Somehow, The Marathon Returned - comments welcome!

[nancipants]

It's fine. You'll be fine

We will BOTH be fine!

This is very useful information! My husband has been instructed to find me a fountain coke in AK and stir out most of the bubbles.

It's fine. You're fine. I'm fine. All of this is fine. Just a quick little jog around Disney. No big deal.

No biggie at all.

For things that I don't want to do or that I'm really anxious about, I try to put that out of my mind and just proceed step-by-step with what's in front of me. Then all of a sudden the event is there and you didn't worry about it (much). Good luck!

This is really good advice. I have been trying to focus on work, but unfortunately my brain is not having it, especially after the holidays. I have new bookshelves to organize, so hopefully that can be my fixation until the weekend.

This is what I'm doing. I'm ignoring the fact that by this time next week, the marathon will be over, and just focusing on what needs to be done today.

This would be easier if I wasn't at work.

 

[nancipants]

Like everyone, I have been tracking the weather to determine my race clothes and layering options. My black tights FINALLY arrived, and now with the temps trending higher, I don't even know if I'll need to wear them. I ran yesterday in the mid-40s with shorts, a long-sleeve tee, and a short-sleeve tee over it (same styles as my marathon outfit). I pushed up my sleeves about midway through my run and would have wanted to ditch the long-sleeve shirt entirely if I'd been running longer. I finished around 9:15, which is close to the time I should be in AK. So I think if the temps stay in the 40s for race start, I'll wear the layered tees with shorts, and leave the long-sleeve shirt with my husband when I get to AK.

I've also been pondering strategy for pacing and stops. Obviously I'm stopping for a bit in AK. I know someone else who'll be cheering for her husband, but he's much faster than me, so I'm not sure if I'll actually see her on the course. Photo wise, I want to get a pic with the castle, and possibly Everest/Tree of Life. I don't think they have photographers for the Tree, but I'll at least get a selfie. I already have a pic with Tower. I might stop at Spaceship Earth, but by then I might also be DONE. My husband is also planning to meet me in Epcot, so those two stops could be combined. My only must-do characters are Clarabelle and the Haunted Mansion characters if they're out. Other than that, I'll stop in any lines that are short if I feel like it. I'm planning to stick to :30/:30 intervals, although I may go up to 1:00/:30 on the highway stretches and go down to :15/:30 toward the end. I'm expecting my race pace to be anywhere around 13:30-14:00 while running. I have three playlists - race (regular music), orchestral race music (movie soundtrack songs), and Marathon (Happily Ever After, Illuminations, Impressions de France, and the Epcot Anthem). Race music will be for the start, orchestral race music for the stretch to AK, and the Marathon playlist will be broken out for the Western Way/Blizzard Beach portion.

I'm probably thinking too much about all of this, but oh well. It's MARATHON WEEK. I'm supposed to be running right now but I slept like crap last night, so I'm taking a skip day. I'm pretty sure my body will forgive me, right? Plus, my calves are still sore so I'm trying to rest them as much as possible.

 

[WillRunForPizza]

Sounds like you have a good plan! You're going to do amazing!

I don't think they have photographers for the Tree, but I'll at least get a selfie.

In 2023 they had a CM standing there taking photos with people's phones.

 

[The Expert]

I'm planning to stick to :30/:30 intervals, although I may go up to 1:00/:30 on the highway stretches and go down to :15/:30 toward the end.

Oh, there will be LOTS of race math for sure!

I'm pretty sure my body will forgive me, right?

At this point, any miles you put in are not going to impact your readiness. Better to let you body recover and prep for the race!

 

[GollyGadget]

IIRC, there’s usually a photo pass doing staged shots with Everest in the background but not the tree. During my first WDW marathon, I took a selfie in each park. I think I may do that again as it’s a fun & easy way to document running through all of them.

If you decide you want a picture in front of ToT, do not eat the chocolate as you enter HS. In my photo from last year, I am obviously still trying to get that down. I can’t even find the photo anymore so it must have been so bad that I didn’t save it

 

[nancipants]

Oh wait, I thought of one other possible stop - Fancy Nancy, for obvious reasons. But only if the line is short because you can meet her in the parks still.

 

[azrivest]

This would be easier if I wasn't at work.

Same. I am 100% not productive today

 

[azrivest]

Oh wait, I thought of one other possible stop - Fancy Nancy, for obvious reasons. But only if the line is short because you can meet her in the parks still.

By experience, characters like Nancy always have a short line since for a lot of people, they don't mean anything. For me it was special because my daughter loved Fancy Nancy until she was about 6 or 7, but for others without young kids, they're just a random obscure character.

 

[nancipants]

Going to update the previous week while I'm here:

December 31 - 4 miles easy rest
Was scheduled to do a run this day, but I decided to move it to January 1. We went to Legoland for Kids' New Year's Eve, and it was so much fun. This will definitely be our yearly tradition for the next several years.

January 1 - rest
I had every intention of doing the previous day's run, but I was exhausted.

January 2 - HM tempo run
4.2 miles, 54:52, avg pace 13:03
Interval 1 - 12:47
Interval 2 - 12:22
Interval 3 - 12:13
Interval 4 - 2:37 (12:03 avg pace)
Interval avg pace: 12:25
I used this run to practice running with leggings in my shorts pass through in case I needed them at the beginning of the marathon. I also tied my arm warmers to my handheld water bottle to free up some space in my shorts.

January 3 - 3 miles easy
3.01 miles, 42:23, avg pace 14:05

January 4 - 4.5 miles easy
4.52 miles, 1:03:38, avg pace 14:04
My last "long run" of this training block. I practiced wearing long sleeves under my marathon tee, which I discussed in a previous post.
My easy pace has done down a bit over the past few weeks, which I'm happy about.

January 5 - 4 miles easy rest
I did not sleep very well last night, so I decided to skip today's run. My husband was up all night coughing and kept me awake. Of course, then I started stressing about him making me sick. (He's not sick, it's allergies - or at least his symptoms are consistent with all his previous stints with allergies, and I've been having some post-nasal drip as well. Otherwise, I feel fine.)

I have been having issues with stomach cramps, though. Thankfully, they haven't been very bad today, so I'm hoping whatever the cause was, it's going away. (I'm assuming it's my uterus reminding me that it still exists, as it does so every so often despite my IUD.)

I have a rest day tomorrow, 3 miles on Wednesday and Thursday, and 2 on Friday. I will definitely do Wednesday and Thursday, not sure about Friday yet. I'll see how my legs feel. My calves have been so sore and tight lately, so I want them to chill out by Sunday. I've been doing a lot of stretching and walking and using my massage gun.

Assuming I do those next few runs, here are some stats for this training block:

First day of marathon training: September 2, 2024
Total miles: 340.1
Total runs: 82
Longest run streak: 7 days (36.84 miles)
Peak week: 33 miles
Longest run, distance: 13.1 miles
Longest run, time: 3:00:05 (12:05 miles)
Total races: 2 (Margaritaville 10k and Orlando Half Marathon)
PRs: 1 (HM - 2:58:18)

I want to give a HUGE thank you to @DopeyBadger for this training plan. I am not a fast runner and I have a limited amount of time to run on the weekdays prior to work. He created a plan that worked with my schedule and prepared me for the marathon without spending all my time running. I'm still terrified, but I know I can do it.

(And I'll be coming back to him soon, because I'm also doing the Princess Challenge. )

 

[DopeyBadger]

You've put in the work. You CAN do this! Believe in yourself, and let me know if there's anything I can help with on race day. I've already got a few people to track on race mornings to give Balloon lady updates via text message to, so let me know if you'd like me to track you as well.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

IIRC, there’s usually a photo pass doing staged shots with Everest in the background but not the tree. During my first WDW marathon, I took a selfie in each park. I think I may do that again as it’s a fun & easy way to document running through all of them.

If you decide you want a picture in front of ToT, do not eat the chocolate as you enter HS. In my photo from last year, I am obviously still trying to get that down. I can’t even find the photo anymore so it must have been so bad that I didn’t save it

You recall correctly about the EE photopass photog. I have one of those pics in my files. Totally worth the 2 minutes to get it.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

You've put in the work. You CAN do this! Believe in yourself, and let me know if there's anything I can help with on race day. I've already got a few people to track on race mornings to give Balloon lady updates via text message to, so let me know if you'd like me to track you as well.

What he said

 

[nancipants]

I'm "back" (not that I truly went anywhere), and I did it! I am a marathoner! This was truly an amazing weekend, mostly due to the lovely group of DISers I hung out with on various days. The marathon was hard, without a doubt one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life, both mentally and physically. There were times I didn't know how I would finish, but I refused to quit, and @DopeyBadger was the angel in my cell phone texting me updates about the balloon ladies, assuring me that I was doing fine. While I'm slightly disappointed in my time, my true goal for this first marathon was only to finish, so overall, I'm thrilled. And I have lessons learned for next time, because knowing is half the battle.


Thursday

I worked Thursday morning since the expo didn't open until 12, and headed over there as soon as I finished lunch. I met up with @azrivest in the runDisney merch area and bought waaaaaay too many things. I got the marathon weekend tank, the marathon specific tank, the new runDisney gray sweatshirt, a runDisney hat, and the Marathon Weekend corkcicle. I also pre-ordered the marathon weekend jacket, so I picked that up as well. We did the large number photo ops, then headed to get our bibs.




I skipped the characters since the lines were long, then we headed to pick up our shirts. We separated after that, and I did some more shopping at the vendors. I got another pair of pink arm warmers, a 26.2 magnet, a Minnie Mouse themed hat for the marathon, two pairs of AirFit sunglasses (my weakness), and Disney themed bib magnets. I stopped by Jeff Galloway's booth and said hello to him, and thanked him (again) for making me realize I could enjoy running. He is so nice and gave me a pep talk for my first marathon. I got a photo opp in the area, then since I had time I went back to bib pickup area for a photo with Mickey and Minnie. All in all, a successful day!





Of note, I started carb loading this day. I was aiming for 500g per day based on an online calculator, and felt really gross trying to get them all in. I started adding more liquid carbs - Sprite and Tailwind mixed with my water, and that ended up working perfectly for me. I hit that goal every day and never really felt bloated. Also, while my legs were killing me during the marathon, I never once hit a wall in regards to my fueling or felt any other stomach distress. I'm so glad that part is figured out, at least!


Friday

I woke up around 3:30 am and couldn't go back to sleep. I guess I felt solidarity with the 10k runners. I took my son to school and went back to bed for as long as possible. Then I headed to Disney for the DIS meetups. I parked at DHS and walked over to Fantasia Gardens, then had a great time playing mini golf with @camaker, @Kerry1957, @jmasgat, @Novatrix, @Blue Caterpillar, and @Naomeri. I warned my group I was terrible at mini golf, and then proceeded to hit three holes in one! I still came in last, though.

Afterwards, we walked over to Hurricane Hanna's for the meetup, where I chatted with lots more folks, including @Herding_Cats, @The Expert, @superchime, and @WillRunForPizza. G gave me good marathon advice, and I exchanged numbers with @The Expert so she could make sure I was awake on marathon morning. I took the skyliner back to DHS with @superchime and we also exchanged numbers to see about possibly hanging in the corrals. (We didn't, but kept in touch before and after the race!)

I had to go back to the expo to exchange my Corkcicle (it was chipped). I was good and didn't buy anything else. I considered going to bib pick up to see if mine had a chip issue, but I had forgotten it at home and the expo was soooo crowded that evening, so I headed home.


Saturday

Originally, I intended to spectate the half marathon. But because of my poor night's sleep the night before, I decided to stay at home and rest. I spent most of the day watching TV and playing video games with my son. And eating. I was in bed around 7 pm, and thankfully my kid didn't put up that much of a fight at bedtime with my husband. He came in to give me a hug and I tried to fall asleep around 8. I have no idea what time I actually fell asleep, but it was not as early as I wanted. My husband slept in his office so he didn't disturb me, but I woke up three times anyway. The last time was at 1:35 am, and my alarm was set for 1:45, so I said "eff it" and woke up anyway. @The Expert had already texted me (with a happy birthday message <3 ), so I replied as proof of life.




Next, the marathon!

 

[nancipants]

Before the Race

After the way too early wake up call, I headed out the door. On the drive I had liquid IV and cheerios. I got to Epcot a little before 2:45. I took a selfie with Spaceship Earth timestamped 2:44 am. The good thing about getting to Epcot this early via car is that I didn't have to park at the faaaaaaar end of the parking lot. The speakers were playing "Go The Distance" when I passed the finish line area, and it felt waaaaaay too early for those emotions already. I made my way to the meet up and hung out there for a bit. I had debated whether to wear leggings or shorts, so I brought my leggings in my bag just in case. During the meetup I decided it was windy enough to warrant pants, so I put them on over my shorts and organized all my fuel. I also dropped my gear bag. It was really nice chatting with everyone before the race and having our last SAFD question in person. (The question was, what characters do you most want to see on the course. I said Clarabelle. Spoiler: for the first time in many years, Clarabelle was not out for the marathon. I guess that means I'll have to go back!)

The meeting broke up, and I headed toward the corrals with azrivest. I was in E, so I wasn't that concerned about being all the way up front, but I wanted a decent buffer on the balloon ladies. After hitting the portas, we separated into our respective corrals and I set myself up by the railing. Sitting on a towel with a blanket kept me nice and warm! Of course, people surged forward several times for no reason, and I grumpily moved and sat back down again. I tried to munch on more cheerios but my anxiety wasn't having it. I ate an applesauce pouch, made sure my handheld was filled with Tailwind, and tried to think positive thoughts. Then it was our turn to walk to toward the start line, so I left my towel and sweatpants in the corral. When we made our way to the start chute I darted out the back for one more pee stop, and then, before I knew it, we were at the start line. (It felt like they were sending waves a lot faster/fuller this time around.) I ditched my throwaway hoodie and blanket and crossed the start line at 5:05. We were off!

(Side note about the corrals, both D and E were separated into two smaller mini-corrals based on color. This seemed really dumb to me - why not just have two extra corrals, period?)

 

[nancipants]

Marathon - First Half

I had a moment at the beginning of the race where I thought, holy crap, I'm running the marathon. After so long of dreading/looking forward to it, it didn't feel real. I had a bit of a laugh when we rounded the ramp to the main road and I saw a bunch of guys peeing in the woods. I was also slightly jealous of that ability. Before the race, I saw the pic of the leaked character list and, while I was bummed about no Clarabelle, it was super helpful in choosing who to prioritize. I stopped for Gaston because his line was pretty short, and he's always a hoot.



My pacing strategy for the race was to aim for 13:30-14 min miles without counting stops. I honestly can't say how well I did because my watch miles were way off from the beginning. I need to manual lap next time. But I stayed in range in the early part of the race, and felt good, especially with the cooler weather. I made a snarky video about how World Showcase was supposed to be at the end of the race, but I enjoyed seeing it with all the lights on. I decided I didn't need a bathroom stop and had a moment of panic while we were running up the ramp outside of Epcot, but I told myself I was fine and talked myself out of spiraling. Yay for behaving brains! I also refilled my handheld for the first time at the stop outside Epcot. My fueling strategy was to refill every other water stop with one scoop of Tailwind. Two scoops always causes me distress, and refilling every other stop put me in a good range carb-wise. I took cups of water as needed when I wasn't refilling, and toward the end of the race I refilled at every stop, regardless of if I needed more Tailwind. I also had the bananas and an applesauce pouch about halfway through.

While I was in Epcot, DopeyBadger texted me and gave me an update on my buffer with the balloon ladies and what average pace I needed to not get swept. At that point I was extending my lead and very happy about that. I kept looking for superchime since we apparently passed the 3 mile marker at the same time, but I never spotted her.

The cloverleaf to World Drive was one of my least favorite parts of the race. I wanted to run and take advantage of the downhill, but the camber SUCKED. I think I actually prefer when the cloverleaf ramps go uphill because then I just walk it. Once on World Drive, I heard the Rescue Rangers theme song and decided I would stop if the line was short. It was maybe 10-15 people so I jumped in line. Chip and Dale are my favorites and I don't have a pic of them in their Rescue Ranger outfits, so I was very happy.



Ran up World Drive and took advantage of the space to try to make up some of my stopped time. Took pictures with some of the mile markers (Hitchhiking Ghosts and Muppets). Then we got to the Poly and the crowding truly began. I tried to keep up with the flow and not expend energy weaving. I knew I was still ahead. The water pageant was off by the time I got there, but they still had the music piping through, which was a lot of fun. Got misty-eyed running down Main Street again, got a picture at the end of Main Street thanks to a fellow runner, and continued on my way. Saw the Adventurer's Club folks in Adventureland and zoomed over for a selfie.



I was a bit bummed with the lack of photopass photographers throughout Magic Kingdom! I liked the new course, but felt we got more pictures going the other way. DopeyBadger let me know I still had a good enough buffer for a castle photo, so I got in line. It didn't take long! This the last time you'll see my leggings.




The course passed right by the Storybook Circus bathrooms and there was no line, so I darted inside to pee. I also decided to take my leggings off since the sun was coming up. Pulling my shorts back on and putting all the fuel back in the pockets was a not-fun process that made me feel like Ross from Friends. I decided then and there that I need to learn to run with a belt for races longer than a half marathon because dealing with the bathroom and stuff in my pockets is a pain. Tied my leggings around my waist and headed back onto the course after a much longer stop than I intended. Oh, well. I didn't like the jaunt around the MK parking lot, and it was around that time my legs started to make themselves known. It was like my brain realized hey, you're not even halfway done, you have these super boring parts of the course coming up, time for your legs to register ALL THE PAIN! At one point DopeyBadger texted to ask how I was doing and I said that my legs hurt but I was ignoring them. I told myself I was running a marathon and pain was to be expected. As I texted my friends, pain is temporary, medals are forever. It was also at this point I noticed that the back of my right heel hurt more than usual. I ignored it, which was a bad decision.

I passed the halfway mark and thought to myself, this is it - this is officially the longest I've ever ran. No matter what, I'm getting a Garmin PR! I grabbed the on course banana and it was one of the best I've ever eaten. Then we turned on Bear Island Road, and what should have been one of the worst parts of the race turned into one of the best.

 

[nancipants]

Marathon - Second Half

We got to mile 14 and to quote Bill Murray, Star Waaaaars, nothing but Star Waaaaaars!



If you can't tell from my avatar, I'm a Star Wars fan. (Fan is putting it mildly.) I have gone through various stages of obsession throughout my life. I met my husband and most of my friends due to Star Wars fandom. I've been to Star Wars Celebration numerous times. We named all our pets and our son after Star Wars characters. So when I refreshed the Marathon Weekend thread and saw someone post about the Endor battle being back, I freaked out. I've seen videos of the old Star Wars half marathons and regret missing them so badly. This stretch of the course, even in the daylight, made me sooooo happy. It was my birthday and my first marathon, and if they couldn't give me Clarabelle, this more than made up for it. I took multiple videos just for the music and no longer cared about my aching legs. I skipped Chewie and Vader since you can meet them in the parks, but stopped for Phasma and Vi. I was bummed Rey wasn't out when I passed, but I don't have a picture with Vi in the park, so I was happy nonetheless. She commented on it being my birthday, and said I must be from Earth. Running to Rey's Theme near the end of the road was so peaceful.







By then, my husband was in Animal Kingdom waiting for me. I snapped a picture when I reached the Western Way intersection and texted it to him.



I heard Mr. Brightside as I was coming into AK and sang along at the top of my lungs. Then I realized it was DJ Elliot, who used to play at Star Wars Weekends, so it felt like more kismet! We didn't pass any animals on our way in and I was bummed about possibly missing them. Also, running past everyone LEAVING AK felt very demoralizing. I tried to focus on seeing my family soon.

Running through AK was so fun! It was my first time running in the park and having it already be open was a much-needed boost. Thanks to another runner, I got a pic with the Tree of Life.



I stopped in the bathroom to pee and my airpods died. Oops! Should have had them in the case when they weren't playing. I shoved them back in the case and hoped they would charge enough by the time I got back to Western Way. I stopped for an Everest photo op, tried to pose for other photopass people on the course (not very well), and turned into Dinoland.



Hearing my family cheer for me was amazing. My son kept yelling "Go Mommy!" Then he asked why I didn't get him the green thing. (He means the clackers they handed out at previous Expos.) I told him I didn't see them. A mother's job is never done, LOL!



I shoved all my warm clothes at my husband and drank a few swigs of coke, and took some extra Tailwind packets just in case. After a few more hugs, I got back on the course (my son pushed me and told me to keep going, LOL), and headed out of AK. Running back to the highway with nobody else coming in was also demoralizing, but there was a donkey out when I passed, so that was fun! Also, the hilarious garden signs.




(reached the photo limit, so continued in next post)

 

[nancipants]

Marathon - Second Half (con't)

By the time I got back to Western Way, the sun was high overhead. Despite the cooler temperatures, I felt sooooo hot. I already knew I had enough of a buffer to slow down, so I took advantage and switched my intervals to :15/:30. I cued up Happily Ever After and made myself cry. Illuminations was up next, and the two provided enough of a distraction that I made it through. Getting to the end of that road was such a relief. Also, my phone was nearing 20 percent battery at that point, so I couldn't text my friends or take videos to distract myself. I will definitely be taking a charger with me next time! DopeyBadger continued to text me updates, and The Expert kept me updated on her location.

Blizzard Beach was actually a much-needed respite. I ran off course to pee (again), and kept looking for The Expert while going in and superchime while going out. Alas, I didn't see them. I was so, so ready to be done. Hollywood Studios went by much to fast but it was great hearing all the cheers. On the path to the Boardwalk, I texted the Expert to see where she was, and she said just past the Boardwalk slide. I let her know I was coming up behind her and she waited at the next med tent, along with Herding Cats and Naomeri. Seeing them was SUCH a relief!!! One of them gave me a Mickey sticker for my birthday from a CM, haha. I turned off my intervals and walked with them to the finish. It was so nice having them to talk to at the end of the race, and next time I'm going to have to try to catch up sooner! We "ran" past the photopass people and I texted my husband my location, but that I didn't think I'd be able to stop and get started again. That ended up being fine because he found a spot along the spine near Connections Cafe, and cheered as I ran by. Hearing my son yell "GO MOMMY!" made me tear up even more. I knew I was going to finish and I tried to soak in all the emotions. But GOSH, my legs and right heel HURT!





We passed a few DISers along the way - garneska and jmasgat, who cheered us on! And then we were out of Epcot and could hear the choir. They sang "We Are the Champions" as we passed and I thought yes, we are!!! The finish line came into view, and I ran to the side to give Jeff Galloway a high five. I ran to the finish line, and then it was over. I was a marathoner!





Herding Cats took a selfie of the four of us in the finish line chute.



If you're ever on the fence about going to the meet ups, DO IT. By the time I caught up with them, I know I had reached the point I would have finished on my own, but they made it so much more enjoyable. I went from feeling miserable to laughing and having a good time. I was still RELIEVED to no longer be running, but their help cannot be overstated. THANK YOU, LADIES!!!

My official time according to Disney was 7:11:31. Nowhere near the time goal I would have set for myself, but my main goal was "finish" and I did that. Plus, 7:11 is a pretty fun time.

I got all my goodies, picked up my gear bag, and met my family at our designated spot. I didn't get a paddle pic because I did not feel like walking all the way over there, so my husband got a pic of me with the portas in the background.



We walked verrrrrry slowly to the car, I ate a bunch of snacks and finished my coke, and on the way home I ordered takeout hibachi from my favorite local place. Once home, I took a shower, stuffed my face with more food, and laid down. I didn't take a nap but just laying down in bed felt amazing. I soaked my feet and took a bubble bath, during which time my family made me brownies and ordered pizza for dinner. I spent the rest of the day eating, rehydrating, and resting, and was in bed by 8 pm.


Overall thoughts later!

 

[WillRunForPizza]

You did it! Awesome job!

 

[The Expert]

 

[SheHulk]

OMGosh literally crying. Your first marathon is so precious. I am so glad you did it and can feel good about it.