Official WDW Marathon Weekend 2013 Thread

[WriteDisney]

I'm joining in... officially signed up for the 2013 Disney marathon!! I ran my first marathon in January and during training I swore I'd never run another one.. well I signed up for the Philly marathon and Disney in 2013 (for Team Allears!). So excited!

 

[liznboys]

Starting I think June 10 will be my Half Marathon training. But I've done that a handful of times now, so I'm not so consistent on that. My Half here in Wisconsin is on Sept. 1st. Feel free to come for a visit and a nice little jaunt through Lake Country, if you want.... I'm just sayin'..... we have room for visitors!!

Call me superstitious (cough *hard boiled eggs* cough), but when I ran the full in 2011, I had just done the Disneyland Half September 2010, just 4 months prior. It worked out great! So I'm basically doing the same thing. Half training during the summer, and then Full training starting early September.

That's right, I forgot you have that half in Sept. If you were within a short drive I'd join you in a heartbeat! It sounds beautiful!

 

[WaDiWo]

I'm just about ready to join the Walt Disney World Marathon 2013 , but of the runners in my family, I think I'm the only one who will be running this year.

But is there an official W.I.S.H team that we can join? How about a meet?

Sorry if this has been answered before, maybe someone can point me to a WISH faq page.

thanks!

 

[kimmiepcft]

Looks like dd and I will be running the 5K together. I didn't think she would want to, but she is excited. She is not a runner, really, so it will be fun! Now we are also talking about leaving Thursday morning instead of evening. I was trying to avoid taking a personal day for Thursday but I don't want to get there too late at night. I am sure I will get over it

 

[MightyDuck001]

One comment on JetBlue - since that's our preferred airline (traveling with 3 young kids the DirecTV is awesome!). I follow the JetBlue schedule very closely and book my flights the same day that they release the new schedule. We live in NY (Westchester County) so White Plains Airport is our preferred departure point although LaGuardia is almost as close. I can usually get air fare to Orlando for around $200 per person, even during Spring Break.

Amanda

That's good to know, $200 is probably the lowest it's going to get. (traveling by myself at 26 I love DirecTV!) If anyone sees any good fares from the NY metro area to Orlando for marathon weekend, feel free to post it!

I don't know about anyone else running solo, but I'd love to have someone to hang out with at the start. The longest I've waited for a race to start is about 20 minutes, and I'm always super nervous--with 26.2 miles ahead of me, I can't imagine how bad that's going to be... I do want to join one of the pace groups though, probably 12 or 13 minute mile. Has anyone done that?

I'm pretty excited though-- my sister who has been saying "no way!!" to running in Disney now wants to do the 5k in November! They can be worn down and I think with more prodding she'll consider the half in January.

 

[kimmiepcft]

I hear ya about company in the corral. I just did my first Half and waited in the corral alone, it totally stunk! That is my pace, maybe we will be corraled together!

 

[ColleenG]

I hear ya about company in the corral. I just did my first Half and waited in the corral alone, it totally stunk! That is my pace, maybe we will be corraled together!

My pace too! We should all meet up. MightyDuck, are you in NJ too?

 

[MightyDuck001]

kimmiepcft

I hear ya about company in the corral. I just did my first Half and waited in the corral alone, it totally stunk! That is my pace, maybe we will be corraled together!

How was the half? Any suggestions/tips? I have my first one next Sunday and I've become super nervous in part because my toes are engaging in an all out painful mutiny.

My pace too! We should all meet up. MightyDuck, are you in NJ too?

Yes, we definitely should! I can't be left alone, who knows what kind of psychological trouble I'll get myself into. I freak out enough before a 5k! I'm in central Jersey now, near Princeton. My first half is up in Morristown.

 

[ColleenG]

kimmiepcft
How was the half? Any suggestions/tips? I have my first one next Sunday and I've become super nervous in part because my toes are engaging in an all out painful mutiny.



Yes, we definitely should! I can't be left alone, who knows what kind of psychological trouble I'll get myself into. I freak out enough before a 5k! I'm in central Jersey now, near Princeton. My first half is up in Morristown.

It is definately more fun to have company in the corrals. Disney does a good job of keeping the entertainment going. I did the Princess Half this year and they had a jumbotron with the Fairy Godmother doing her thing and interviews with Jeff Gallaway and even some people in the crowds. They even got us dancing to warm up a bit.

 

[AndiS]

So I read all 44 pages last night. lots of encouragement, suggestions etc.
However I still have some ?s.
backstory:
This is will my first Goofy, DH and 7 others joining us as well. We have a small running group based out of IN that runs for heart health (our own and for charities with heart). 1 runner doing 7 marathons this year. We're "celebrating" his feat by all doing Disney together.

First Goofy for all of us, first full for 2 of them.

I ran my 1st full in 2010 trained with Hal Higdon. Finished in 4:36. I did everything "by the book" and felt great until about 22 miles. (and at that point willpower took over)

So I know not to make Goofy about my time. I know to not go out too hard on Saturday.
I have my spibelt, body glide, KT tape, Gu, place to stay, cold weather gear, sunscreen etc.

I would like to hear from Goofy vets what it's like-
crowded? We do the Indy Mini every year, and it's elbow to elbow most of the time.
average temp (difficult to be certain I'm sure, just hoping it's not 2010 weather, we were there for holiday)
Character photos? do they have photographer that you can use or someone that takes your camera? I've read a bit about waiting for pix.
How long are waits? (If I have to stand and wait awhile at mile 20 I'm not sure my feet will get going again)
Do you get into parks free w/medal? Someone told me you did but this just doesn't seem likely.
What's Marathon Monday? just going to park w/ medal on?
Expo items that sell out- anything that can be purchased ahead of time?
what else do I need to know!?

What would you recommend as a must do- "wish I would have known" advise?

Thanks in advance.

 

[kimmiepcft]

kimmiepcft
How was the half? Any suggestions/tips? I have my first one next Sunday and I've become super nervous in part because my toes are engaging in an all out painful mutiny.

I did my Half after being sick all week, and finished in 2:35:12

It was the Long Branch Half, kinda cool and overcast. I did great til mile 8, running 10:45 miles the whole way until then. I had about 2 miles where I doubted myself, which is truly stupid, and slowed down to about 11:15 miles. The last mile was the hardest because I was just so tired, and my legs were sore, and my breathing wasn't so great from being sick, but it really was the best feeling ever to cross that finish line.
If you trained, you can do it. Once you start running all the nerves and the fears just sort of drop away. If here had been more spectators around mile 8, I would have been fine, but it was kinda quiet.
We are totally gonna rock this Marathon, I am so excited!

 

[jmasgat]

AndiS I'm not a Goofy vet--also doing first in 2013. But I have done a "temporally shifted" Goofy--1/2 in 2009 and full in 2010, so I can comment on a few things.

Race crowding: Depends on your pace/placement. I started in forward corrals--B & C--and didn't think things were too bad. Yes, you have to deal with runners for the first few miles, but it wasn't that awful. Try to move to the front of the corral ( I moved up to the front line of corral B for the 1/2relay this year) and you gain a little extra wiggle room.

Characters have handlers. If you want to stop, you may be able to get a handler to take a photo. Who is on the course and when they are out varies. I have never stopped, so I am not a good one to ask for this.

There is no free entry into the parks. Two years ago they did Marathon Monday, and let marathon finishers in (One park-no hopping), but that was a one time promotion most likely done to push marathon entry registration. Don't expect it to repeat.

Expo merchandise: Some items seem to run out quickly. People buy the "I did it" shirts during early expo (Thursday/Friday). Rule of thumb is "If you see it, and you want it, buy it" It may not be there when you return later in the weekend.

Temperatures: Spin the wheel! This past year it was pretty good, except it got warm during the latter part of the marathon. Just bring some options for race wear.

Other advice: Pre-race toss clothing (good to have on while waiting)--I've already got some that I picked up at our school garage sale. Not too early to find bargains!
Other Goofy veterans can tell you their training/race strategy. My plan is to run each race 1 minute slower than normal race pace and see how it goes. I don't car if I walk part of the back half of the marathon.

As it gets closer to the race, people will start posting on packing lists (there are some archived), travel plans, WISH meet-ups. There will be plenty of time to tune things in.

Maura

 

[disney_runner]

Good answers Maura, here's a few more for AndiS ~
As far as the characters go, it helps if you already have in mind whom you may be willing to wait for and whom you won't. (I don't really know how to use whom, just thought it sounded good!) There's quite a few characters, but of those that are out on the course, many you are also able to meet in the parks. But some are very rare in the parks and/or have very long waits. So it really comes down to whom and how long you are willing to wait for. So try to decide that before you go!

Personally, I don't wait for any character unless there is NO line! Which means that for some races, I get NO photos of me with a character. However, that doesn't mean I won't snap a photo of said character with a random stranger! I have many of those photos! Oh, and speaking of photos - you must bring your own camera as Photopass is not an option.

Merchandise - yes, buy what you want when you see it because it will sell out. The only thing you pre-order is the pins. Oh, and this year they have necklaces too that you can pre-order. You will receive these pre-ordered items when you pick up your goody bag.

weather - yes, spin the wheel! I also recommend shopping around now for any cheap sweatpants/shirts or rummage through your closet for something you can part with. There's a lot of standing (or sitting) around and waiting pre-race, and more often than not it is cold! After 5 Half's and 1 Full, I've only had "warm" weather once. Be prepared for cold/chilly weather while waiting! I wasn't thinking at all when packing for this last race in January and forgot to pack decent cool weather items. I brought along some old pajama pants and an old turtleneck that totally didn't match (yes, if you saw me, I looked ridiculous. Thanks Liz and Corissa for being seen with me! )

 

[KrazyPete]

I'm only half way through this thread so far. I do want to throw in a couple of comments though.

First, my training plan called for a 30 minute walk yesterday. I thought that I was keeping a decent walking pace. I wasn't "strolling" but I wasn't run/walking either. When I finished I discovered that my pace was 18+ minutes per mile. It gave me a new appreciation for those of you that plan to walk the marathon route. I read a quote from an elite runner once, I wish I could remember his name. Those guys finish their race in a little over two hours. This runner was saying that he had a lot of respect for those people crossing the finish line hours later because he couldn't imagine running for 4 or 5 hours.

When I hit the 20 minute mark in my walk it occurred to me that if I were running I would have finished that route already(It's a place that I run a lot). I still had 10 more minutes of walking ahead of me. When I finished and saw my pace I was surprised to see that I would have been swept off the WDW marathon course at my walking pace.

I hope to finish my marathon somewhere around 4.5 hours but my hat is off to those of you whose plan is to keep a 16 minute per mile walking pace for 7 hours!

Secondly, are there any dailymilers on here? The 2013 WDW Marathon is in the "Events" section a bunch of times. I signed up for the one that had the most runners at the time. I'd love to see some DIS friends there. You can PM here if you want a link to my dailymile profile so we can friend up.

Event Page Link:
dailymile: Walt Disney World Marathon 2013

 

[FFigawi]

AndiSOther Goofy veterans can tell you their training/race strategy. My plan is to run each race 1 minute slower than normal race pace and see how it goes. I don't car if I walk part of the back half of the marathon.

If I had to pass on one piece of advice from the Goofys that I've run, that would be it. I'll never bother to try for a PR at Disney because there's too much fun to be had along the way. I slow down, look around, talk to the other runners, interact with the crowds and the cast members, and have as much fun as I can.

 

[jimandami]

So I read all 44 pages last night. lots of encouragement, suggestions etc.
However I still have some ?s.
backstory:
This is will my first Goofy, DH and 7 others joining us as well. We have a small running group based out of IN that runs for heart health (our own and for charities with heart). 1 runner doing 7 marathons this year. We're "celebrating" his feat by all doing Disney together.

First Goofy for all of us, first full for 2 of them.

I ran my 1st full in 2010 trained with Hal Higdon. Finished in 4:36. I did everything "by the book" and felt great until about 22 miles. (and at that point willpower took over)

So I know not to make Goofy about my time. I know to not go out too hard on Saturday.
I have my spibelt, body glide, KT tape, Gu, place to stay, cold weather gear, sunscreen etc.

I would like to hear from Goofy vets what it's like-
crowded? We do the Indy Mini every year, and it's elbow to elbow most of the time.
average temp (difficult to be certain I'm sure, just hoping it's not 2010 weather, we were there for holiday)
Character photos? do they have photographer that you can use or someone that takes your camera? I've read a bit about waiting for pix.
How long are waits? (If I have to stand and wait awhile at mile 20 I'm not sure my feet will get going again)
Do you get into parks free w/medal? Someone told me you did but this just doesn't seem likely.
What's Marathon Monday? just going to park w/ medal on?
Expo items that sell out- anything that can be purchased ahead of time?
what else do I need to know!?

What would you recommend as a must do- "wish I would have known" advise?

Thanks in advance.

Andi,

The others answered most of your questions but I just wanted to add that yes, the 1/2 and Full at Disney are crowded, but they are nowhere near as crowded as the Mini. At Disney, after a mile or two, you definitely have room to spread and out and run. At the Mini, I felt like it was "bumper to bumper" the whole way!

 

[MightyDuck001]

I did my Half after being sick all week, and finished in 2:35:12

It was the Long Branch Half, kinda cool and overcast. I did great til mile 8, running 10:45 miles the whole way until then. I had about 2 miles where I doubted myself, which is truly stupid, and slowed down to about 11:15 miles. The last mile was the hardest because I was just so tired, and my legs were sore, and my breathing wasn't so great from being sick, but it really was the best feeling ever to cross that finish line.
If you trained, you can do it. Once you start running all the nerves and the fears just sort of drop away. If here had been more spectators around mile 8, I would have been fine, but it was kinda quiet.
We are totally gonna rock this Marathon, I am so excited!

That's so awesome, and a great finish time, especially with being sick! Congratulations! Long Branch-- did you run any of it by the beach? If so, I'd definitely have to consider that for next year. You've totally eased my anxiety--Naturally, I'm picking up my number tomorrow on the first possible day! Now I just need my toes to hold up, they're taking a beating.

 

[kimmiepcft]

Long Branch Half starts at the Monmouth Race Track, right out front, winds through some residential areas, and the last mile, possible mile and a half, runs right long the ocean. You can even run on the boardwalk if you want, although I stuck to the street, lots of pedestrians on the boardwalk. It was a very nice place to finish up!

 

[ColleenG]

Tomorrow I get my new orhotics!! I cannot wait to get back to running. I am in need of some serious endorphines! I haven't run since I did a half back on April 21 Time to get this rear in gear!

 

[maganda]

Andi,

The others answered most of your questions but I just wanted to add that yes, the 1/2 and Full at Disney are crowded, but they are nowhere near as crowded as the Mini. At Disney, after a mile or two, you definitely have room to spread and out and run. At the Mini, I felt like it was "bumper to bumper" the whole way!

I appreciate hearing this. I ran my first half a few months ago (Rock n Roll Las Vegas) and while I was a little prepared for a crowded course, I had no idea it would be thick the entire way, including the finish line and recovery area. It sounds like this is managed a lot better and I suspect it has a lot to do with holding the half and full on separate days.

What do they typically serve post race for food and drink? After seeing tables of green bananas at RNRLV (no joke) I'm seriously thinking of having my husband carry some food for me.