The New *Official 2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon Thread*

[MaMa3Princess]

Hi Judi,

Welcome and congratulations to jump starting your "new life" I well 3rd the recommendation of the others about Jeff Galloway method. I too am a heavier runner I was 50lbs heavier last year and now I'm about 30lbs heavier than I would like to be. I tell you the Jeff Galloway method is wonderful and besides over use soreness I have not experienced any injuries. Get out to your local running store and let them know of your goals and what you and training. Stick to it and in 9 months you will be wearing bling bling bling and would have accomplished something so big.

I just wanted to add that last year I was in corral D with the 2:45 pace group and there were many and I mean many Jeff Galloway runners. I did not feel
Inhibited or felt like I was blocking any runners many of us had interval timers on and had to let each other know when to stop and start. With that being said walkers have just as much right as runners to be in the Princess but I will agree that right corral placement helps everyone have a better experience.
The only time I experiences crowding was when the course would go narrow but other than that I was with people in my pace group and I did not feel frustrated or believe I frustrated another runner.

 

[tinkeramy]

Post the links of any good youtube videos, will ya? I would like to see some too. I like to know exactly what is going to happen lol.

[/QUOTE]

I'll see if I can find some of my favorites, but in the meantime you can just search "Princess Half Marathon" and get a bazillion results. Input the year also if you just want to look at the most recent. They were really motivating!

Hello!

Hello, my name is Judi, I just turned 40 a few months ago & I am a single mom to a fantastic 13 year old daughter.

I feel like such a failure over things that weren't in my control, so I want to succeed at something I CAN control! And when some online friends mentioned this race, I thought about it & decided that I want this to be my goal! One of the online friends that inspired me to do this posts here on the thread, mahipp.

I am not kidding myself == I'm out of shape, have about 70 pounds too much on this frame, and my knees tell me all the time how uncomfortable they are. But I also know that if I don't get out there and do something, and soon, I'm in for a rough next 10 years. I would love to say that I'll run the race, but honestly, until I get a better idea of what I can do, I would be happy with just finishing it & not getting swept. (I had no idea they did this till I started reading this thread, and that thought scares me -- I don't want to go through all the training & expense to not even finish!!)

I'm a total newbie at this ... I've never bought sneakers that weren't on clearance somewhere, I have no idea what half of the abbreviations on this thread mean (though I'm picking them up), and I have no support system at home, but I really want to do this, so hopefully you'll all be accepting of my naiveté until I get my feet a bit more firmly planted.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you all ...

Welcome! It is a common thread on this board that turning 40 was enough to kick it in to get people off the couch! I started running just a couple of months before my 40th! The control thing, I can relate to - I have 3 young boys and one who is "high maintenance" - ADHD, possible ODD (oppositional defiant). I can't control how things go in my house all the time, but I feel SO great when I knock out a hard speed run or just complete a long run - it's so nice to set a goal, get it done, and see it completed!

All shapes & sizes run this - this is not an event for the athletic elite. And I also am a Galloway girl. I got up to running 5 miles straight and thought I was going to die. Switched to walk breaks after running each mile and hit on the right formula for me. Please do NOT get hung up on getting swept. As the time gets closer, you will get so much advice on this board as to how to avoid that, but honestly? Just train consistently, and if you are starting now you should have NO problem. The one thing I would tell you to focus on now is to get a good 10K time before the Princess - the faster your time in a 10K, the higher corral you can submit for in the Princess. The "sweeper" clock doesn't start until the last person in the last corral crosses the start line. If you are in a higher corral, you leave sooner and therefore have more of a cushion from the sweeper. But you have PLENTY of time to work up to this - you can even bring your 10K time with you to the Princess and get moved up the day before the race!

Shoes - NO CLEARANCE! I know - I am a "never pay full price" kind of gal. Go to a running store (not Sports Authority or the like) and get professionally fitted for your first pair of shoes. You're just gonna have to suck it up on this one and spend anywhere from 100-120. After you find a pair you like, you can go to all sorts of online outlets and get them MUCH cheaper. But this is SO important, especially if, as you mentioned, you are carrying some extra weight.

My husband was supportive, but didn't really "get" it, so this board was a WORLD of help. Any question you can ever have will be answered cheerfully.

Finally, for extra support, there is a site called DailyMile. It is like Facebook for runners, almost. You can track your runs and others can leave comments and encouragement. It's quite fun! If you join, leave your user name on here and we will all "friend" you!

Thanks, Tinydancer and cantwaitvaca09, for your good vibes. Unfortunately, my metatarsal actually IS fractured.

I'm definitely going to be following ALL the rules - no trying to be a hero or tough or doing anything stupid that might cause further injury or prevent a full recovery. That said, I DO want to get back to running...and dancing and yoga and walking my dogs and all the other things I love!

I'm so sorry - it must be really disappointing! But good for you regarding your rehab - no one is impressed by someone who doesn't have the sense to keep from re-injuring themselves!!!!

I'm a fresh newbie to running and I'm in for the Princess Half in Feb. Starting my first run with the Castaway Cay 5k. I'm trying to talk a few friends into a girls weekend to make it a bit more fun.

Do you know if they do a 5K on every cruise? We are going in Aug. and I'm getting the big eyeroll from the hubs when I mentioned there might be a 5K on the Cay!!!

I just wanted to add that last year I was in corral D with the 2:45 pace group and there were many and I mean many Jeff Galloway runners. I did not feel
Inhibited or felt like I was blocking any runners many of us had interval timers on and had to let each other know when to stop and start. With that being said walkers have just as much right as runners to be in the Princess but I will agree that right corral placement helps everyone have a better experience.
The only time I experiences crowding was when the course would go narrow but other than that I was with people in my pace group and I did not feel frustrated or believe I frustrated another runner.

The only time that I think walking was a problem was when people just didn't follow "race etiquette" - you know, move to the side, raise your hand and say, "Walking", that sort of thing. At one point, all the runners were forced to run on either side of the road because all the walkers were in the middle!!! It was kinda weird. But overall, this is definitely a walker-friendly race as long as common sense and courtesy are followed.

 

[MaMa3Princess]

Absolutely please follow race etiquette!!! I agree get in the practice of moving over during walk intervals and race hand and say "walking" I just happen to be in a wave with I'm not exaggerating where a lot I mean a lot of us were doing Galloway.
FYI, the 2:45 pacers and 3:00 pacers use intervals.

 

[mahipp]

Hello!

After a bit of lurking (and having to create a new account, because I couldn't remember my username from years ago), I'd like to come out of hiding & join the group - and be a participant in the Disney Half Princess Marathon in 2013!

I suppose I should introduce myself .... My name is Stitch ....

Okay, not really, but Stitch is one of my favorite Disney Characters! At some point, I'd love to get a character picture with him!

Oh right - introduction! (This is what happens before I've had my first cup of coffee!)

Hello, my name is Judi, I just turned 40 a few months ago & I am a single mom to a fantastic 13 year old daughter. I work as a conference planner / office manager for an educational company in Massachusetts. And in the interest of full disclosure, I haven't followed any type of organized exercise plan in probably about 8 years. Depression, multiple moves, and just being overwhelmed & stressed in my life zapped any energy & motivation I had. Of course, the pounds packing onto my frame didn't help either.

And recently I'd been thinking that I pretty much wasted the last 10 plus years to being depressed over my marriage ending, being a single parent, and just being alone. Obviously THAT didn't solve anything, so now I'm thinking of taking a different tactic -- getting off my butt & doing something positive! I feel like such a failure over things that weren't in my control, so I want to succeed at something I CAN control! And when some online friends mentioned this race, I thought about it & decided that I want this to be my goal! One of the online friends that inspired me to do this posts here on the thread, mahipp.

I'm also taking inspiration from someone I knew in HS who joined a team this past year that was running the Boston Marathon. Because he was part of this team, he didn't have to have a prequalifiying run (I'm not sure how that all works), but he trained hard & ran his first marathon last month in the scorching heat! I'm in awe of his accomplishment & figured that if HE could get out there & train & do a full marathon, then certainly with 9 1/2 months, I could complete a half marathon!

I am not kidding myself == I'm out of shape, have about 70 pounds too much on this frame, and my knees tell me all the time how uncomfortable they are. But I also know that if I don't get out there and do something, and soon, I'm in for a rough next 10 years. I would love to say that I'll run the race, but honestly, until I get a better idea of what I can do, I would be happy with just finishing it & not getting swept. (I had no idea they did this till I started reading this thread, and that thought scares me -- I don't want to go through all the training & expense to not even finish!!)

I'm a total newbie at this ... I've never bought sneakers that weren't on clearance somewhere, I have no idea what half of the abbreviations on this thread mean (though I'm picking them up), and I have no support system at home, but I really want to do this, so hopefully you'll all be accepting of my naiveté until I get my feet a bit more firmly planted.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you all ...

Awesome post Judi! You're expanding your online support system and that's a great step. I'm a newbie at this as well. I've never been athletic and have been overweight my whole life. Hopefully, working together, we'll all be wearing these on February 24!

 

[Disfan11]

Do you know if they do a 5K on every cruise? We are going in Aug. and I'm getting the big eyeroll from the hubs when I mentioned there might be a 5K on the Cay!!!


Yes, they do the 5K on Castaway Cay every time you dock there.
Last August we went there twice on our cruise and we got to run it both times.
Be prepared for very hot and humid weather though!
I was soaked by the end!

 

[TinyDancer]

I just created a facebook group. Here is the link!

http://www.facebook.com/groups/249640615143957/

 

[TinyDancer]

I ran a very hilly 5k this morning.. 2nd place in my age division! There were only 3 in my age group but I did better than I expected. I was shooting for a 32:00 time but ran 29:45!!

DH got 3rd overall and PR'd! He is doing great

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

I ran a very hilly 5k this morning.. 2nd place in my age division! There were only 3 in my age group but I did better than I expected. I was shooting for a 32:00 time but ran 29:45!!

DH got 3rd overall and PR'd! He is doing great

Congrats!!!

 

[TinyDancer]

Thanks, Tinydancer and cantwaitvaca09, for your good vibes. Unfortunately, my metatarsal actually IS fractured. I'm in an air cast for the forseeable future, and I've been referred to an orthopedic specialist. It's not a conventional fracture - rather, I broke off a bunch of tiny bone shards that are now floating in my foot, so I don't know if I will have to have surgery to have them removed or to repair the jagged bone or what.... Half marathon participation is definitely cancelled...guess this just leaves me more time to train for the 2013 Princess?

Does anyone else have experience with an injury like this and how long it takes to heal? I'm definitely going to be following ALL the rules - no trying to be a hero or tough or doing anything stupid that might cause further injury or prevent a full recovery. That said, I DO want to get back to running...and dancing and yoga and walking my dogs and all the other things I love!

Oh no I hate to hear that
Keep us updated please.

 

[WsPrincess]

I ran a very hilly 5k this morning.. 2nd place in my age division! There were only 3 in my age group but I did better than I expected. I was shooting for a 32:00 time but ran 29:45!!

DH got 3rd overall and PR'd! He is doing great

That is great for both of you! Awesome.

 

[TinyDancer]

Congrats!!!

That is great for both of you! Awesome.

Thank you!!

 

[mahipp]

Thanks, Tinydancer and cantwaitvaca09, for your good vibes. Unfortunately, my metatarsal actually IS fractured. I'm in an air cast for the forseeable future, and I've been referred to an orthopedic specialist. It's not a conventional fracture - rather, I broke off a bunch of tiny bone shards that are now floating in my foot, so I don't know if I will have to have surgery to have them removed or to repair the jagged bone or what.... Half marathon participation is definitely cancelled...guess this just leaves me more time to train for the 2013 Princess?

Does anyone else have experience with an injury like this and how long it takes to heal? I'm definitely going to be following ALL the rules - no trying to be a hero or tough or doing anything stupid that might cause further injury or prevent a full recovery. That said, I DO want to get back to running...and dancing and yoga and walking my dogs and all the other things I love!

Oh noez! Quick healing vibes heading your way!

 

[jodipaige2004]

Did you know there are already 2 facebook groups set up for the Disney Princess? One is open and one is closed - feel free to join one or both instead of starting a whole new group! I'm sure you find them if you do a search.

Jodi

 

[HockeyKat]

I just created a facebook group. Here is the link!

http://www.facebook.com/groups/249640615143957/

I sent you a request!

 

[longhorns2]

Did you know there are already 2 facebook groups set up for the Disney Princess? One is open and one is closed - feel free to join one or both instead of starting a whole new group! I'm sure you find them if you do a search.

Jodi

This is the closed one

https://www.facebook.com/groups/235075506582373/

They take everyone, just wanted it to feel a little more private.

 

[mahipp]

Happy Mother's Day Princesses!

 

[Fluffy Princess]

This is the closed one

https://www.facebook.com/groups/235075506582373/

They take everyone, just wanted it to feel a little more private.

Is there anyway to merge them so that we aren't having to post/follow 2 separate groups?

To those who have run it before, how are water stations? I'm trying to figure out whether I would need to wear my hydration belt.

Also, to those who have visited my blog, 1st thank you! 2nd) no new posts have been done for a long while because work overtook running. Hoping to resume this week.

 

[ellajeansmom]

I ran a very hilly 5k this morning.. 2nd place in my age division! There were only 3 in my age group but I did better than I expected. I was shooting for a 32:00 time but ran 29:45!!

DH got 3rd overall and PR'd! He is doing great

Congrats, that's awesome!

I ran my first ever 5K yesterday, it went really well...my goal was to be under 38:00 and I came in at 34:48! I ran it with a friend and her 3 sister-in-law's, all of them take the approach of run for as long as you can then walk when you need to. I follow timed run/walk intervals and right now I do 2 minute run/2 minute walk. They were all amazed that I crossed the finish line with one of them and the rest were only a couple of minutes ahead of me! It was confirmation that, for me, doing timed intervals is the way to go, although as I progress I hope to adjust the intervals to longer running and shorter walking.

My next mini-goal is to do a 10k race towards the end of the summer.

Anybody else race this weekend?

 

[mahipp]

Congrats Ellajeansmom!

 

[VickiHD]

Hi Princesses---We just got back from Disneyland and I found RunDisney pins (They look just like the magnets that are at the Disney Store.com) in Toon Town. I could not believe it. Of course I picked mine up and the cast member said they were brand new. I was a little surpised. But if anyone wants one you can call and order them through Merchandise Guest Services @ 1 877-560-6477. The pins were in the gift shop at ToonTown.

Didn't take my running shoes but we definately put the miles in at the parks day after day after day.