The New *Official 2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon Thread*

[2gr8DisneyKids]

Is it as much fun doing the race alone? I did a 5k solo and whatever that was only 3.1 miles, but 13.1 miles with characters and no one to have fun with along the way?! (Except Flynn from Tangled... 'cause that might work ok for me) Unfortunately, I severely lack the skills to sell this to anyone... and that's even when I include the whole "you know, you can wear a tutu" point, which totally sold me.

I have always run solo... was going to run some 5Ks with DH last fall, but then got hurt.

The Princess half was great solo the characters and entertainment along the way is great.

 

[AliceSpark]

I am hoping to go again. I didn’t feel that way when I finished but I right now I feel I have unfinished business. I did finish and get my medal but I didn’t finish in the 16mm pacing time. I finished at 3:48 (that did include one long bath room break ) – so I really want to go back and finish with in the required time. Just thought I would share a little of my experience for any newbies and I am also happy to answer any questions. I am 51 and had recently lost 40 pounds before training for the princess and I am still a little overweight at 190. I trained Galloway method and got to where I would run 30 second and walk 30 seconds on runs 3 miles or less – I planned on running 30 seconds and walking 60 seconds during the princess and that is how I trained on long runs – I followed the training schedule to a tee and my longest training run was 14 miles.

My biggest piece of advice for older out of shape runners is to use the time between now and September to learn to walk faster. I found that I walked slower than the walkers and it was so crowded that it was hard to insert my run segments. I wish I had concentrated on learning to walk at a 15 mm pace and then start inserting run intervals.

The entire experience was life changing. I had never been involved in pushing myself physically before (other than in giving birth) and it was very rewarding. The people on these boards were the reason I finished and the reason I kept going. So my biggest piece of advice would be to enjoy the process and then for sure you will enjoy the finish.

 

[ssdeverell]

I plan on running in 2013. My goal was to run this year for my 40th birthday (Feb 24th), but I did not start training in time. Next year it is actually on my birthday, but I was not born until 7:12 p.m., so I will still be officially 40. Will be able to mark that off my bucket list.

I do have a question. I thought I saw last year the information about proving your pace time. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I need to know if a 10K will work and what the deadline is for submitting. 5K times do not qualify, correct?

Thanks,

 

[princessnpirate]

Add me in! I am doing my first half in May in NJ and DH joked a couple of years ago that if I really want to run a half marathon I can do it in Disney.

Little did he know he would be eating those words

 

[belledreamer]

My biggest piece of advice for older out of shape runners is to use the time between now and September to learn to walk faster. I found that I walked slower than the walkers and it was so crowded that it was hard to insert my run segments. I wish I had concentrated on learning to walk at a 15 mm pace and then start inserting run intervals.

That's something I've wondered about. I've been working on trying to build my walking speed and I'm at about a 16.5-17 mm pace on the treadmill. I'd love to be able to walk a good bit of the race but I find that my stride is rather short so I end up having to do this odd little jog to keep up the 16 mm pace and can only do that for about 2 minutes before having to slow down...

I've been trying to build my speed for the past several weeks but I can't seem to get any faster than a 16.5 mm walk. Is there a way to build my walking speed that I just don't know about or am I just going to have to plan for a 30 sec walk/ 30 sec run pace?

 

[princessnpirate]

Hi,

I can tell you that I run 30-45 seconds faster per minute outside versus on the treadmill.

Do not focus on the number for now. I would suggest doing a couch to 5k or simply start by jogging 30 seconds/ walking 30 seconds and then a week later try jogging 45 seconds and walking 30 seconds....start adjusting from there. You will surprise yourself immensely how the jogging will become easier and you will likely start to increase your speed.

Also try going outside - you will surprise yourself!

You have lots of time to get there!

 

[MaMa3Princess]

That's something I've wondered about. I've been working on trying to build my walking speed and I'm at about a 16.5-17 mm pace on the treadmill. I'd love to be able to walk a good bit of the race but I find that my stride is rather short so I end up having to do this odd little jog to keep up the 16 mm pace and can only do that for about 2 minutes before having to slow down...

I've been trying to build my speed for the past several weeks but I can't seem to get any faster than a 16.5 mm walk. Is there a way to build my walking speed that I just don't know about or am I just going to have to plan for a 30 sec walk/ 30 sec run pace?

Hi Belledreamer,

I am a short interval runner and let me tell you we have our work cut out for us.
I do 2:1 but I have found the lowest I can go is 1:1 without dipping into the 14-15 range. So it is good that you are already starting to incorporate intervals.

Funny story at Princess. So many ladies had interval watches that we all had to start yelling out who watch it was that was beeping

 

[belledreamer]

Hi Belledreamer,

I am a short interval runner and let me tell you we have our work cut out for us.
I do 2:1 but I have found the lowest I can go is 1:1 without dipping into the 14-15 range. So it is good that you are already starting to incorporate intervals.

Funny story at Princess. So many ladies had interval watches that we all had to start yelling out who watch it was that was beeping

That's 2 minutes running, 1 minute walking, right? I'm not really trying to get some fantastic time at the race, just mainly wanting to enjoy myself, get some awesome pics and not worry about getting swept. If I can get to a 14 mm pace, I'd be totally happy.

I may have to consider getting an interval watch and start training with that. I try to keep an eye on it with the treadmill and I mostly seem to forget...

 

[VickiHD]

Funny story at Princess. So many ladies had interval watches that we all had to start yelling out who watch it was that was beeping

What kind of interval watches do you recommend?? I'm really looking for something but have no idea where to start or what features to look for.

I USED to love my iphone app ----Nike+GPS until I realized it was not accurate. I had been using it for 9 months or so for my Tinker Bell 1/2 training and I was happy with my time etc.....well at running the Tinker Bell this past Jan, my time and RunDisney time was off. And it turned out my NikeGPS app time was about 1 1 1/2 slower than what my app said. Oh well and I thought I was going to get a new PR.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[mahipp]

What kind of interval watches do you recommend?? I'm really looking for something but have no idea where to start or what features to look for.

I USED to love my iphone app ----Nike+GPS until I realized it was not accurate. I had been using it for 9 months or so for my Tinker Bell 1/2 training and I was happy with my time etc.....well at running the Tinker Bell this past Jan, my time and RunDisney time was off. And it turned out my NikeGPS app time was about 1 1 1/2 slower than what my app said. Oh well and I thought I was going to get a new PR.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Ack! I use the Nike+ app - it's not accurate!?

 

[HockeyKat]

What kind of interval watches do you recommend?? I'm really looking for something but have no idea where to start or what features to look for.

I USED to love my iphone app ----Nike+GPS until I realized it was not accurate. I had been using it for 9 months or so for my Tinker Bell 1/2 training and I was happy with my time etc.....well at running the Tinker Bell this past Jan, my time and RunDisney time was off. And it turned out my NikeGPS app time was about 1 1 1/2 slower than what my app said. Oh well and I thought I was going to get a new PR.

Any suggestions would be helpful.

I have a Garmin 405. I got it used from craigslist but you can get it new for about $160 from Amazon, if you are willing to spend that much. The 110 is also good, smaller, and about $150, but has no heart rate monitor capability.

It will do intervals and monitor pace, average pace, heart rate (with a strap), and if you get the matching foot pod, it will also track indoors and measure cadence (steps per min). It's a little complicated to set up, though, I had to read the manual a few times.

I had heard that the Nike+ was not very accurate, especially if you do a run/walk, or are in the slower pace groups.

You can also get a $20 GymBoss for intervals. It's easy to set up and vibrates and beeps.

I'm a run/walk Galloway geek, so I usually use both.

 

[VickiHD]

Ack! I use the Nike+ app - it's not accurate!?

At least mine isn't. My husband has the same at his doesn't seem to be off as much as mine. I contacted the app people to tell them of the problem...still waiting to hear something. I even reinstalled it....still has some issues. I do end up taking a lot of phone calls when I'm using it---don't know if that makes a difference.

 

[joan4mickey]

I plan on running in 2013. My goal was to run this year for my 40th birthday (Feb 24th), but I did not start training in time. Next year it is actually on my birthday, but I was not born until 7:12 p.m., so I will still be officially 40. Will be able to mark that off my bucket list.

I do have a question. I thought I saw last year the information about proving your pace time. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I need to know if a 10K will work and what the deadline is for submitting. 5K times do not qualify, correct?

Thanks,

You will need at least a 10K run/walk for proof of time. If you have done a 10k before you register then there is a place to record that info..if not you can always send it in later (If I remember sometime in Dec is cut off) or take a copy of race with time to the expo and have your corral placement reassigned if you have a time that would move you up.

Corrals? A faster proof of time will move you up to a faster corral. This helps "traffic" flow when the race begins. In theory, the faster runners are first to start, Corral A and the rest of the corrals starts about every 5 minutes.

 

[VickiHD]

I have a Garmin 405. I got it used from craigslist but you can get it new for about $160 from Amazon, if you are willing to spend that much. The 110 is also good, smaller, and about $150, but has no heart rate monitor capability.

It will do intervals and monitor pace, average pace, heart rate (with a strap), and if you get the matching foot pod, it will also track indoors and measure cadence (steps per min). It's a little complicated to set up, though, I had to read the manual a few times.

I had heard that the Nike+ was not very accurate, especially if you do a run/walk, or are in the slower pace groups.

You can also get a $20 GymBoss for intervals. It's easy to set up and vibrates and beeps.

I'm a run/walk Galloway geek, so I usually use both.

Thanks for the info. I also have the run walk timer from Jeff Galloway but I can never hear it with my head phones on.

 

[MaMa3Princess]

Thanks for the info. I also have the run walk timer from Jeff Galloway but I can never hear it with my head phones on.

I have a Garmin 305 I purchased a refurbished one off Amazon.
I don't run with headphones, but if you have a smartphone there is a
Interval app that lets you make a playlist and will play and turn your music down temporarily during the beep. I got a Garmin when I wanted to track my speed a little better. Example if there is a hill coming up I slow down a whole mile per minute to conserve energy. Nevertheless, if you really start getting into training, I'm like Kat when you get serious about your interval training, a timer of some sort definitely helps out!

 

[tinkeramy]

Is it as much fun doing the race alone? I did a 5k solo and whatever that was only 3.1 miles, but 13.1 miles with characters and no one to have fun with along the way?! (Except Flynn from Tangled... 'cause that might work ok for me) Unfortunately, I severely lack the skills to sell this to anyone... and that's even when I include the whole "you know, you can wear a tutu" point, which totally sold me.

I ran solo my first year (2011) and it was still fun. The only time I didn't like it was at the finish line. Here I had accomplished this great thing for the first time and.... there was nobody around with whom to share it. If you have fam / friends at the finish line, of course, this would be different. This past year I stuck with my friend and we had a great time.

My biggest piece of advice for older out of shape runners is to use the time between now and September to learn to walk faster. I found that I walked slower than the walkers and it was so crowded that it was hard to insert my run segments. I wish I had concentrated on learning to walk at a 15 mm pace and then start inserting run intervals.

Someone said this on last year's board and I concur - it's actually easier for me to jog a little than walk fast - that's hard! If you train yourself to walk the 15 mm pace, then you will surely make it in time if you throw in decent running intervals.

I do have a question. I thought I saw last year the information about proving your pace time. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I need to know if a 10K will work and what the deadline is for submitting. 5K times do not qualify, correct?

Thanks,

Joan pretty much answered this, but, yes it needs to be 10K or longer. You only need to submit proof of time if you feel you will finish in 2:45 or less. At registration it will ask you for the name of the race and your finish time. That's all you do. If you do a 10K after registration but before mid-December (that was the cut off last year) then all you need to do is e-mail RunDisney with the name, date and your time in the race and they will take it from there. Anything after the e-mail cut off and you will need to bring a print-out with you - I believe it can just be a page shot from a website where results are listed.

If you know that you will NOT finish in 2:45 or less, you can still put in a time or e-mail them with a time and it just might keep you out of the last corrals, but it's not required.

That's 2 minutes running, 1 minute walking, right? I'm not really trying to get some fantastic time at the race, just mainly wanting to enjoy myself, get some awesome pics and not worry about getting swept. If I can get to a 14 mm pace, I'd be totally happy.

I may have to consider getting an interval watch and start training with that. I try to keep an eye on it with the treadmill and I mostly seem to forget...

This will be brought up again as we get closer to race day, I'm sure, but most of the picture opps between the start and the MK will be there on the way back to Epcot from the MK - they are in the middle of the divided highway and the course takes you past them twice. This year we blew past all those photo ops on the way to the MK in order to bank some time and hit them on the way back. The lines were MUCH shorter then, too, because people had either stopped earlier or everyone was a lot more spread out. Also, there are virtually NO lines for characters as you get closer to the finish. Everyone just wants to be done and is so worried about finishing. We literally walked right up to about 5 or 6 different photo opps in the last 2-3 miles!

I have tons of pics from last year and a race report on my blog if you want to get a feel for it.

SO MUCH FUN! I am now officially a Princess addict. And if I win the half million GA lottery this weekend, I just might get the buy-in from the DH to be a full-fledged RunDisney addict! Might.

 

[jodipaige2004]

Can anyone else weigh in on the accuracy of the Nike app? I have the new iPod nano and the Nike app is on there - it does not need the special shoe piece. Is this a reliable app? I wasn't sure what people meant by saying the time was slower. I am using the app for distance to help me train - setting at 10K, for example. Are some people feeling that it is not truly measuring the full distance? Yikes!!!

 

[TinyDancer]

I hope I have everyone listed on the front page so far.. If I missed you please let me know!

This weekend is a big deal for me. It will be my longest run ever (7.3) and I'll hit 100+ miles for this year!

 

[TinyDancer]

Can anyone else weigh in on the accuracy of the Nike app? I have the new iPod nano and the Nike app is on there - it does not need the special shoe piece. Is this a reliable app? I wasn't sure what people meant by saying the time was slower. I am using the app for distance to help me train - setting at 10K, for example. Are some people feeling that it is not truly measuring the full distance? Yikes!!!

I'm not sure, but to check the distance I would also turn on RunKeeper and see if it measures them equally.

 

[fashionista311]

Can anyone else weigh in on the accuracy of the Nike app? I have the new iPod nano and the Nike app is on there - it does not need the special shoe piece. Is this a reliable app? I wasn't sure what people meant by saying the time was slower. I am using the app for distance to help me train - setting at 10K, for example. Are some people feeling that it is not truly measuring the full distance? Yikes!!!

I'm not sure how the nano app works, but the iphone app is definitely not 100 percent accurate. It's not terrible for shorter runs, but really anything over an hour it gets wonky. I've had it tell me I'm running at a 6 min/mile pace at an easy effort. I'm pretty sure I couldn't hold that pace for a half mile at an all out sprint Also, it's been over a half mile "behind" what my Garmin says, and I definitely trust my Garmin more. Plus since I run more or less the same routes almost every day, and I've been living here for about a year and a half, you kinda get to know the distances. and the app was definitely way off base. So yeah, not the greatest.