The New *Official 2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon Thread*

[DramaticDisneyRunner]

Just found these boards and I'm so excited. Right now I'm signed up for two other RunDisney events and kicking around signing up for the Princess next year to keep me motivated once I'm done with the other two events. You ladies are so inspirational. I've just spent the morning going back and reading through this thread !

 

[WsPrincess]

Anyone have really small feet and have luck with finding shoes at a running store? I'm a size 5 and have a really hard time finding shoes in stores that fit my feet(that don't have Dora on them and light up!). I would love to head to a running store and have my stride looked at, but what are the chances they have a ton of size 5's hanging around?
The shoes I have for running at the gym, suuuuuck when I hit the HS track, and when I hit the pavement, OUCH! I need something better and quick.

Go to the running store! I wear a 5 (and can buy kids shoes with NO PROBLEM) plus my feet are super narrow. I went in and they had tons for me to choose from. As pp said, you actually probably will be closer to a 6 in running shoes (that is what I am in and they fit great). Especially since for longer distances your feel expand (or something like that). Go into the running store, you should be pleasantly surprised and your feet will be so happy!

I did 4 miles in 1:16 this morning. That is the longest that I have gone so far. It was 4 minutes longer than my goal but 4 minutes better than I thought I would do. So I'm happy with that. However, where is the "runner's high" I've heard so much about?

Great job! I think the high is what you have now when you can look back and say "I did _____". My high keeps getting bigger as my mileage increases

Hello all,

I am really enjoying this thread and all the wonderful support you give one another. I am signed up for the Princess and will be running alone. I wonder if I could get some advice about recovering from an injury? This is my story:

I am 54 years old (yikes!) and new to running. In February we happened to vacation at WDW during the PHM. I love running on the treadmill, so I got the crazy idea I would like to run in the race. I could do 10 miles on the treadmill inclined at 4 with no ill effects, so I got fitted for some good running shoes and headed outside for the first time ever. And...sprained my ankle within the first three weeks. I don't even know how I did it; it seemed to just slowly get worse.

That was 5 weeks ago. I've been fighting my way back since. I'm back to the treadmill working out 3X a week. Today I did 35 minutes. But, my ankle was sore afterwards. I am alternating between being terrified I'll do to much and it will put me out of commission for too long to prepare for the Princess, and being terrified that I am doing too little and I won't get in shape in time. Oh, and for a little more pressure...back when I was optimistically starting out on this journey, I signed up for a 10K on 9/15.

So, how do I tell when I am doing too much/too little? How much pain is normal when recovering? I was still able to put weight on my ankle and give the dog a 3 mile walk after working out.

Personally I would just wait a couple weeks until it seems better completely. No reason to push. Most training plans for Princess have you really starting training in October so take the time to get healthy. Also, since you were already up there in mileage, your body will remember. Or consider using something like Jeff Galloway's plan. He actually broke his hip in the Spring and was back to walk/running within 7 weeks and completed a half marathon not long after that using walks with SHORT runs. If you go to his Facebook page he has written about it.

 

[TiggerAllie]

I could do 10 miles on the treadmill inclined at 4 with no ill effects, so I got fitted for some good running shoes and headed outside for the first time ever. And...sprained my ankle within the first three weeks. I don't even know how I did it; it seemed to just slowly get worse.

That was 5 weeks ago. I've been fighting my way back since. I'm back to the treadmill working out 3X a week. Today I did 35 minutes. But, my ankle was sore afterwards.

The idea that your ankle "slowly got worse" over 3 weeks right after you got new shoes (and started training outside) seems a bit odd... have you considered that either 1) your running shoes aren't really a good fit or 2) part of this is related to the surface you are running on (treadmill is much softer) and again possibly your shoes. A sprain is usually more of an acute injury; maybe you are running in a different position to compensate for new terrain outside. Just something to consider.

 

[Nishmom]

What a great day yesterday... I decided on a whim to register for a 5K that took place yesterday morning. The course is on a road that runs parallel and close to the James River here in Richmond and it's incredibly beautiful. It's only been slightly more than two months since chemo ended and I was concerned that doing a race now might be a bit too much too early, but my finish was over 3 minutes faster than what I hoped to do, and I was third in my age group (60-64)!! I'm SO excited!!!

Addressing more practical matters: Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter? Preferences?? Help!

Pattie

 

[VickiHD]

I've been a little worried about my emotions at this race, so I feel better that I won't be the only one crying. A couple weeks ago I did my first 10 k, and went it was over I went back, hugged the pace bunny, and burst into tears!

Awe.....that is so sweet !!

No we will not be the only few crying !!!!

 

[bellanotte10]

What a great day yesterday... I decided on a whim to register for a 5K that took place yesterday morning. The course is on a road that runs parallel and close to the James River here in Richmond and it's incredibly beautiful. It's only been slightly more than two months since chemo ended and I was concerned that doing a race now might be a bit too much too early, but my finish was over 3 minutes faster than what I hoped to do, and I was third in my age group (60-64)!! I'm SO excited!!!

Addressing more practical matters: Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter? Preferences?? Help!

Pattie

French Quarter! Thats where i hope to stay next september for the ToT race. If i can't get a good Deal on a deluxe. I love the theme of POFQ more than Riverside!

 

[acourtwdw]

Awe.....that is so sweet !!

No we will not be the only few crying !!!!

2 words- waterproof mascara. Just like the Olympians wear

 

[VickiHD]

2 words- waterproof mascara. Just like the Olympians wear

 

[ColleenG]

What a great day yesterday... I decided on a whim to register for a 5K that took place yesterday morning. The course is on a road that runs parallel and close to the James River here in Richmond and it's incredibly beautiful. It's only been slightly more than two months since chemo ended and I was concerned that doing a race now might be a bit too much too early, but my finish was over 3 minutes faster than what I hoped to do, and I was third in my age group (60-64)!! I'm SO excited!!!

Addressing more practical matters: Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter? Preferences?? Help!

Pattie

WAY TO GO Pattie! It must feel so good to be back! You are truely an inspiration!

 

[Bookwood]

Hello all,

I am really enjoying this thread and all the wonderful support you give one another. I am signed up for the Princess and will be running alone. I wonder if I could get some advice about recovering from an injury? This is my story:

I am 54 years old (yikes!) and new to running. In February we happened to vacation at WDW during the PHM. I love running on the treadmill, so I got the crazy idea I would like to run in the race. I could do 10 miles on the treadmill inclined at 4 with no ill effects, so I got fitted for some good running shoes and headed outside for the first time ever. And...sprained my ankle within the first three weeks. I don't even know how I did it; it seemed to just slowly get worse.

That was 5 weeks ago. I've been fighting my way back since. I'm back to the treadmill working out 3X a week. Today I did 35 minutes. But, my ankle was sore afterwards. I am alternating between being terrified I'll do to much and it will put me out of commission for too long to prepare for the Princess, and being terrified that I am doing too little and I won't get in shape in time. Oh, and for a little more pressure...back when I was optimistically starting out on this journey, I signed up for a 10K on 9/15.

So, how do I tell when I am doing too much/too little? How much pain is normal when recovering? I was still able to put weight on my ankle and give the dog a 3 mile walk after working out.

Hi Quinniebear,

As a "mature" runner (I'm 57 and been running now about 10 yrs) I'd like to ask a question about your ankle problem (hopefully a solution also.)

Are the roads you run on slanted out? If so that could be the reason for the ankle issue. Most roads slant down to the outside (so water runs off) and if you're not used to running on that angle it is a problem from ankle to shoulders sometimes. Once the ankle feels better try running on top of the hill or on the shoulder where it's often flat. (at least on my county roads- in fact some of the gravel ones it's smarter to run in the tire tracks because big gravel can cause issues as well)

Hope the ankle is doing better quickly!

 

[PrincessV]

I wish I had a better story to tell but I just made a lot of new runner mistakes, so long story short, if you are new and you still want a life after the race, it may be beneficial to train past 10.

MTE - I'm new to distance running but not new to training for a goal, and I can't fathom going into that end goal without having "rehearsed" it at least once. I'm a need-to-know-EXACTLY-how-it'll-feel kind of gal!

Long runs should never be more than 50% of your weekly mileage.

That's good to know - thanks! Right now, training for the TOT 10-Miler, I'm up to about 15 miles a week and my last long run was 8.5.

Did I mention Disney races are addictive?

Right?! It started with my son and I doing the Tangled 5K this year... then we did the Expedition Everest Challenge, I'm doing the TOT and Princess, I just registered my son and I for the W&D 5K, and we're planning to do Everest again in 2013.

I did 4 miles in 1:16 this morning. That is the longest that I have gone so far. It was 4 minutes longer than my goal but 4 minutes better than I thought I would do.

Awesome!

However, where is the "runner's high" I've heard so much about?

Unless the "high" involves feeling like you might puke and tunnel vision, I haven't seen it, either.

What a great day yesterday... I decided on a whim to register for a 5K that took place yesterday morning. The course is on a road that runs parallel and close to the James River here in Richmond and it's incredibly beautiful. It's only been slightly more than two months since chemo ended and I was concerned that doing a race now might be a bit too much too early, but my finish was over 3 minutes faster than what I hoped to do, and I was third in my age group (60-64)!! I'm SO excited!!!

FANtastic - congrats!!!

Hi Quinniebear,

As a "mature" runner (I'm 57 and been running now about 10 yrs) I'd like to ask a question about your ankle problem (hopefully a solution also.)

Are the roads you run on slanted out?

That was my first thought, too. There are NO surfaces that aren't canted here in FL and I have chronic issues with my left ankle and knee because of it (since I'm running on the left, against oncoming traffic.)

 

[amykay9377]

But I also cried at least 4 times during the Princess...the start, running out of the castle, the gospel choir got me when one of them pointed directly at me, and of course the finish!

I cried too !!!! I also cry at the start of any Disney race , during and at the end. I'm just really sensitive I guess and I'm just so happy to participate in a Disney race.

I KNOW I will be crying during the Princess....NOT because of the miles...just because I think it will be so special.

Seeing as though I can get a bit choked up just THINKING about participating in the PHM, I can guarantee that I will be a blubbering fool at many points during the race! When I drove to work on July 10 (Registration Day), "He's A Pirate" from PotC came on my iPod and I started getting teary-eyed. (This is like the main piece of music - when you think of PotC movie music, it's this song)

I've been a little worried about my emotions at this race, so I feel better that I won't be the only one crying. A couple weeks ago I did my first 10 k, and went it was over I went back, hugged the pace bunny, and burst into tears!

I did something like this at my first 5k. I asked a random lady to take my photo at the finish and after she handed me the camera back I mentioned that it was my first 5k ever then just literally broke into tears! I must have looked insane to this woman, but she gave me huge high 5s and a hug!

What a great day yesterday... I decided on a whim to register for a 5K that took place yesterday morning. The course is on a road that runs parallel and close to the James River here in Richmond and it's incredibly beautiful. It's only been slightly more than two months since chemo ended and I was concerned that doing a race now might be a bit too much too early, but my finish was over 3 minutes faster than what I hoped to do, and I was third in my age group (60-64)!! I'm SO excited!!!

Addressing more practical matters: Port Orleans Riverside or French Quarter? Preferences?? Help!

Pattie

Congrats Patti!!!!

I prefer Riverside - FQ feels 'hectic' to me; Riverside is more mellow. If we do a Mod, we're doing POR. (But I'm hoping we can afford CR!)

 

[acourtwdw]

I finally read the entire thread. But now I'm confused. When I registered for the PHM I put my finish time at 3:15 since to me that is a doable time. So that will put me in the last corral, right? I did that so I wouldn't be in the way of the runners/walkers that move faster than I do. So am I screwed if I start that far back because I won't have a cushion like the runners/walkers in the front corrals? I don't know if I will be able to do a 10k between now and the race since I live in MI and running season ends here pretty quickly.

 

[Cripey]

I finally read the entire thread. But now I'm confused. When I registered for the PHM I put my finish time at 3:15 since to me that is a doable time. So that will put me in the last corral, right? I did that so I wouldn't be in the way of the runners/walkers that move faster than I do. So am I screwed if I start that far back because I won't have a cushion like the runners/walkers in the front corrals? I don't know if I will be able to do a 10k between now and the race since I live in MI and running season ends here pretty quickly.

It's true that the further back you start in the corrals, the smaller the cushion gets, but as long as you can maintian the 16 minute per mile minumum, you'll be fine no matter where you end up. I'm not sure if there's any way to know for sure whether or not a 3:15 expected time will land you in the last corral or not...It'll all depend on the total number of runners and their expected times too I would imagine. If you're nervous about it...plan to be out at the starting area on race morning as early as possible and start the long walk to corrals early so you can position yourself as far to the front of your corral as you can. Since the sweeper doesn't start until after the last person crosses the line, being in front will put you that much further ahead of them.

 

[kayleesmomxo]

Wow! I have just spent an hour reading through this wonderful thread! I'm still not done...lol.... You guys are AWESOME!!!

Here is a little bit about me:

I've been overweight since as long as I can remember. I've ALWAYS looked to food for comfort, until this past Jan. when my best friend challenged me to sign up with her to run Disney's Expedition Everest Challenge in May. I'm a Disney fanatic so if anything was going to motivate me to run, it was a trip to Disney...lol....So the training began and the rest is history. Let's just say, I was definely bitten by the Run Disney bug...lol....Expedition Everest was amazing! The people, the course, the support...WOW!!! Nothing felt better than crossing that finish line! Especially since I went from the couch to a 5K! While we were at the expo, I saw that beautiful princess 1/2 marathon medal hanging there! I thought to myself.....One day, I want to earn one of those!

So, here I am! I'm all registered and ready to go! I have been training using the Galloway plan which is what I used for Everest and it worked well. Hopefully it will do the same for the Princess 1/2. The icing on the cake for me is that I'm not doing this first 1/2 alone. My Mom has decided to do it with me! She has been running/walking for quite sometime and is in good shape! Hopefully, I can keep up with her...lol...


Well, good luck to everyone! Off to finish reading the rest of this wonderful thread.

 

[SuperHappyFunTimes]

Let me know what you think---hope you enjoy it

I loved it. It made me tear up repeatedly! Great suggestion!

 

[VickiHD]

I loved it. It made me tear up repeatedly! Great suggestion!

I'm glad you liked it !!!

 

[WsPrincess]

I finally read the entire thread. But now I'm confused. When I registered for the PHM I put my finish time at 3:15 since to me that is a doable time. So that will put me in the last corral, right? I did that so I wouldn't be in the way of the runners/walkers that move faster than I do. So am I screwed if I start that far back because I won't have a cushion like the runners/walkers in the front corrals? I don't know if I will be able to do a 10k between now and the race since I live in MI and running season ends here pretty quickly.

If you are trained well, you should be OK even if you are in the last corral. And while I know winter seems to be coming quick, there are so 10K coming up (at least in the Detroit area which is not super far for you--OK, not as far as Disney is ) I am doing the Detroit Zoo 10K in September and then if I am not happy with my time I will do the Turkey Trot Downtown on Thanksgiving Day. I figure that it should be cold in November so I should move faster right? I also know there is a winter one in Howell or Brighten, just not sure when so you could get a time to submit and move you up!

Well, good luck to everyone! Off to finish reading the rest of this wonderful thread.

WELCOME!!! And that is so cool your mom is going with you, I am hoping my mom will start train and join me next year (2014)

 

[VickiHD]

Seeing as though I can get a bit choked up just THINKING about participating in the PHM, I can guarantee that I will be a blubbering fool at many points during the race! When I drove to work on July 10 (Registration Day), "He's A Pirate" from PotC came on my iPod and I started getting teary-eyed. (This is like the main piece of music - when you think of PotC movie music, it's this song)

I understand completely

 

[Mamasmurf227]

Hello,

I am going to be signing up for the 2013 Princess as well. I ran the Princess this year and it was my first 1/2, finished in 2:42 hoping for 2:30 this year. I completed the Will Run For Beer Series (all 5ks)in June and am now working my way through another local series that ends in December. I have a 10 miler Sept 1 and then a 1/2 Marathon Sept. 29. hoping to maintain 10+ miles until the princess. But am worrying about overuse issues as well...fingers crossed

We're practically neighbors!!! What races are you doing in Sept?