The New *Official 2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon Thread*

[cimrk0101]

Hey guys,

I've been lurking for a few weeks now and decided to register and come out of lurkdom! This is going to be a doozy of a post

I'll also be participating in my first half marathon with my sister and two best friends!

I started running back in late January as part of my exercise regimen. I only found out about this a month or two ago and have been using this as a focus goal and motivator.

As of now I'm now able to run for one hour non stop. Distance coming in anywhere from 4-5miles depending on my speed and pacing. While that's not anything to brag about compared to more experienced runners it's a huge accomplishment for someone who back in January could only walk with brief twenty seconds bouts of running in between. I remember I use to have hip pain and severe sore knees and had to wear a knee brace during those early runs.

As of today I no longer have to wear that darn thing anymore! But I am starting to feel more tightness in my left calf and on my right Achilles heel. I'm paranoid I'm going to get injured and have been forcing myself to take a day off between runs in the evening and heat/ice the areas while resting.

I'm wondering if the pain/tightness (feels like a cramp coming on but never fully develops if that makes any sense) can be associated with the new shoes (Reebok transitions) I bought about a month ago? The shoes are super comfortable and I am noticing I can run a longer distance with them compared to my last nike monstrosity shoes with the giant heels.

Do you guys think I need a custom insole? Or just need to apply more stretching before/after my runs? Being wearing sports tape to the area? Purchase a compression for the calf/heel?

Also, I'll be participating in my first 5k at the end of May and am wondering about good corral placement for the princess. How does that number work exactly? How does Disney know which corral to place you in? You give them a random number with estimation? A certificate from another local race as verification? etc.,

I don't want to be placed in the wrong one and slow me down but I don't want to get ahead of myself and get kicked out during the race because I gave them (disney) a false number that is too fast for me? Do they really kick you out if you don't keep up with the number you gave them? How does that work?

I will also be bringing guests to cheer me on. How much is it for them to be part of the Cheer section (?) that gets to quickly board the monorail and cheer us on from the parks?

One last thing, one of my best friends has asthma and will be taking her inhaler during the run. If for whatever reason during the marathon she decides she can't go on how does one flag someone to take her back to the starting point to meet up with me after the race?

Sorry for all the questions

 

[MaMa3Princess]

I am aslo fat, and was much fatter when I did the princess for the first time in 2011. I will never forget how I posted I did 1 mile and thought I could NEVER do 5 let alone 13. But I have done the princess twice. I am still 30 pounds over weight. I plan on doing the princess 2013 also,
Just don't give up!

Wow!!! That is so wonderful!! Keep up the good work!!!

 

[amykay9377]

I just signed up for a 10k in October. I haven't done a 5k yet, my first one will be later this month. Hopefully by October I'll be able to get my time down enough to qualify for a better corral in February. We'll see.

That's my plan too, but with the 10k being in November (will be cooler here in FL!)
I recently did my first 5k and my pace was 15.41mm, so I'd finish the Half at just under 3:30! If I can do the 10k in 1:20 or less, it will give me 2:48, which will put me in a quicker corral!

This is a great pace calculator, BTW - put in your pace time and what the length is (i.e. 48 minutes for a 5k) and what you want to convert it to (i.e. half-marathon time) it will do the conversion for you! That's how I got my numbers above.

Good luck on your 5k!!!

Speaking of shoes, here's another question for all you experienced folks. Best place to be fitted for and buy shoes? I have a pair of NB cross trainers that will work for now since I don't have the stamina yet for great distance, but where do I go to look for shoes? Do running shoes also work for walking 15 minute pace or are there specialized shoes for walkers? As you can see, I'm a total neophyte and I appreciate your patience with my newby questions.

I went to a running store called Fit 2 Run. They will listen to you tell them what kind of feet you have, any issues you may have (i.e. overpronation, etc) and they'll put you in a shoe. Then they will put you on a treadmill and watch you run for about 10-15 seconds on a screen that they can play back in slo-mo (it sounds weird, but it was really cool!). Then they will bring out more shoes for you to try on to find your perfect fit. If you want to go back on the treadmill to 'test drive' them, they are fine with that (I did this, with one shoe on my left foot and a different one on my right). You can also just walk around the store if you are more comfortable with that.
Long story short, though - you want to go to a store that specializes in running, not just the local Champs or whatever. Foot Locker wants to sell expensive shoes, Bob's Running Mart wants to help you be a better runner.
As for the shoes themselves, I would suggest asking the store folks. I am at a 15mm pace right now, but I went ahead and got running shoes because I know that as I get better and faster, I'll want to run (jog, shuffle, whatever you call it) more! Better to drop $100 now, then to get $50 walking shoes then $100 running shoes in 6 months from now, kwim?

 

[Mokat76]

Amykay--I DO know what you mean. Thanks for the good advice. I'd hate to waste money on the wrong shoes sold by someone who just wants the sale. I'll look for a specialty store.

 

[Craftydawn]

Hello all,

Another lurker here. I am finally feeling confident enough to commit to this half marathon. I am very nervous as I am just starting to increase my walking to more than my normal 3 miles.

I have about 70 pounds to lose as well, so this will be quite an accomplishment if I am able to stick to this and complete it. It is very exciting reading everything you have all done and it is a motivation to me that I can do it as well.

I still have a long way to go to meet this goal, but I figured committing is the first step.

 

[VickiHD]

Hey guys,

I've been lurking for a few weeks now and decided to register and come out of lurkdom! This is going to be a doozy of a post

I'll also be participating in my first half marathon with my sister and two best friends!

I started running back in late January as part of my exercise regimen. I only found out about this a month or two ago and have been using this as a focus goal and motivator.

As of now I'm now able to run for one hour non stop. Distance coming in anywhere from 4-5miles depending on my speed and pacing. While that's not anything to brag about compared to more experienced runners it's a huge accomplishment for someone who back in January could only walk with brief twenty seconds bouts of running in between. I remember I use to have hip pain and severe sore knees and had to wear a knee brace during those early runs.

As of today I no longer have to wear that darn thing anymore! But I am starting to feel more tightness in my left calf and on my right Achilles heel. I'm paranoid I'm going to get injured and have been forcing myself to take a day off between runs in the evening and heat/ice the areas while resting.

I'm wondering if the pain/tightness (feels like a cramp coming on but never fully develops if that makes any sense) can be associated with the new shoes (Reebok transitions) I bought about a month ago? The shoes are super comfortable and I am noticing I can run a longer distance with them compared to my last nike monstrosity shoes with the giant heels.

Do you guys think I need a custom insole? Or just need to apply more stretching before/after my runs? Being wearing sports tape to the area? Purchase a compression for the calf/heel?

Also, I'll be participating in my first 5k at the end of May and am wondering about good corral placement for the princess. How does that number work exactly? How does Disney know which corral to place you in? You give them a random number with estimation? A certificate from another local race as verification? etc.,

I don't want to be placed in the wrong one and slow me down but I don't want to get ahead of myself and get kicked out during the race because I gave them (disney) a false number that is too fast for me? Do they really kick you out if you don't keep up with the number you gave them? How does that work?

I will also be bringing guests to cheer me on. How much is it for them to be part of the Cheer section (?) that gets to quickly board the monorail and cheer us on from the parks?

One last thing, one of my best friends has asthma and will be taking her inhaler during the run. If for whatever reason during the marathon she decides she can't go on how does one flag someone to take her back to the starting point to meet up with me after the race?

Sorry for all the questions

Welcome !!! I can't answer all your questions...I'm sure others can chime in.
But I have a suggestion regarding knee issues....personally, I would just make an appointment for some sort of sports doctor. You can discuss all the details with them and see what they suggest. I ended up going to one about a year ago and it was very helpful to me. Especially since I knew I wanted to continue to run.

It sounds like you are making great progress so keep up the work.

 

[Barefoot Princess]

Hey guys,

I've been lurking for a few weeks now and decided to register and come out of lurkdom! This is going to be a doozy of a post

I'll also be participating in my first half marathon with my sister and two best friends!

I started running back in late January as part of my exercise regimen. I only found out about this a month or two ago and have been using this as a focus goal and motivator.

As of now I'm now able to run for one hour non stop. Distance coming in anywhere from 4-5miles depending on my speed and pacing. While that's not anything to brag about compared to more experienced runners it's a huge accomplishment for someone who back in January could only walk with brief twenty seconds bouts of running in between. I remember I use to have hip pain and severe sore knees and had to wear a knee brace during those early runs.

As of today I no longer have to wear that darn thing anymore! But I am starting to feel more tightness in my left calf and on my right Achilles heel. I'm paranoid I'm going to get injured and have been forcing myself to take a day off between runs in the evening and heat/ice the areas while resting.

I'm wondering if the pain/tightness (feels like a cramp coming on but never fully develops if that makes any sense) can be associated with the new shoes (Reebok transitions) I bought about a month ago? The shoes are super comfortable and I am noticing I can run a longer distance with them compared to my last nike monstrosity shoes with the giant heels.

Do you guys think I need a custom insole? Or just need to apply more stretching before/after my runs? Being wearing sports tape to the area? Purchase a compression for the calf/heel?

Welcome, and congratulaions! Wow! You can run for 1 hour and you just started in January? That's impressive!

That being said, I'm wondering if you are doing too much too soon? Or perhaps started running without much guidance? You didn't mention anything about your physical activity level prior to January, but if you never ran before, I think it's important to talk to your doctor first. Also find a running program for a beginner and also look for good stretch excersizes online (Runner's World website has stretch videos). Running uses very specific muscles, so even if you were active in other sports, it's important to know which stretches to do. My DH has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do - very fit and active, but when he tried to start running with me few months ago he had to stop right away because of sharp knee pain. Now he sees my chiropractor who also has sport medicine background, and he does specific stretches and strength excersizes to help him be able to run.

I also recommend trying Jeff Galloway's program(www.jeffgalloway.com) - he's the Run Disney's official "coach," and his run-walk-run method is very good for avoiding injuries. Don't look down on "walk breaks" - I run 3 minutes/walk 1 minute, and I can finish 6 miles in 1 hour. With HUGE hills.

You probably shouldn't run everyday either...I got the feeling from your post that you've been running everyday, but most programs recommend letting your muscles heal in between.

Of course, I'm no medical expert, so take all these with a grain of salt...may be it's your shoes, but before you go buy inserts (which don't come cheap by the way), you may want to try other stuff first. I think it's important to talk to a medical professional who understands running at any rate, though. The last thing you want is make stuff up on your own, get injured and quit running for a long period of time....Once you get injured, it takes a long time to get back to where you were. It's better to go slow and run long term!

Hope that helps

 

[Disfan11]

Hey guys,

I've been lurking for a few weeks now and decided to register and come out of lurkdom! This is going to be a doozy of a post


I'll also be participating in my first half marathon with my sister and two best friends!


I started running back in late January as part of my exercise regimen. I only found out about this a month or two ago and have been using this as a focus goal and motivator.

As of now I'm now able to run for one hour non stop. Distance coming in anywhere from 4-5miles depending on my speed and pacing. While that's not anything to brag about compared to more experienced runners it's a huge accomplishment for someone who back in January could only walk with brief twenty seconds bouts of running in between. I remember I use to have hip pain and severe sore knees and had to wear a knee brace during those early runs.

As of today I no longer have to wear that darn thing anymore! But I am starting to feel more tightness in my left calf and on my right Achilles heel. I'm paranoid I'm going to get injured and have been forcing myself to take a day off between runs in the evening and heat/ice the areas while resting.

I'm wondering if the pain/tightness (feels like a cramp coming on but never fully develops if that makes any sense) can be associated with the new shoes (Reebok transitions) I bought about a month ago? The shoes are super comfortable and I am noticing I can run a longer distance with them compared to my last nike monstrosity shoes with the giant heels.

Do you guys think I need a custom insole? Or just need to apply more stretching before/after my runs? Being wearing sports tape to the area? Purchase a compression for the calf/heel?

Also, I'll be participating in my first 5k at the end of May and am wondering about good corral placement for the princess. How does that number work exactly? How does Disney know which corral to place you in? You give them a random number with estimation? A certificate from another local race as verification? etc.,

I don't want to be placed in the wrong one and slow me down but I don't want to get ahead of myself and get kicked out during the race because I gave them (disney) a false number that is too fast for me? Do they really kick you out if you don't keep up with the number you gave them? How does that work?

I will also be bringing guests to cheer me on. How much is it for them to be part of the Cheer section (?) that gets to quickly board the monorail and cheer us on from the parks?

One last thing, one of my best friends has asthma and will be taking her inhaler during the run. If for whatever reason during the marathon she decides she can't go on how does one flag someone to take her back to the starting point to meet up with me after the race?

Sorry for all the questions

Welcome to running, getting healthy and planning on doing the Princess.
It doesn't matter how fast/slow you go.
We are all proud that you are out there getting ready for this amazing experience.
I've done the Princess twice now and loved it both times!

For shoes: I went to my local running store and bought some nice running shoes and was fitted for the inserts. They have done well for me for the past 3 years and 9 half marathons!

Corral placement: Disney will want you to predict the time you will finish the 13.1 miles. I think if you say you will finish under 2 1/2 hours, then you will need to submit proof of time from a 10K (not a 5K). The less time, the lower the number and lower corral you will be in. You just submit the time online and I guess they can check from there. The lower the corral number (or letter in some cases), the more time you have to complete the race.
You need to be able to do 16 miles, but most people generally train for 14 minute miles so that you have time for potty stops and pictures.
The cut off time starts from when the last person crosses the start line, so it's better to be in lower corral. Make sense?

You won't get kicked out of the race for not having a correct time submitted for what you will actually do. Some people get injured when training, so they can't run/walk as fast as they orignally submitted. No one cares just so long as you are a courtious walker/runner.

They do pick up people who are not making the 16 minute mile. But I know they can be generous about the 16 minute mile if you stay ahead of the "balloon lady" (the last person).
You've got lots of time to train, so you shouldn't have any problem!

My sister did the Cheer squad for the Disneyland half last year. She got a clapper, a chair and some signs. There are different levels that you can pay for with the Cheer squads. Or you can just make your own signs and find a spot of the route to cheer everyone on!

There will be medical personnel on the route so if your friend is having problems, she can stop and stay with them. I'm sure Disney would pick her up and bring her to the end to meet you.

Again, congrats to you all who have signed up for the Princess.
It's a really, really fun event to do.
I fell in love with Disney halfs after doing this 2 years ago and now I have run in 4 different ones (2 Princesses, 1 Tinkerbell and 1 Disneyland)!

I've got lots of advice if you need/want it!

 

[tinkeramy]

That's so good to know and so inspiring. I know there will be a lot of incredibly fit women there, but knowing that other "fluffy" types can and have done this makes me even more determined. Thanks.

Oh, my gosh - there are ALL types there! This really is quite the mixed group.

Hey guys,

I've been lurking for a few weeks now and decided to register and come out of lurkdom! This is going to be a doozy of a post

I'll also be participating in my first half marathon with my sister and two best friends!

I started running back in late January as part of my exercise regimen. I only found out about this a month or two ago and have been using this as a focus goal and motivator.

As of now I'm now able to run for one hour non stop. Distance coming in anywhere from 4-5miles depending on my speed and pacing. While that's not anything to brag about compared to more experienced runners it's a huge accomplishment for someone who back in January could only walk with brief twenty seconds bouts of running in between. I remember I use to have hip pain and severe sore knees and had to wear a knee brace during those early runs.

As of today I no longer have to wear that darn thing anymore! But I am starting to feel more tightness in my left calf and on my right Achilles heel. I'm paranoid I'm going to get injured and have been forcing myself to take a day off between runs in the evening and heat/ice the areas while resting.

I'm wondering if the pain/tightness (feels like a cramp coming on but never fully develops if that makes any sense) can be associated with the new shoes (Reebok transitions) I bought about a month ago? The shoes are super comfortable and I am noticing I can run a longer distance with them compared to my last nike monstrosity shoes with the giant heels.

Do you guys think I need a custom insole? Or just need to apply more stretching before/after my runs? Being wearing sports tape to the area? Purchase a compression for the calf/heel?

Also, I'll be participating in my first 5k at the end of May and am wondering about good corral placement for the princess. How does that number work exactly? How does Disney know which corral to place you in? You give them a random number with estimation? A certificate from another local race as verification? etc.,

I don't want to be placed in the wrong one and slow me down but I don't want to get ahead of myself and get kicked out during the race because I gave them (disney) a false number that is too fast for me? Do they really kick you out if you don't keep up with the number you gave them? How does that work?

I will also be bringing guests to cheer me on. How much is it for them to be part of the Cheer section (?) that gets to quickly board the monorail and cheer us on from the parks?

One last thing, one of my best friends has asthma and will be taking her inhaler during the run. If for whatever reason during the marathon she decides she can't go on how does one flag someone to take her back to the starting point to meet up with me after the race?

Sorry for all the questions

Whew - lots of good questions! Some of them have been answered by previous posters, but here's my two cents:

Running 1 hour non-stop ROCKS. I got up to 5 miles straight and thought I was going to die. Switched to the Galloway run / walk and have never looked back. I walk for one minute at the end of each mile and it's just enough of a breather for me to mentally get me through. But do what feels good to you.

I had problems with a tight calf that turned into shin splints, to you're right to pay attention to it. I went to PT but all that did was help me get over shin splints. It didn't teach me to do anything different; I started feeling the calves and shins again and knew I had to do something. I checked the book "Chi Running" by Danny Dreyer out of the library and it has been quite possibly life changing (well, at least my athletic life!) I have changed my form a lot and while I still have twinges here and there, I have avoided any kind of sidelining injury for a year now. You might want to look into it. Also, ice after each run for about 10 or so minutes REALLY does wonders.

As far as corrals go, you need a 10K race or longer for a qualifying time. As far as I know, RunDisney takes everyone's estimated finish and places them in corrals chronologically from there. I have never had to send them anything other than the name of the race, the date, and my finish time. I did it via e-mail for 2011 but had a 10K time to enter at registration for 2012. They took it from there. The corral thing is something you can allow yourself to get really hung up on, but it is what it is. If you train smart and are capable of finishing the 13.1, it's all good!

Hello all,

Another lurker here. I am finally feeling confident enough to commit to this half marathon. I am very nervous as I am just starting to increase my walking to more than my normal 3 miles.

I have about 70 pounds to lose as well, so this will be quite an accomplishment if I am able to stick to this and complete it. It is very exciting reading everything you have all done and it is a motivation to me that I can do it as well.

I still have a long way to go to meet this goal, but I figured committing is the first step.

TOTALLY worth it!!! So much fun and everyone is SUPER supportive of each other. Like I said previously, this is not a super-skinny, elite athlete sort of thing. There are all body types and all ages. You CAN stick to this. Just keep thinking about Disney World!!!

Sorry for pushing the blog on all you veterans, but any newbies can look back to Feb. on my blog and see all my pictures. When I was new, it really made me feel better seeing everyone's race recaps and pictures so I could know a little better what to expect.

 

[HockeyKat]

Thanks, Kat, for the encouragement and the good ideas.

I'm going to start training now so by the time registration rolls around I might at least have a sense of whether I'm improving enough to want to proceed. On the plus side, even being out of shape I'm in the 70th percentile of women my age in cardio fitness and core strength. While not great, that's far better than I expected. On the negative side, in addition to the lack of cartilage in my knees, I'm fat, fat, fat! It'll be a challenge, but if I don't give myself a tough goal, I'll sink back into lethargy. Combining a fitness challenge with my love of WDW sounds like the perfect mix. I found some good online resources with training guides for walkers. Time to lace up the shoes and get going!

Speaking of shoes, here's another question for all you experienced folks. Best place to be fitted for and buy shoes? I have a pair of NB cross trainers that will work for now since I don't have the stamina yet for great distance, but where do I go to look for shoes? Do running shoes also work for walking 15 minute pace or are there specialized shoes for walkers? As you can see, I'm a total neophyte and I appreciate your patience with my newby questions.

Sure, anytime! Please ask anything you might need to know. This is a great group and we will do our best to answer. Although, I am heading to Disney tomorrow for 10 days so may be in and out.

You don't have to be a little fast petite thing to finish a half marathon at a 15 min pace, or even under. I am most definitely overweight. 5'8" and 225 right now, and I was about 220 for both Princess 2011 and 2012, maybe around 205 for 2010. I did a 2:44 PR (personal record) last Nov and I was around 210 lbs, and even left a ~130-135 lb girl that was in my training group behind in the process (not on purpose, but was chasing a PR!). I've gone down some here and there but seem to put it back on.

I wish you lived around here because my Galloway training group is walker friendly and it's such a great group! We have almost 500 members, and pace groups from 7min miles to 15min miles. I am a pace group leader for the 12:30min mile group. Our long runs train 2 min per mile slower than desired race pace.

I would 2nd (3rd?) the suggestion to get fitted at a specialty running store. They can help you decide at the very least what kind of shoe works best for your foot. Most have a money-back guarantee even if you have used the shoes once or twice.

I have very very flat feet and with the extra weight I carry, I use a stability shoe. I also wear men's shoes as my feet are wide and I would take a 10.5-11 in women's shoes. Keep in mind that for this kind of distance, you usually want to go up at least a half size from your normal shoe to allow your foot some room to expand.

Another thing to keep in mind for "fluffy" folks is that the hydration/cramping issues can be a bit harder for us, especially if you are prone to heavy sweating or live in a hot climate like I do. I drink water of course, but also take electrolyte pills if I am going to be out for more than about 1-1.5 hours.

 

[VickiHD]

I am heading to Disney tomorrow for 10 days so may be in and out.

Have a great time. Just 7 more days for me before we drive down to Disneyland for a few days. It's been a long couple of months and I can't wait to get back to my "Happy Place".

 

[cantwaitvaca09]

Wow!!! That is so wonderful!! Keep up the good work!!!

Thank you,!

 

[happybaker]

Although, I am heading to Disney tomorrow for 10 days so may be in and out.

I'm heading out this afternoon for Disney. A girlfriend and I are registered for the Everest Challenge tomorrow night at Animal Kingdom.

Everyone have a great weekend, and good luck to anyone who's running a race this weekend.

Holly

 

[WsPrincess]

I was looking online and it turns out the local health system that my doctor belongs to has a program called RunFast where you meet with the Sports Medicine team (not sure who exactly, I am waiting for more details) and they do a complete assessment of how you run and work out a stretching program and anything else you need to prevent injury. It is not covered by insurance but it is only $125. I am thinking I might do it just because with my previous surgery I want to make sure I don't get injured. What do you guys think? Worth it for a new runner?

 

[VickiHD]

I was looking online and it turns out the local health system that my doctor belongs to has a program called RunFast where you meet with the Sports Medicine team (not sure who exactly, I am waiting for more details) and they do a complete assessment of how you run and work out a stretching program and anything else you need to prevent injury. It is not covered by insurance but it is only $125. I am thinking I might do it just because with my previous surgery I want to make sure I don't get injured. What do you guys think? Worth it for a new runner?

That sounds like a great opportunity. If it was me I would definitely do that. It sounds like you could really get some sound professional advice and a program. I think the price is VERY reasonable. Let us know how it goes.

 

[fashionista311]

cimrk, hope this helps!

Hey guys,
I don't want to be placed in the wrong one and slow me down but I don't want to get ahead of myself and get kicked out during the race because I gave them (disney) a false number that is too fast for me? Do they really kick you out if you don't keep up with the number you gave them? How does that work?
:

You will only get swept if you can't keep up the 16 min/mile pace. However, I urge you to be as honest as possible on your corral for the safety of other runners. I usually put down my "a" goal for the race (i.e. the best possible time I could see myself having if I was having a great day.) For example, I put down 1:55 for my last half when I had to register like 5 months in advance. I thought 1:59 was more reasonable, but I wanted to give myself a few extra minutes in case my training cycle went amazing and I felt awesome on race day. I ended up having a not-so-great-day and coming in at 2:02, but could you do? It's very rare for someone to hit their predicted time, but I think as long as you try to be as accurate to the best of your ability, it's totally understandable and acceptable.

N, what annoys faster runners is when slower runners put down a time, they have absolutely not shot in hell in reaching, just so they can give themselves a better placement. Using the above example - lets say I put down 1:30. That is an absolutely absurd time for me, and would be pretty selfish of me to fib about my time to give myself a better starting time when I would just get in the way of others who trying to race their heart out. It's also a potentially dangerous situation!

I will also be bringing guests to cheer me on. How much is it for them to be part of the Cheer section (?) that gets to quickly board the monorail and cheer us on from the parks?
:

I don't believe the cheer package gives you any special privileges to board the monorail, but perhaps that has changed. I've never had anyone meet me in the parks (I don't think anyone loves me enough to wake up that early ) I believe the deal is you can get into magic without a ticket because it's before the park is open, but not for epcot. I'm sure others who have more experience with spectators can help more than me!

One last thing, one of my best friends has asthma and will be taking her inhaler during the run. If for whatever reason during the marathon she decides she can't go on how does one flag someone to take her back to the starting point to meet up with me after the race?

Sorry for all the questions

I totally understand how your friend feels to a certain extend since I have allergic asthma. This time of year is pretty bad for me. I find that if I take my inhaler before a run, I'm ok. She should def carry it with her at all times. If she decides she can't make it (and if she is well-trained she has no reason to think this will happen!) there are designated medical tents she can stop in. Also, depending on how far back she is, she could probably wait until the sweepers come along and hop on the bus that way, too. But, running with asthma is totally manageable once the asthma is under control!

 

[tinkeramy]

Okay gang - first non half-marathon race in a while! DH and I are doing a 5K tomorrow to benefit ALS research -my MIL passed away from complications of this about 5 years ago. I'm actually kinda nervous! I've run 4 half marathons and I expect a decent time of those, but I like the distance. For some reason, I feel like since it's "only" a 5K, I should be super speedy. Uh, really not! I will say, though, that when we did this last year I got a PR b/c the DH does not do intervals, runs faster than me and I was trying not to be a drag on him. I still do not know how in the hell I got the time I did - 28:23. I think I was def. faster then. Who knows - maybe now that I have a time to beat, I will kick it in with race adrenaline to push me along! I did, however, feel like I was going to slightly die at the end of that one and I admit to a tiny bit of hate in my heart towards my husband, so maybe I shouldn't push it too hard.

 

[VickiHD]

Okay gang - first non half-marathon race in a while! DH and I are doing a 5K tomorrow to benefit ALS research -my MIL passed away from complications of this about 5 years ago. I'm actually kinda nervous! I've run 4 half marathons and I expect a decent time of those, but I like the distance. For some reason, I feel like since it's "only" a 5K, I should be super speedy. Uh, really not! I will say, though, that when we did this last year I got a PR b/c the DH does not do intervals, runs faster than me and I was trying not to be a drag on him. I still do not know how in the hell I got the time I did - 28:23. I think I was def. faster then. Who knows - maybe now that I have a time to beat, I will kick it in with race adrenaline to push me along! I did, however, feel like I was going to slightly die at the end of that one and I admit to a tiny bit of hate in my heart towards my husband, so maybe I shouldn't push it too hard.

Good luck and have fun !!!

 

[aly0430]

I'm heading out this afternoon for Disney. A girlfriend and I are registered for the Everest Challenge tomorrow night at Animal Kingdom.

Everyone have a great weekend, and good luck to anyone who's running a race this weekend.

Holly

Good luck to you tonight!!! My friend who is doing the 1/2 w/ me is doing EE tonight! Hope you have great weather and a great time.

 

[aly0430]

I've been away from the boards for a few weeks. I turned 40 a week ago, and have been in quite a funk about it. I'm finally feeling better though and need to start pushing myself hard.

I had an initial assessment w/ a trainer at the gym on Tuesday. My cardio & flexibility are currently poor & my strength is fair. The trainer (Amber) def. had doubt in her voice when I told her I have set a goal to do the 1/2 in February. I'm sure she looks at this woman who is 120 lbs. overweight and is thinking "Ya, right she's going to do a 1/2 marathon."

Aside from Amber's doubt I liked her and if anything I'm now in an I'm going to prove you wrong kind of mood. I think she's going to push me and I start working w/ her in 2 weeks!!!

I hope everyone's training is going well. And I'm happy to be back on here!!!