Disney definitely has to fix.

Didn't like the approach to the finish...it was too abrupt after making that final turn. No characters at the finish? Disney should have known better that this is something we look forward to being a Disney race. They should have had a fog machine finish or near the finish...something to build the final excitement of the last 1/2 mile.

We just ran the Disneyland 1/2 on Labor Day weekend and I am spoiled. It's our favorite Disney race so far. They should take some cues from them in race planning. Disneyland had packages that they immediately handed you and it contained a cold towels (with perhaps menthol or eucalyptis on it). What I wouldn't give for a cold towel at the end of this race!!

I found it hard to juggle the Poweraid, water bottle, banana, box of food all while trying to walk and get out of the finish area. A nice plastic bag would have been helpful to carry things.

Didn't like the bottle neck of approx 10,000 people into Indiana Jones down only ONE narrow aisleway, down stairs which can hurt when you've just run a race, then back up stairs to get out.

Yes, the park seemed crowed but it was mostly people just sitting, not riding rides. We regrouped, used the rest room, ate something, then rode ToT, Rock N Rollercoaster, then Toy Story Mania. I finally figured out what it's going to take to actually ride Toy Story Mania without a 100 minute wait or a fast pass that are out by 10am...it's riding it at 3:30am.

Felt awful for the many people that were costumed to the 9's. I can't imagine how they must have been coping with the 80%+ humidity.

Didn't think to wander the park and look for the characters. Wish I would have had the wits about me to think that one through. Only got two pictures - the Evil Queen (fantastic by the way) and Jafar. We missed Darth Vadar

My DH and I were always within a minute of each other. We both caught up with each other about 2 miles from the end and we crossed at the same time at 2:20. Not bad for these over 50 year olds given the heat and humidity.

 

[walkdmc]

DH and I completed the ToT run and agree it was brutally hot and humid. I've been training in the Northeast and was not prepared for FL temps. I have the same complaints already listed (ramp at end, bag pick-up steps) but mainly wanted to encourage anyone thinking about doing this or any long distance run to go for it but train.

There were people of all sizes, ages and fitness levels in this race. There were MANY people using Jeff Galloway's method as evidenced by the number of green JG timer box-things I saw on runners. Plus, most of the people around me (in the C and D corrals) started taking walk breaks very early on. I personally did a 30s:30s run:walk ratio and stuck to it until mile 8 when I had to walk. I realized I wasn't going to be swept, there were a lot of folks behind me and I just walked the last 2 miles.

My time was 15 min/miles in the beginning and I dropped to 17 min/mile by the end.

 

[walkdmc]

Sure thing. Right as I got to mile marker seven, guys on bikes blocked the road. One of them said, "I'm sorry, folks, but we're going to have to end it here. You're jut too far behind pace." I'm not sure how off pace we were, but the race results estimated I would have finished 30 minutes after my husband, and he finished with a 16:15 pace.

There were several racers who were stopped at that point, and I know there were still a good number of people behind us. One woman started sobbing uncontrollably, but everybody else seemed OK. I just kept thinking I'd set a new personal distance record, and I was OK with that. A few years ago, I weighed 368 pounds and could barely walk down the street in my neighborhood, so this is progress!

We then got on one of three or four waiting buses, where we were offered water and Powerade. We were driven behind TOT, and we walked in right past the finish line. We were handed our medals as we walked in. We then walked through the queue with everyone else for bananas, water, etc.

All in all, it was handled really well. The Disney folks were very kind to us, and I liked that we subtly re-entered the post-finish area with everyone else. I didn't feel "conspicuous" if that makes sense.

I'm proudly wearing my medal today, because it symbolizes an accomplishment for me.

Your story is so moving for me, thanks for sharing. I love the spirit of your post and your fantastic attitude.

 

[Keke]

This was my second Disney race, and I agree with everyone. Compared to the Princess, this one was BORING. I really think they held everything for the after-party. It was nothing like the entertainment at the Princess. And the sharp turns were ridiculous. I also HATED the trail run. I walked most of that. And the finish was such a let down. WHERE was Mickey? Or at least somebody??

The humidity was insane (and I'm a southern girl). My hands swelled up like crazy. They felt like they would explode any second. They were seriously twice their normal size. It was miserable. I started to get worried when it looked like my wrists were next. I stopped at the medic table and they gave me an ice pack that worked wonders. Did anybody see the guy dressed head to toe in the plush alligator costume? How in the world did he not pass out???

I have got to learn how to run for the correct distance b/c Runkeeper had me at 10.50!! I think it was all the bobbing and weaving I was doing?

 

[hollieplus2]

I too got stopped at mile 7. Not sure if you remember me I was plagued w/ injuries all summer long and almost backed out. I was running solo so no support and my longest run in training was just shy of 5 and that was behind pace. I knew I wouldn't finish and was only hoping to make it to mile 4 or 5. I was NOT prepared for the humidity and oh Lordy was it miserable. However....I kept chugging along and got to mile 7 just as they set up. I was sooooo disappointed. Not sure I cold have finished since mile 6-7 really set me back with the blisters forming but I knew I had at least another mile in me. Oh well, I wore my ToT shirt with pride and I'm looking forward to my next Disney race!!!!! I'll take my 7