This was my first Disney race, so I really didn't have anything to compare it to. So for what it's worth, here are some of my thoughts:
I was really impressed with how well it was organized and executed. I worried a little about transportation to and from the events, but there was really no need; the bus system worked smoothly.
I enjoyed the expo and picked up a SPI belt and some new rhinestone-studded pink SnuggBuds. The medium shirt that I ordered was GYNORMOUS, so I traded for an xs without any trouble. I also spent a good amount of time drooling over all the medals in the RunDisney booth. The only time I've ever had the desire to run a full marathon was while staring at that DisneyWorld Marathon medal!
It was fun to see the medal for Tinkerbell too, since I'm registered for that race. I also mentioned to DH how awesome it would be to earn the Coast-to-Coast Medal, and he surprised me by saying, "So, go sign up for the Princess Half."
I was ecstatic!!! So I'm now doing both the Tinkerbell AND the Princess!
It was a good thing that I signed up
before the 10-miler, because I may not have done it
after. Not that it was anything Disney could help, but that race was ROUGH for me! I've been training in super-mild Western Washington, so I was not at all prepared for that kind of heat and humidity. I totally expected to be able to finish in under 2 hours, but I just couldn't maintain that pace. Finished in 2:11, not too bad, I guess. At first I was really disappointed in myself for slowing down and taking some walk breaks, but now after reading that so many people struggled with the conditions, I don't feel quite so bad.
I thought the course entertainment was fun, and I especially loved running through the stadium! The spectators and cameras really got my energy back up! The last mile seemed to drag on forever, but I forced myself to keep running. I don't even remember running past the Sorcerer's Hat...I guess I was a bit delirious by then. Again, the spectator and volunteers cheering really kept me going. Then it was over. I would have liked to see some characters at the finish line, but I was so excited to get my hands on that medal, that I didn't really dwell on it.
After the race I was a bit dazed and sick to my stomach. I sure appreciated the great snack boxes and drinks, but it was a bit difficult to juggle them all. A bag would be a great idea! I found my DH who thankfully kept all my stuff so I didn't have to check it. After changing, we got to ride ToT, but just didn't feel very good after that and had to keep running to the bathroom, so that was all we saw of the Villain's Bash. I slept on that stinky bus (poor, poor bus driver!) all the way back to CBR. I felt pretty good the next day, and had plenty of time to recover on our Caribbean cruise!
Overall it was a good experience and I'm glad I did it! I probably won't do it again any time soon, just because there are other Disney races I would like to try out (and I'm a little scared of the Florida humidity in September), but I might do it again a few years down the road. I'm so proud of all of you who worked so hard and endured so many hardships to accomplish this! Way to go!!!
See you over at the Tinkerbell and Princess boards!
seriously, we tried explaining it twice...no clue what we were talking about. I wondered after that if she even knew why she was working so late that night??
(An eagle-eyed DISer spotted me on there!)
