Roxymama's 5k to Marathon, Time to Collect Another Castle

[roxymama]

Love that picture of roxykiddo! Tinkerbell is my number one gal, too!



Better question: who DOESN'T love them? My plan post-princess is to get some of Gaston's buns.

Definitely recommend post race cinnamon roll! Don't share with roxykiddo though, she ate 60% of it.

 

[roxymama]

Update: I'll wait to see if @roxyhubby wants to write his own recap. But had to share this from his first rundisney experience.

He was speedy today and stopped three times. And I slept until 7am. He's heading on the bus back. Success!

 

[roxymama]

Hubby walks in from his race.
Me: "I'm so proud of you!"
Kiddo: "where's your snack box?"


She may have figured out life's secret....don't run the race...just steal snacks from runners. So much easier!

 

[FFigawi]

When you bring her to Dopey, she's welcome to my GoGo squeeze stuff too.

 

[roxymama]

When you bring her to Dopey, she's welcome to my GoGo squeeze stuff too.

Remind me not to let her negotiate on my behalf. She's got too many snack related weaknesses.

 

[roxymama]

Well we've now ran, biked and swam.
(Vacation style)
Wondering if I showed up with a boardwalk style surrey bike at a sprint tri would I get DQ'd or would I automatically win??



Next stop...even more swimming

 

[xjillianpaige]

Can you adopt me? You guys seem to be having a great time!

 

[SarahDisney]

You guys are definitely having way too much fun on this trip (not that that's actually a thing). I love it!

 

[rteetz]

Remind me not to let her negotiate on my behalf. She's got too many snack related weaknesses.

So what you're saying is we need to use her to get you to run Dopey...

 

[roxymama]

So what you're saying is we need to use her to get you to run Dopey...

I've said to much.

 

[rteetz]

I've said to much.

We need to get roxykiddo to the dark side!

 

[roxymama]

Disney's Fall Feast 5k race recap
Photopass pics

I have 9 photopass pics so far in that have loaded. So I'm going to post them here and then I'll put my pics and actual race recap in the next post.

Spoiler: I ran a lot of this race with only a few people around me.
Spoiler: there are more character stops in the next post

Spoiler: lots of hay bales for course decoration!










Hey, another person in my pic! Blue shirt guy and I stopped for almost every photo stop in front or behind each other towards the end.






Mouse ears didn't make it to the finish but at least I wasn't wearing a full Olaf suit. (I think that's what the guy behind me was going for?)


Dinosaur!



Ok stay tuned shortly for the rundown and my pics (get it...RUNdown?)

 

[roxymama]

Fall Feast 5k Part two: recap and my pics

I'm doing my vacation recap kind of out of order in that we did a TON of stuff in the few days leading up to my 5k race but I'm skipping ahead to the race for journal purposes

My legs were super tired from park going and I got to bed later than I intended. (We had gone back into MK after doing the mickeys backyard BBQ because I was like "eh, it's only an untimed 5k")
I was basically going to get only 5 hours of sleep IF I fell asleep immediately. But my brain stayed awake a lot all night. So by 3:00am I just said "whatever, I'm awake" and I got dressed. Like a mouse.


I accidentally woke up hubby but kiddo kept snoozing. I was in the lobby by 3:18 and the signs said busses started running at 3:30. I sat in the big wilderness lodge lobby by myself for not long until the bus pulled in and I got on. And we waited and waited and waited until the bus filled every seat. The driver said they were instructed to fill the bus to capacity and there were some delays on extra busses due to construction??

So we left at 4. I spent the whole ride talking to Dolores who was running with her family. She was the grandmother and flips tires to help her arm strength. I want to be Dolores when I grow up.

The corrals had not opened yet so I didn't miss my chance of getting in the first wave of A. Used the porta potties (no line!) and snooped around a bit (farmer goofy was dancing with some people but I couldn't tell if there were any actual character lines prior to the race) and walked up as they opened the corrals at 4:30.

Walking towards Corral A!! Momentous occasion! But why am I glowing as bright as the corral sign?

And guess who was inches in front of me as I lined up?

@dancingtodisney and her family of bell hops!!! It was really fun chatting and helped pass the time so easily. Because an hour in a corral feels insanely long!!! Super happy for your mum for completing her first rundisney race!

I will say I was a tad nervous to be so close to the tape. I was like three rows back from the front front. I knew I wanted to be near the front so I could try to run fast (for me) but this was teeny bit intimidating. Well except for the woman in the giant mickey waffle costume...ummmmm that didn't look aerodynamic.



At least we were to the right side. And I knew I'd at least have a shot at being faster than waffle lady

To be continued....my battery is low!!!
Mile 1, 2, and 3 cliffhanger

 

[Sailormoon2]

I hate when pre-race jitters keep you awake the whole night.

he was the grandmother and flips tires to help her arm strength. I want to be Dolores when I grow up.

That is just so bizarre, but definitely awersome!
Still so excited for you that you got Corral A!!

 

[roxymama]

I hate when pre-race jitters keep you awake the whole night.

That is just so bizarre, but definitely awersome!
Still so excited for you that you got Corral A!!

I think they were definitely "I hope I wake up on time" jitters!!

 

[roxymama]

Fall feast 5k recap part three: the actual race

Sorry for the cliffhanger (my cell pooped out on me.)

So the "ready....Go" happened pretty quickly (I'm used to hearing first corrals go off and then walking up...but this was just...GO!). So I went. I'd said good luck to the bellhop family before we started and a few speedy looking fellows asked to go up to the very front which we let them. But then we're off!

I kept to the right but just went at my own pace. It felt similar in speed to how we started my recent 10k...maybe lil slower as I'd been standing there for an hour. We ran through the Animal Kingdom parking lot and made a turn to the right back towards the bus loading area. I could see the fastest people down the length of the turn up ahead and then a trail of people behind them back to me (and all of us behind them). Was cool to visually see how far out really fast people can get in such a short time. But encouraging that I could still see them. I don't know if I got faster or some people's gas ran out because I chomped a lot of people during the .5 mile ish to the Animal Kingdom gate.

As I entered Animal Kingdom I was pretty much by myself or around one or two people at most until near the end. I think because the course was so turny...you really couldn't see people ahead of you so cool to feel alone-ish (I'm sure something my speedier friends are used to, but I'm not.)
Mile 1 was not too far into Pandora and it looks like it was 8:55. That seems right by feel. It was way too dark to watch stalk so I couldn't check too frequently...plus I was having too much fun sight seeing.

I got my first character pic and it was this hen....where is she from????

I waited behind three people. Almost my longest line of the race . At this point my ears were coming off so I was carrying them, started putting them back on for pics, then leaving them on until they slipped and repeat.
Also my white gloves were too hard to take on and off for pressing my phones camera buttons and lines were too short to put them back on so I ran around with one off like Michael Jackson all race. Maybe less accessories next time!

Highlights of Mile 2:
The tree of life lit up was really pretty. It was the same visuals as what we saw on our Animal Kingdom night but with less people with cameras and strollers in the way. I dug it!
Running into Pandora was a real treat. At this point I was having fun going fast so I just didn't slow too much to take selfies but I loved the light up sidewalks and the ambient music and glittering tree lights.
I stopped to take a pic with a giant machine guy (from the movie) right behind the single wheelchair racer (he had a push cart.). I'd pass him one time a little later. I'm waiting for the photopass photo still...the guy scanned my QR code on my bib. I don't know why? Worried it's a lost pic but I'll keep checking. Anyone else have their bib scanned?
So then we went out of pandora and down the long downhill boardwalk that connects to festival of lion king area. We'd done this path twice on our AK night but uphill...this was better. I passed the hand cart guy at this point who said "this is bumpy" to a lady near us. I could imagine!

I forgot timing of next two pics. I think Meeko was first.

And bugs next


Saving now so I can eat breakfast but finishing it up soon...and I'm back!

With my three stops I still managed to get mile 2 as 9:42 so I'm really happy with that!!!

At this point I started realizing I really had to pee and my shoe was untied. But every time I ran by a bathroom I was just like "eh it's only a mile away to the finish". Running by the giant dinoland statue was pretty fun. The main chunk of the final mile was fairly boring. It was an out and back and there was a DJ trying to pump people up. At least at turnaround was clarabelle.


This was an actual wait as she was arriving from a break or just getting g there. But I had like 4 or 5 people in front of me. Such a big difference being in A than B from Tink weekend!!!

My desire to finish strong and to find a porta potty helped me on the last section. A woman I was coming up to (is chomping allowed at Disney races...or do I need a more friendly term?) looked over at me and said "where is the end?" And I pointed to the mile 3 clock up ahead and she said "is that the finish line? This is my first race". I told her how awesome she was doing...that it was just a tiny bit past the mile clock. We ran together for a little bit chatting. And then she blazed off when she saw the finish...so I did too.

With my "long" cow stop and chatting I still had a 10:05 min last mile. My final time was 30:14ish (no official time)
And my distance was 3.18. Not too much weaving out there (really like none...yay for space to run!)

It was still very dark and corral E was being launched as I walked to the bus area (yes, I tied my shoe and got my bathroom break.)
There were some people waiting to cross to the busses. Corral D was running and walking past on their first mile.

I stayed and watched everyone through the last runner family before crossing to board the bus. The busses couldn't leave any sooner. Some people liked seeing us with our medals and appreciated our cheers...some not so much. Some were like "this is why we gotta train"
The costumes were pretty great to watch, so although I was tired it was fun to spectate and cheer.
Lady in giant frappacino suit was the winner of largest and hottest looking but most fun costume.

I got off at fort wilderness instead of the lodge (doh!). To be fair the bus driver said the lodge. I asked a cast member to point me towards the walking path and ended up with a private ride over!! That was really nice of him.

And here is my winnings! I didn't wear it to the parks because I forgot. But I really think it's a nice medal.




I had a lot of fun and running around AK was a blast. I felt good out there and happy I did it. But 3am....woof!!

Airport home now and I'll recap a lil about our park days sometime soon

 

[roxymama]

Bye bye Disneyworld. See you real soon!

 

[cavepig]

Enjoyed your 5k recap! Clara Cluck is from old Cartoons - "Clara Cluck is a character who was created by The Walt Disney Company. She debuted in the 1934 Mickey Mouse cartoon Orphan's Benefit. She is an operatic chicken and an old friend of Mickey Mouse."

Great photos!!! I love the new Clarabell Cow costume.

 

[Sailormoon2]

I chomped a lot of people

LOL!! That's what makes racing fun!!

with less people with cameras and strollers in the way. I dug it!

An awesome bonus of running these races (and why I think they are worth the money)! Lots of awesome park visuals without all the crowds!!

Such a big difference being in A than B from Tink weekend!!!

The front corrals are the best-it's why I was so bummed with my POT and that I never got better this season-I'm anxious to see where I end up for Dopey-especially in the 5/10 Ks!

It was still very dark and corral E was being launched as I walked to the bus area

That must have been such a cool feeling, to be back before the others had even started their race!

The busses couldn't leave any sooner.

So, what time could they start leaving at? Again, just trying to get an idea for Dopey, as I know I'll be back around 30mins, like you too.

I had a lot of fun and running around AK was a blast.

I love AK-I wish so much they would change the Marathon Weekend 5K to AK too-it's just so awesome in the morning light

 

[roxymama]

@Sailormoon2
For this Animal Kingdom 5k course they would not let the busses leave until the whole field of runners entered into the park (so just shy of a mile in.). At least per the Mears guy near the crosswalk. I'm sure it was because of the way the course runs the first mile through the parking lot. I think keels confirmed she had to wait 25 min after she got in her car to exit. I'm pretty sure the Epcot 5k course does not have same issue.
I ended up not minding because I enjoyed watching everyone go by.

Checked my text to hubby. At 6:34 the bus was moving. I finished race just barely after 6am.

Also I realize this situation wouldn't happen at a home race...even my fastest running I'm still surrounded by people and tons of people finish before me. So it was cool to be amongst the first finishers (wish it was chip timed though!!!)