Okay...so.. The Marathon...was it ....

[Kimickey]

I think the race was easy. The only problem I had was that instead of prepping a year for the run, I only prepped about three months. Running long distances, such as the 1/2 and full marathons, you need to strengthen your endurance. I had train myself to run 8 miles nonstop. After mile 8 I could litterally feel myself running out of gas. But I pushed through it. This year I'm going to start training this coming Sunday and I will train myself to run further than 13 miles.

I went into this race to have fun and meet a lot of people. But all the while to acomplish my goal of finishing.

I say remember to have fun, train hard before; it pays off in the end, set realistic goals for yourself and reach for them, not stopping until you do. Listen to your body and put your best foot forward.

 

[Valentine]

Keep em coming.. keep em coming..... I feel ALMOST like I was there with you all now... Furiously taking notes... Preparing for my training also....

Kathy

 

[geetey]

I agree with Renee. If I did it again, I would plan/train with a walk/run program - not just walking.

 

[10nis]

For training I used Hal Higon's marathon training program for novices (beginners). It is an 18 week program, I repeated the first 2 weeks and trained for 20 weeks. It is a widely used program with decent success. I do believe he has half marathon training programs as well.

I am so glad that I took a disposable camera with me! The photos turned out great. I wish wish wish I would have taken my cell phone to call my family that was in Disney to cheer but couldn't make it to their designated spots d/t traffic and Disney chaos! I finally borrowed another runners phone at mile 18 I had a great fanny pack -- made for exercise -- that didn't bother me at all while I ran the marathon. I did put my IPOD on after mile 14 to help get me thru. Alot of runners had on earphones and nothing was said to anyone about wearing earphones even though it was "prohibited". I took off my earphones when I ran thru the parks -- didn't want to miss the fun!

If you have a training program and stick to it you will succeed!! The training aspect of this challenge was much harder than the actual race for me!

Good Luck!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I'm definitely carrying a phone next time...had I had one--my hubby would have been calling me to warn me they were shutting down the mats (for the "official") finishers and he could have called to tell me get my butt in gear. He says, next time I am carrying a phone--so no choice for me

 

[Valentine]

Alot of runners had on earphones and nothing was said to anyone about wearing earphones even though it was "prohibited"

Really?? Is this a normal thing? Or just a Disney thing... I am assuming they "prohibit" it because then the runner can't hear instructions or whatever.. My IPOD is what gets me through on the treadmill... time just flys....I would be so lost without it.

Kathy

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

It is a safety concern to not wear headphones--extraordinariliy crowded.

However, for some long empty stretches--I would have KILLED for an IPOD.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Really?? Is this a normal thing? Or just a Disney thing... I am assuming they "prohibit" it because then the runner can't hear instructions or whatever.. My IPOD is what gets me through on the treadmill... time just flys....I would be so lost without it.

Kathy

To add--it is prohibited in a lot of races and is soley for safety reasons. But this rule is violated a lot.

 

[LAWalz23]

Just to echo others. Train, train, train, then have some fun. I agree that just getting to the start line was an achievement, now I have to finish. I could use the excuse of my legs because I have some circulation problems but the bigger problem was that I did not have enough training time in. I have decided that I will try the walk/jog and aim for a 12 minute mile because as others have said being prepared for a 16 minute mile does not work and I would like to have a few additional minutes if I decide to bring a camera or to make a phone call. I also agree with not running around in the parks the day before and getting to FL (for us out-of-staters) and the Expo two days early. Overall go for it! I had an amazing weekend with my mom, met some wonderful people, WISHers and others, and did something I would never had thought I could do last year at this time.

 

[Auntmeme]

I finished the 1/2 marathon with Doreen & Amanda (& friends). I felt it was easier than what I expected. I did train with walking/jogging. I did do the parks before & after. Tips:

1. Too busy to combine both marathon w/dis meets & doing disney. Would do disney the week after the marathon.
2. I carried a heavyfanny pack-2 water bottles, which I trained with, and would do it again, minus 1 water bottle. I used the vaseline, tissues, water bottle, phone & camera, energy bar.
3. Wear disposable clothing to begin & layer. I discarded my wind pants & folded up my jacket & t-shirt to do the race. It was warm but it was chilly at the beginning.
4. Plan for a long wait to get back to your hotel.
5. Most important - find friends to walk/run with. We had a blast & kept each other motivated!

I want the Mickey Medal next

 

[maryliz]

Ditto to everything already said. Training is the key. I did a 1/2 in October and it was easier than Disney ... totally flat course (that Contemporary Hill was not the only obstacle last Sunday) and it was much cooler with no humidity. If you cannot do a comparable distance race, I would still recommend doing at least a 10K race (6 miles), and see if you can do it in less than 14 minute miles. If you can do that, you will probably be able to do the 13 miles in under the time. Crowds were definitely a hinderance.

If at all possible, take a cheering section with you. My family was at the top of the Contemporary hill. As my sister and I came through the tunnel on our way up the other side, we quickly saw them and it gave me the best boost of energy for the entire race to get up there to see them. That kept me on a high for the rest of the race

Mary-Liz

 

[Valentine]

If at all possible, take a cheering section with you.

Well.. I don't know how much of a cheering section I will have... I tend to travel solo lately.... Who knows though... it's a year away... I just might find that soulmate between now and then LOL!!!

Kathy

 

[MelanieC]

Hey Maryliz,
Was it the 2 guys standing with WISHWalker signs on the right hand side? There were 2 men standing somewhere near the Contemporary Hill (that's where I fell) and I remember seeing them and yelling GO WISH WALKERS!! It really gave me a boost. I also remember seeing Jackie (Ibouncetoo) near the MK on the left hand side. Also Nicki (Evansmom) was sitting on the bleachers at the finish line and she yelled my name at the end. That was awesome since I didn't have any family members with me!!

 

[littlegreydonkey]

Hi Gang - firstly Valentine, that's a great question so thanks for asking it.

Just wanted to share a couple of tips from the guru I run with (who's still running marathons at 65!)
1) What you eat and how much sleep you get two days before the race is even more important than what happens the day before the event (don't ask me why but when you're getting up at 3am to get on a bus it's definitely true!)
2) Drink all day the day before the race, drink only what you need before and during it (but don't skimp - if you're thirsty you're already dehydrating).
3) Learn to love hills not fear them - aiming to conquer them and really focusing on that gives you a burst of adrenaline that keeps you going well after they are over
Hope they might help someone as much as they've helped me - bring on the Contempary Hill!!!

 

[pixiedust27]

I was just reading through everyone's experiences with this marathon and I felt inspired to share mine.
I expected the marathon to be really hard and it definitely didn't disappoint. My feet hurt sooo badly -- there was something totally wrong -- I felt it the night before and I blew it off hoping that it would go away but it didn't. I also got sick around mile 21, maybe from the Powerade , I'm not sure? Those two experiences, along with the fact that I didn't get to see my family (the designated fan club ) until mile 24 were the big unplanned setbacks of the marathon for me.
Other than those things it was a really good experience. The race is really crowded but most of your larger road races are crowded. I think that it's a good idea to sign up to run some races as part of your training so you can get used to maneuvering around other runners. I did a 25k that coincided with training that was pretty crowded and then if you do a Race for the Cure then it will be very crowded.
If I thought I could get away with it I would DEFINITELY nix the fanny pack the next time around. It was just really bulky and irritating to me. I know that people will disagree with me but I thought that Disney had pretty much everything that I needed on the race course. There was plenty of water, powergel, candy, fruit, biofreeze, etc. I do wish that they had had more oranges and less bananas but that's not too big of a deal. I think that you mainly need the fanny pack for iPod (it's not allowed but I'd still bring it), camera, and cell phone (wish I'd had one of those to track down the missing fan club at miles 10 & 16). If it had been cold I'm sure I would have needed my kleenex and chapstick in my fanny pack and I did use the sunscreen stick but . . . I'm just not sure it was worth the hassle. Plus everything in there turned into one giant mess from jostling around for 26 miles.
If you can find a buddy to train with you it will be a huge boost. I trained with my aunt and even though we live in different states it was so nice to have someone to talk to about training and know that she was going to be doing the same distances as me on any given week. The WISH boards will be very helpful for that sort of thing too. I didn't discover them until shortly before the marathon.
Anyway, I think if you find a training program and stick to it that you'll do just fine. For me the hardest part wasn't the marathon it was the training. And the main thing that would make me think long and hard before signing up to do another marathon is the training involved.
The people that run the marathon are really nice so you'll make lots of friends. And I wouldn't trade running through Epcot early in the morning or running down Main Street for anything. Animal Kingdom was a let down and MGM was cool but I was so out of it at that point.
Have fun! I'm sure that the half marathon would be great. When I ran past mile 13 I pretty much decided that a half marathon is the perfect distance!

 

[Valentine]

When I ran past mile 13 I pretty much decided that a half marathon is the perfect distance!

I had to giggle at that statement... I think I may be feeling that at somewhere around mile 2!! LOL!!

Kathy

 

[maryliz]

Hey Maryliz,
Was it the 2 guys standing with WISHWalker signs on the right hand side? There were 2 men standing somewhere near the Contemporary Hill (that's where I fell) and I remember seeing them and yelling GO WISH WALKERS!! It really gave me a boost. I also remember seeing Jackie (Ibouncetoo) near the MK on the left hand side. Also Nicki (Evansmom) was sitting on the bleachers at the finish line and she yelled my name at the end. That was awesome since I didn't have any family members with me!!

Hi Melanie! Yep, the 2 guys were my DH and NancyK's DH. With them was our Mom and my DD and DS. They were my inspiration to run up that hill, and seeing them was the best moment of the race. Crossing the finish line was a close second I just wish we had been in the other lane of the street so that I could have hugged them.

Mary-Liz

 

[Valentine]

Wow... I really feel like I was running right alongside you gals when I read your stories! Thanks for taking the time to share! I have printed out the entire thread... and am using all of your helpful hints! I really think this is a great tool for those people looking to train for 2006.. AND for those who just ran/walked and might be feeling the same as you... it always helps to see other people had similar experiences as yours...

I saw the thread slipped to page 2... and figured I would help it along! Any other tidbits!!


Kathy

 

[pixiedust27]

I had to giggle at that statement... I think I may be feeling that at somewhere around mile 2!! LOL!!

Kathy

You'll be surprised . . . once you really get into training 2 miles will seem like nothing to you. Before I started training for the marathon I'd never run longer than a 10k (and usually it was a much shorter distance than that!) -- it's amazing how your endurance and stamina build during the course of training.
I really do think that the half is perfect because it's still really challenging but a little bit more managable than a whole marathon.
Have fun!

 

[Rachael Q]

We arrived Thursday night.

Went to the Expo Saturday around 11.00am and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Met Wish Walkers at Trails End for early dinner, then had a swim before going to bed. Well I didn't really swim, just kind of floated around, but it was relaxing and good for my legs.

I got up at 3.00, showered and dressed and was at the bus stop (POP Century) at 3.30am. On the bus before 4am and at Epcot before 4.30pm.

The hour and a half went by pretty quick for me. I ate my banana and peanut butter, and sipped on my water but not the bagel - it was too heavy. I strolled casually to the corrals and really only waited about 30 minutes or so in the corral. I got to meet Tiger Lily, Sap1227, Little Miss Mickey and her brother, and Kamigen and Tarzanman. I think there may have been one or two other people, but I am not a morning person, so please forgive me if I have omitted your name.

The race was harder for me, than I had expected or previously experienced. I ran 4/walked 1 for the first 3 miles then felt "off" so ran 3/walked 2 until mile 9, then after I ate I felt worse, so I walked until mile 12 when I started to run again.

I think I had expected more of the "Disney" side of things. More music and characters... at every mile marker.

The food, water and potty stations were fine for me. The food and water were paced the same as my one previous 1/2 marathon, and Disney had more potty stations - my previous one had them at start and finish and I think maybe once on the course.

Would I do it again - yes. But I would start further up my corral and find someone to pace myself with, I was on my own.

Rachael