Race reports

[peachygreen]

My race report (and all race reports, actually) is here on my blog. My Dopey Challenge didn't end the way I expected it to.

http://goobermonkey.com/2014/01/dop...dwmarathon-wdw10k-wdwhalf-disneyfamilyfunrun/

Sorry for your foot problem during the full but your attitude is contagious to me and very encouraging! Good luck with the rehab and at Princess!

 

[RussTKD]

My blog post with my Dopey Race Report:

http://russrunsabita.blogspot.com/2014/01/just-go-ahead-and-call-me-dopey.html

 

[Nole95]

Does RunDisney send out surveys post race?

 

[cewait]

Yes, maybe as many as 10% of runners will be asked to complete a survey. If there is something you want to relay; good, bad or ugly, you can always e-mail the staff. I have found that they read the email and act when possible.

 

[goofeygirl]

Photo Credit to Dudley Wait

I have an adorable posed photo with Tuba man...he was in my coral which was M for both the half and the full and he was playing this thing while we were waiting! His girlfriend/wife was a Snow White Bride.

I have to say he certainly added MORE character to a race full of them!

He ran ahead of me in the start of the race and all I could see where these feathers from the back of his Tuba because it was decorated like Big Bird from the back!

Very cute.

 

[smallsy]

I've run in a wig before during the half at WDW and DL. It gets pretty hot & sweaty, that's true. You end up running faster than expected too, because no one wants to get beat by the guy with the blue hair.

This reminds me of when I ran a 5K at 37 weeks pregnant. The race was a week before Halloween so a lot of people dressed up. I chose to wear a bee costume. Anyway, when I crossed the finish, I heard a guy yell to his friend "You just got beat by a bee! A pregnant bee!" It made me laugh so hard!

 

[Vistaway]

Just got back home (after cruising on the Dream following the race, and a few days at the parks afterwards), so here's my race report:

This was my first full, and it was a great overall experience! I was in Corral C, which wasn't crowded at all - even at the race start. I didn't encounter any course crowding at all. In fact, I noticed only one group of Gallowalkers, and it was Galloway and his wife! Those first few miles just flew past (they felt like kilometers). Great crowds at the TTC. That entry in the MK up Main Street was amazing - very emotional. Sweet Caroline playing on that dark stretch of Floridian Way was pretty cool. I didn't mind the racetrack nearly as much as I thought I would. The stretch to DAK was good...I was glad the odors near the waste treatment plants wasn't as bad as I heard it could be. I was amazed at how quickly the course turned from dark to light, as exiting DAK the sun was right there in front of us (so sunglasses on). The stretch to WWOS wasn't as bad as I expected (and felt quicker than it did during the TOT race). As others commented, WWOS was long and boring - it needed more distractions/characters given how long we spent in there. Passing the incoming runners around mile 20 was a nice distraction...I was checking out costumes, shirts, etc. The section of World Drive heading up to DHS was pretty brutal...traffic on one side and nothing on the other. From then on, though, I really enjoyed it. My favorite stretch of the entire race, from a running perspective, was around Crescent Lake/Boardwalk - amazing crowd support!

My slowest mile was the last one (go figure), but I finished strong, and was able to run the Castaway Cay 5k a couple of days later in a decent time, so recovery was quick.

For my first marathon, I couldn't have picked a better one. The fact that the weather was perfect helped too. Great supporters, great runners, and fantastic organization. And despite everyone saying that the WDW Marathon is not the one to PR at or try to hit a goal time, I set myself a sub-four goal and wanted to get a few character stops in on the way. I ended up with five character photos (minimal waits at all of them) and a 3:58 - so I am very, very happy with the result!

 

[princessbride6205]

As a side note, we purchased a knee brace at the expo that seemed to help her out a lot as it kept her knee from turning in

Do you mind sharing which knee brace? I have been through every kind of tape and physical therapy exercise without much success.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I unexpectedly did the half! I have never just popped in to a race before, but a friend had to cancel her trip at the last minute. I figured I'd just do a lot of walking, since my training had been spotty since Wine & Dine. Well, I was in the corral with a long-time acquaintance, and after an hour of chatting, I figured I'd try to stick with her for awhile. We started in the last corral - P - since neither she nor my friend had put in proof of time. Both have faster PRs than I do, but I guess didn't submit by the deadline. So we ran 4 minutes/walked 1. She was doing the Dopey, so she had added the walking intervals for that challenge. I normally do 1/1 intervals. I was surprised at how easy my legs and lungs felt...until a little before mile 4 when my problem knee started pinging. I knew I couldn't stay with her much longer, but stuck it out until 4.5 miles. After that I mostly walked. It is the nice thing about knowing my stupid knee and having done a bunch of races. I know I can finish on pace, even if I can't run.

In the first few miles, the congestion was there, but it was expected and manageable as we passed runners/walkers in the last few corrals. I stopped my running just before entering MK, but tried to keep a 15mm walking pace. I wasn't expecting the dead stop through the castle and the impossibility of even maintaining a 16mm in the tight stretch after MK. On the way to Epcot, I stopped for a few character photos with short/medium lines. I had enough energy saved to pass people up the cloverleaf ramp, and then convinced my knee to run to the finish.

For a review, I would say it was very, very good overall. I'm not sure the expanded corrals did much to help with crowding for the back of the pack. Corral P started an hour after the official race start time, which was long, but it went by pretty quickly. I didn't like that it was unannounced beforehand how long each wave would be, but that wasn't too big of a deal. My biggest concern was the lack of speakers back by us - we couldn't hear anything until we moved closer to the start. I was pleased with the amount and variety of on course entertainment, but would like more character stops. I didn't have any issues with race transportation or water/fuel on course. I enjoyed the race and am looking forward to my next one!

I LOVED cheering on the marathoners on Sunday. I was outside DHS for an hour or so with the WISH group, then my 6yo DD and I went inside the park and alternated between attractions and spectating. We cheered on the last 30 minutes or so of runners - it was cool to see the last person and the flurry of Disney CMs tearing down the race behind them. I was pretty inspired by all of the athletes and hope to do the full marathon again next year.