2014 Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler - Race Recap!

You know the saying "Third time's the charm" right?

Well, it was!

This was my third running (2012 here, 2013 here) of the runDisney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler (TOT from here on out) and I don't think I could have have asked for a better race. Why? What made it the "charm"? Let's start at the beginning...


Best Race Hotel Stay Ever!
A week before the race, I decided to head to WDW a day early. Which meant hotel shopping. And long story short, I wound up adding a night and moving to a new resort for the whole stay. I booked three nights at the Hilton Bonnet Creek (HBC) resort. I've stayed at HBC in the past, but never for a race... but I'm ready to book ALL of my race stays there now! It was a superb choice... I felt so pampered the whole stay, between a lovely room, comfortable bed, fluffy towels, and deluxe amenities. But what really made the stay special was the staff: every single employee there was friendly, eager to assist, and clearly dedicated to making each guest feel welcome. It was a HUGE departure from my recent stays at WDW resorts.

My room view! See Tower of Terror back there? Motivation.

HBC offers race transportation and it looked easy and efficient. I opted to drive, though, because I wanted dinner elsewhere before heading to the race. Returning at almost 4am, I was a tad concerned about walking from my car to the hotel in the parking garage, on my own, but I needn't have worried: it was well lit and open and I felt perfectly safe.

 

Info and swag for runners!

HBC offers Marathon Weekend rates for WDW race events. Check them out - I highly recommend the place!


Killing time...
Arriving a day early worked out beautifully! I spent Friday driving to WDW and hitting the expo. The expo was, as with previous years, quite calm compared to other, bigger races, and I was able to get what I needed (namely my bib, race shirt and a new Sparkle Skirt, thanks to a coupon in the iGiftBag!) quickly.

This was a welcome sight - the weather forecast called for a cold front to come through!

Love, love, LOVE this year's race shirt! I think the design is fantastic and... LADIES' CUT, finally!!!

I spent the evening at Hollywood Studios with friends, which wound up being a great way to calm pre-race nerves, stretch the legs, and get a few motivational rides on. 

I got to bed around 10pm that night and slept until 8 the next morning.  I woke up to this:

and agreed 100%! I spent the morning lounging around my room, watching ESPN Gameday uninterrupted by chores or child. I wandered off to Saratoga Springs Resort for some lunch, then went back to my room for more lounging, napping and resting before getting up around 5pm to start getting ready. Yep, arriving the day before the race was a good decision!

Time to race!

After grabbing dinner at the Caribbean Beach Resort, I hopped a race bus and was off to the pre-race staging area to meet my running group. As with the previous two years, I found the TOT pre-race area to be relatively open and unstressful. I think the late hour makes TOT feel more like a big party than an uber-competitive race, and the dark skies and DJ spinning tunes adds to that. Spending time chatting with folks I haven't seen since Princess Half-Marathon weekend was wonderful, and the time went by much too quickly - before I knew it, it was time to get into corrals and we were off!

I was assigned to corral E... and I was a little nervous about that. The great thing about E? A large number of my friends were in it, too, so we all got to start together. Yay! But I planned to run slower than any of them, and I presumed slower than most of the corral. I was concerned about being the "slowpoke" everyone in E would leave in their dust. But runDisney knew what they were doing; I never felt too fast or too slow during the race and think I was seeded just right! I always had room to maneuver to pass slower folks, and they always had room to pass me when I slowed down. I know that's a major concern for lots of folks, and I'm happy to say I thought there was ample room for us all out there. Good job, runDisney!

I had a Plan for this race: First, it was a training run above all else, NOT a race. I have the Wine & Dine Half-Marathon in five weeks, so no need to push hard at TOT and risk injury, right? Second, I wanted a few pictures. As you may recall, I've yet to stop for pics in this race. And I was determined to change that this year. So I had it in mind to aim for an easy first mile to warm up well, pick up the pace down Osceola Parkway, and then take my time through Wide World of Sports (WWOS) and Hollywood Studios.

Miles one through five? Nailed it! Hit my times right where I wanted to. Even with pulling over to take this very bad photo, which took 3 tries to achieve...

Scary inflatable spidey

And this equally bad shot of mile 5...

Halfway there!

Mile 5 began the "trail" portion of the course, which is actually a dirt and gravel road into WWOS. I was feeling pretty good at that point... my stomach had not felt its usual self all day and was fairly uncomfortable through the first few miles, but seemed to calm down by mile 5.

I love the short trail portion of the course. It feels good on my feet and legs after so much time on the asphalt, it's dark and creepy, and if you're very lucky, you can end up in there with a fun crowd willing to poke fun at silly decorations and make scary-monster-in-the-woods sounds!

Once through the trail, it was time to prepare for the second half of my plan... photo opps! My race outfit paid homage to the Haunted Mansion, and I had my heart set on a couple of special pics to mark the occasion. 

I was expecting the Haunted Mansion Undead Butlers to be in the track oval, as they'd been the past two years, but they surprised me by showing up on the right, before the track. Luckily, I saw them before I passed and pulled into line. It took a few minutes for the folks ahead of me to get their photos shot, so I had time to wrangle my phone out of its armband, pause iSmoothRun, and disconnect my headphones. And then, this...

I wanted to pose with a shovel, but they weren't giving those up. Drat.

Next stop was Champion Stadium, where the official cheerers for my running group were stationed with sweet treats to lift us up and put some pep in our step!

i haz gummy bearz!!!

I was running ahead of my expected pace at that point, and was getting lonely out there on the course by myself. Running by myself isn't normally a problem, but I've run this course twice already; the thrill of wondering what might be around the next bend was gone and I was - dare i say it? - a little bored. So when I saw my awesome, sweets-sharing friends, I pulled over to chat. For about 5 minutes. Uh-huh. I pulled over, chatted, waved at other runners as they passed, and was totally unconcerned with the fact that I was, you know... in a race. And THAT is why I like running Disney races! No pressure, people.

Eventually, though, I was told to get a move on (thanks again friends!) and I hustled on out of the stadium and on to my next planned stop.

But before we get to the epic result of said stop, let me pause here to talk about the weather. Because if you've read my 2012 and 2013 TOT recaps, or if you've heard pretty much anyone talk about those races, you know the weather has historically been... HOT. And. HUMID. Insanely HOT and HUMID. Beastly HOT and HUMID. Now, this year was a little humid; I mean, there was legit fog banked over the fields of WWOS. The air was damp. But a cold front chose the hours of the race to move through: it was comfortably warm at the start and through WWOS, but when we exited back out to the open road? HOLY ZOIKS! Hellooooooo cold front! My clothes and hair were soaked with dew and sweat and when a blast of chilly air hit, I was cold. Like, goose bumply, shivering cold. To be clear, I'm not complaining; it's been a loooong summer here in Florida. But the unexpected cold, to which I was in no way acclimated, did impact my running. My knees don't enjoy being chilled and they got pretty achy pretty fast. My shoulders tightened up to keep from shivering and that became increasingly uncomfortable. I was really ready to be DONE with the race and changed into dry, warm clothes by mile 8. Which made for a rather long feeling 2 final miles...

Still, there was the EPIC photo stop. And it, alone, was worth running for.

Undead at the ball, y'all. Booyah!

Seriously, I adore this shot. LOVE it! There were a few people in line ahead of me and a couple of the undead dancers left their post to start roaming and interacting with us in line, as well as with folks who slowed down to see, but didn't fully stop. Hanging out there for a few minutes was a BLAST! Totally worth a painful right foot, cranky tummy, and cold limbs.

With that stop accomplished, I had only to pick it up for another mile, then relax through the final one in Hollywood Studios. 

Last year's fireball, that would have been so welcome with its blast of heat as the temperature plumeted? Was absent. Replaced with a big, inflatable... eyeball. D'oh!

It didn't even growl. (RIP growling plastic gator.)

Hades was stationed on the overpass leading into the park, shouting out "encouraging" words like, "What're you... walking?! This is a RACE, people, let's get going!"

I made a point of taking my time through Hollywood Studios, soaking it all in. We ran through the Lights, Motors, Action! soundstage...

...and up the New York street scene...

If I can make it here...

...through the "Disco Hallway", full of actual disco tunes, mirrored balls and lotsa lights, a few turns, and then... the Finish! Of which I have NO picture. Camera was on the right, I was on the left, no photo for V. <sad trombone>

It ain't over yet!
I thought the finish chute went smoothly this year and I had my bag retrieved and was on my way to a restroom to change in no time. I couldn't stop shivering at that point and getting into dry clothes was my #1 priority, though I did down a bunch of glucose on the way to stave off a big ol' sugar crash.

Warm and dry in several layers, I reunited with my friends and we proceeded to take group pics, ride rides, eat snacks and have a really, really fun time at the after-party! Unlike last year, I wasn't nauseous or dizzy, I wasn't in pain, and I wasn't even all that tired. I ended the race day with a hot shower back in my room, a glass of cold milk and a cookie the size of my head. Grand rewards for a grand effort.

Final thoughts...
The third time really was the charm. My first run of TOT was hampered and blighted by the intense pain of injury. Last year saw a massive PR, but also heat illness and a distinct lack of the elements that make a Disney race special. This year? I finished in a time that, excluding photo stops, would have been a PR. I got a few really cool photos. I had fun with friends. I didn't suffer from the heat. And I finished UNINJURED! What more could I ask of the race?

Nothing. I can ask almost nothing more. Which is why... I think I really am done with this particular race. I feel like I've gotten from it everything I wanted and feel no need to do it again. I know, I know - I've said "no more!" before. But that was out of frustration. And discomfort. And fear. This is different. This time "no more!" is about having met my goals, and feeling good about my performance, and a calm, deep sense of accomplishment. I would love to go back next year to cheer for friends and celebrate their racing, but I think I can happily walk away from racing this one again for a while. And that's a pretty neat feeling!

So now, it's time to set my sights on the next race in my lineup: the Wine & Dine Half-Marathon - my first time running it! Stay tuned...

Tower of Terror in T-minus One(ish) Week!

Sorry – I’ve been MIA for a while. Only because, what’s to say, really about distance training through a Florida summer?

It’s hot.

And humid.

And also HOT.

Lather, rinse, repeat.  Endlessly.

My summer has involved a lot of cursing the elements, but there's been one glaring thing missing, compared to previous running summers...

INJURY!

I'm almost afraid to say it out loud, it seems so impossible. I have somehow managed to go through a training cycle without incurring any pain significant enough to require time off and rehabilitation. My poor chiropractor hasn't seen me in months and probably thinks I just quit running altogether.

So, how'd I do it?

I have NO idea. Okay, I have some ideas, just no way of knowing for sure if any one, or a combination of them, actually prevented injuries, or if it's just dumb luck. But I'm not a complete dummy; if doing what I have these past few months got me here in good shape, you can bet I'll keep doing it.

First, I found the right shoes. Again. And... again. Listen, you know me by now - I won't lie and say I haven't tried a few shoes that weren't right. I did and I'm humble enough to admit it. But I knew immediately that they were wrong and sent them back. That's progress, people. Since May, I've run most long distance miles in either my Newton Gravity or Newton Fate shoes. I've used the Newton Distance on short, speedy runs, too. Between them all, I've got about 200 miles logged in Newton shoes and no injuries. Not a bad return on investment. 

Second, I changed up my training plan. Long, hot distance wasn't resulting in anything good, so I tried something different: I went for more running days, higher intensity, and less long distance running. Most of the summer saw me slowly increasing both the distance of my twice-weekly short runs (from around 2.3 miles to my current 3), and the length of my run intervals (from 30 seconds to 2 minutes, 30 seconds), adding a day of mostly walking with a few short run intervals, and keeping my long runs to 4-6 miles. I also dumped traditional strength training and went with two days a week of high-intensity yoga and/or Pilates. The effect has been amazing! I feel stronger than ever, my lungs, when not tormented by allergens, are operating well, and... no injuries!

Third, I made a vow to listen to my body - and I stuck to it. There were a few days when I was exhausted, or achy, or sick to death of being overheated, and I took them off. With no guilt and no reservation. And y'know what? It worked. Instead of pushing and potentially doing damage, I gave my body time to restore and went back to the next run feeling good.

Lastly, I respected the heat. I did need to start bumping up the distance of my long runs in preparation for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler, and in the worst heat of our long Florida summer. In previous years, I repeatedly flirted with heat exhaustion, trying to pound out the mileage... this year I ran to the point at which the heat began taking a toll, then walked the rest of my planned distance. Some days, taking 5 minutes to walk was enough to feel good and start some easy running again. Other days I walked until I was done. It worked. So well, in fact, that I was able to run my short runs with much greater effort than in previous years. A lesson learned there, to be sure.

In conclusion, I am very happy to report that I made it through the summer without incident and am actually feeling ready to tackle the fairly insane race season ahead of me. I'm not foolish enough to think I can now throw caution to the wind, and my IT Bands like to remind me of that toward the end of my longest runs, but I feel better equipped than ever to pay attention and do what I need to do to stay healthy. I guess I'll find out in just over a week...

~ ~ ~

FYI, I'll be posting updates from the Tower of Terror 10-Miler weekend on Twitter at @VsFuzzyWorld. Follow along, and chime in if you'll be there, too!

A look back... my first runDisney race!

Today is registration day for the 2015 runDisney Princess race weekend!  Inspired by that and by Patty at My No-Guilt Life, who asked for tales of first runDisney races, I took a few minutes to re-read my recap from my first race/first runDisney race/first Princess race, the 2012 Royal Family 5K.  Care to join me?  Click here... Tangled Up in… FUN! Royal Family 5K Recap!

Things sure have changed since that first race!  For starters, registration.  Back then, I registered a month before the race.  A MONTH.  This time, I fully expect the 5K to sell out in a day.  Word's out and runDisney races are popular, folks.  

(Note: if it's near 12pm EDT and you're here reading this, and you plan to register for any of the 2015 Princess races, STOP READING and get over to runDisney.com to register!  I'll still be here later.)

Know what else has changed?  Leo no longer runs with me.  I'm pretty sad about that, but he's 12 now and is still figuring out his "thing" so I try not to let it get to me.  Plus I'm still hoping a Star Wars race appears on the WDW radar to tempt him.

The race itself has changed, growing from 5,000 participants in 2012 to 10,000 in 2014.  When I first ran it, strollers were allowed; now, no strollers and participants must be over 5 years of age.

I've changed a lot since that first race, too!  I'm blonde now, and weigh almost 15 pounds less.  I'm a whole lot stronger, too, and I've since completed two 10-mile races, four half-marathons, two 10Ks, more 5Ks than I can count, and my first back-to-back-to-back challenge, the Princess Triple Crown.  Back in early 2012, I don't think I ever saw myself someday being where I am now!

And, despite my claims in February that I was DONE with all things Princess for a while... I am, right now, pre-registered for another run of the Triple Crown: the 2015 Royal Family 5K and the Glass Slipper Challenge (Enchanted 10K + Princess Half-Marathon.)  

Princess Weekend?  I just can't seem to quit you.

Thanks, Patty, for the inspiration to take a look back!

And to all who will be registering today for their first race, I wish you much success and a whole lotta fun!

#alltheraces!

Confessions of a Run/Walking Princess

So, it’s begun.  

What up, Snow? Haters gotcha down?

A couple weeks out from the opening of 2015 Princess Half-Marathon registration, eight months before the race, long before anyone has even begun training in earnest for it, the ranting and debates about this race have already started.

From what I’ve seen in various online groups, the primary issue seems to have to do with participants who walk and on-course congestion.  As a mid-to-back of the pack racer, I am entirely familiar with both of these topics, so I’ll say a little something here and leave it at that.

Confessions of a run/walking Princess.

That’s right – I walk some of my races.  In fact, I’ve even walked most of several races.  Sometimes due to injury, sometimes because I’m not feeling great, and sometimes because I don’t care about time and just want to have some fun chatting with a friend, stopping to take pictures, or otherwise enjoying the scene. 

And here’s the thing: I am not alone.  Lots and lots and LOTS of people walk in runDisney races.  And a fairly huge percentage of Princess racers will walk some or all of the race.  In a perfect world, all of us walking folks would be kept far away from the running folk, and we’d all only travel in groups going the exact same pace, and we’d never, ever bunch up and block another runner or walker in their quest to go faster. 

Guess what?  That scenario’s about as likely to happen as world peace.  

"What is the one most important thing our society needs?"
"Harsher punishment for parole violators, Stan."

The reality is that, whether walking or running, a race with almost 30,000 participants is going to have a huge variety of individual speeds, all trying to move forward.  runDinsey tries hard to get us starting with folks close to our own speed by asking our estimated finishing times… but registering eight months out makes that tough; how does someone who’s never before run a half-marathon distance know how fast they’ll be that far in the future?  She doesn’t.  We guess, runDinsey guesses, and we all do our best to make that an educated guess.  If one is able to race a 10K or greater distance and submit that finishing time to runDisney, the guess is based on greater validity, but the end result is still just a guess that can’t take into account illness, injury, or other life happenings that can increase or decrease a racer’s speed. 

So, come race day, a whole lot of individual situations converge onto a single race course.  One person trained to run/walk set intervals, stayed healthy and is ready to stick to those intervals all 13.1 miles.  The person next to her trained the same, but woke up feeling icky and has to walk more than she ever did in training.  Someone in a corral ahead of them turned in a super-fast proof of time and regularly runs a sub-7:00 pace, but pulled a hamstring playing football with his kid a week before the race.  Someone else in the very last corral is just as fast, but has been traveling non-stop for work and was unable to provide a proof of time.  The race turns out to be hotter than expected and several hundred women end up walking, when they planned to run.  The race turns out to be cooler than expected and several hundred women run more than they ever thought they could.  Tutus turn out to be harder to run in than imagined.  New shoes hurt.  Characters on both sides of the course cause racers of all abilities to zig-zag back and forth to get photos.  Runners not wanting to stop try to go around slower racers, but suddenly find the course narrowing. 

Picture all of this happening, times 30,000, over 13.1 miles.  Got a mental picture?  A bit chaotic, no?  

So, is it any wonder that sometimes a slow walker ends up smack-dab in front of a faster runner?  Or that a speedy runner accidentally clips a person standing in line for a photo?  I myself am guilty of the following infractions: walking in the center of the course, bumping arms as I passed a slower racer, walking more than two abreast, moving slower than my estimated finish placement.  And I am sure that I've frustrated other racers. 

What those frustrated folks didn't know was that I chose to walk in the middle because, before I slowed down, I looked around and saw that there were no walkers, only fast runners, on either side, but  someone else walking in the middle, so to avoid clogging things up, I opted to walk behind him.  And the woman with whom I bumped arms probably didn't know that I did so after someone on my other side bumped me, even though I did say "I'm so sorry!" as it happened.  I'm sure the folks coming around a corner to see me and two other racers walking three abreast had no idea that I began walking in a wide open space, only to be joined by two strangers seconds later.  And, certainly, there was no way for other racers to realize that I qualified for my corral placement with a personal record in another race, but had since sustained an injury.

I'm not excusing obvious, intentional rudeness here; that, too, happens on the race course, as it does in every other facet of life.  But I want people - especially people new to runDisney and the Princess Half-Marathon - to realize that not every infraction against "proper race etiquette" is intentional or malicious.  The reality is that there are a whole lotta folks with a whole lotta different abilities and experiences converging in one place and, well... shit happens.

I'm seeing that some folks have had it with the realities of the Princess Half and have chosen not to participate in the race again.  I totally understand this and have had such thoughts, myself. But at some point I realized that, for me, the fun of running at Walt Disney World outweighs some of its challenges.  And that I have lots of choices about how to handle the actions of others.  Personally, I choose to assume no one out there is trying to screw up my race.  I choose to assume we're all doing the best we can with the situation at hand.  I choose to adjust my expectations and roll with whatever comes my way.  I choose to be courteous, and kind, and supportive of my fellow racers.  I choose to be honest and open with readers looking for information about races, to not launch into rants about who "should" or "shouldn't" be allowed to race, or how everyone "must" behave, in order to best prepare them for the realities of runDisney races.

As you may have deduced by now, yes - I'm planning to run Princess again.  The Glass Slipper Challenge, in fact.  And maybe - just maybe - the Triple Crown again.  And I am determined to make it a great experience, for myself and for others!

Happy Princesses make better dancers - and runners!

Princess Half weekend - final thoughts and TIPS to run Disney!

As of now, I’ve participated in every runDisney race weekend offered at Walt Disney World:

Royal Family 5K (Princess 1/2 Marathon weekend), 2012 and 2014

Expedition Everest Challenge, 2012

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler, 2012 and 2013

Jingle Jungle 5K (Wine & Dine Half-Marathon Weekend), 2012

Princess Half-Marathon, 2013 and 2014

WDW Half-Marathon (Marathon Weekend), 2014

Enchanted10K, 2014

With all of those under my belt, I feel properly equipped to offer some TIPS for those thinking of running Disney!

Embrace the fun – don a costume!  I know – it feels weird to dress up in costume for a race.  But trust V; it only feels weird until you actually get to a runDisney race… once there, you won’t feel out of place at all!  You’ll see a huge variety of costumes put together with varying amounts of effort and detail.  Here’s the thing: it doesn’t need to be complicated, it doesn’t need to cost a lot, and it really should be comfortable, especially for longer distance races.  My advice is to work with items you’d wear to run in the first place: shirts and bottoms made of soft, comfortable wicking material.  You can add items and embellish from there without breaking the bank or your resolve to finish your race!

The 2014 Princess Half-Marathon weekend was my first time putting much effort into costumes, and I’m very glad I did – it upped the fun quotient by a LOT!  My favorite was the Cinderella-themed outfit I put together for the Royal Family 5K:

This was absurdly easy… I bought a Cindy-blue running shirt on clearance online for less than $20 and paired it with a matching $25 skirt from Sparkle Athletic.  I’ll use both again, so the cost can really be pro-rated by a number of years of wearings.  Under my skirt, I wore a pair of compression capris I already owned, and around my neck I wore a black satin choker left over from a Halloween costume I wore a few years ago.  A $2 pair of white knee socks worked as “gloves” – I simply chopped off the feet.  And I topped the whole thing off with a tiara I’ve had for ages, though a blue ribbon would have worked, too.

See? Easy, affordable, comfortable, and, most of all – FUN!

Take pictures. Lots of ‘em.  Okay, if you’re a friend of mine on Facebook, you’re probably sick to death of my many race pics.  Sorry.  But, you know what?  I almost wish I’d taken more!  Especially from past races.  While it’s fun to share images from your races with friends and family, it’s even more fun to look back at them yourself and remember the good times you’ve had!

Taking a lot of pictures when you’re trying to run a race isn’t the easiest thing to do, and I’ll be the first to admit that I thought it would be hugely burdensome over long distances.  Hence the complete lack of on-course photos from my first few long distance races.  But I discovered some tricks over the past year that’s made it pretty easy to score more photos…

First, if you’re already carrying a phone that has a decent camera in it, use it.  I carry my iPhone 4S in an arm pocket and thought it would be a royal PITA to take it out and put it back in repeatedly, but I quickly realized a couple things: 1. With a little practice, it’s really not that hard to maneuver, and 2. I tended to take three or four photos in a row, then run a mile or more without any before wanting my camera handy again – so it was easier to run with my phone/camera in my hand between photo stops, then put it away for a while before pulling it back out for a few more shots.

Also, know that there is almost always someone available to take your picture, so make sure you’re IN some of them!  At designated course photo stops, you’ll find volunteers or Disney staff on hand to snap your pic with characters and props.  Don’t worry – they’ve seen every photo-taking device known to man and can use all of ‘em without instructions. Should you find yourself wanting to be in a shot without a dedicated photographer, look around and ask for help!  Chances are other runners are taking the same pic and will happily take your pic.  Be sure to pay it forward and take theirs, too.  Race volunteers and theme park staff members are also happy to help you out.

Plan out timing and transportation ahead of time.  Like, not at 3am.  Are you driving to a race?  Read the race materials carefully to learn the appropriate route/s and road closures.  Make sure you have gas in the tank.  And don't forget to turn on your headlights - 3am is freaking dark.  (Yes, I saw quite a few cars on the way to races with no lights on. Skeery.)  Figure out ahead of time how you'll store your car key while running.  Write down or take a pic of where you're parked.

Taking a race bus?  Find out ahead of time where it will be making stops - this varies by resort.  Locate your stop and walk to it in daylight from your room so you'll know where to go in the dark, wee hours of the morn.  Take a look at the race materials to determine where buses will be after the race, then follow the signs to your bus when you're ready to go. 

Most importantly, leave plenty of time to get to the race.  If buses start running at 3am, you can bet I'm on a bus or in my car no later than 3:05.  Because every race, at least one bus driver gets lost and takes forever getting to the race and the poor runners on board have to scramble to make it to their corrals on time.  And at every race, there comes a time when traffic is heavy and cars back up trying to park.  Leave early, don't get stuck in traffic, and enjoy the extra time to relax before your race.

Know thyself.  Race weekend is not the time to abandon your routine.  After months of training, and years of living in your own skin, you'll know your individual needs - do as much as you can to meet them.  How much sleep do you need to feel good?  What kinds of foods can you eat and how often do you need to eat?  Can you walk around all day and still feel good to run double digits at night?  Does heat and sun exposure wipe you out?  Do large, noisy crowds stress or invigorate you?  Think carefully about what you need to feel strong and healthy, and adjust your plans accordingly.

I happen to have a cast-iron stomach; pretty much nothing makes me have GI issues, so I don't worry much about food, but some folks need to eat very specific items to race well.  You can find menus for all WDW restaurants at Allears.net - check them out ahead of time and make meal plans accordingly.  Bring favorite items with you from home, or plan a trip to a local grocery store.

I need adequate sleep to be of sound mind and body, so I plan to be in bed by 7pm before early morning races.  I also can't spend much time on my feet before night races, so I spend afternoons before those napping.  It means forgoing some park time, but I know I'll be better for it.   If you don't need much sleep, or aren't bothered by time on your feet before racing, hit the parks and have fun!

Lots of folks bring nothing more to a race than what they'll carry on the course.  I am not one of those people.  I MUST foam roll before and after running, and I like a change of clothes after the race, and I need my reading glasses to read the eight-million new text messages and social media posts after racing.  Lucky for folks like me, runDisney's bag check bags hold a ton of stuff and are very easy to drop off and pick up.

Find a race buddy!  If your'e running a race with a friend, and you're in the same corral, and you're planning to run the same pace - great!  You're all set.

But the planets don't usually align that perfectly for most runners.  And it's totally fine to go it alone - I've done that more times than not.  But I promise - you'll have more fun at a Disney race with a buddy.  And it's pretty darned easy to find some...

Have a friend starting in the same corral? Super! Agree to hang out together in the corral, but run your own pace once the race starts.  Don't worry - you'll find more buddies soon...

Take a look around you in that first mile - is another runner going the same pace as you?  Do you keep passing each other on opposite intervals?  Did you both pull over for the same photo?  Say something!  "Hee hee - feels like we're playing tag here!"  Or, "I'll take your pic, if you'll take mine!"  Or maybe, "Have you done runDisney races before?"  Nine times out of ten, a short conversation will ensue and you'll find it to be fun!  Don't worry if you lose each other after a few minutes - there are more race buddies to be found...

Chat with someone in a porta-potty line.  Compliment a fellow runner's shirt.  Ask where she got her super-cute headband.  In the middle of my solo Enchanted 10K, another runner asked if my 5K and 10K tattoos were real - I told her they were temporary and where I got them, which led to a chat about running skirts, which led to talking costumes for future races, and in no time a mile had flown by!

A race buddy, even if he/she is a temporary one, is invaluable when your feet hurt, you're tired, your head's no longer into it, and you're ready to quit.  If you spy a friend, reach out, tell him/her how you're feeling, ask for a word or two to boost you up.  Look for other runners who seem to be in the same place and say something encouraging to them; it'll help you feel better, too.  Lead a cheer of "KILL THE HILL" and help a couple dozen other runners get through that final overpass.  When it comes down to it, we're all each others' race buddies, which is a pretty beautiful thing.

Which brings me to...

Join a running group.  Listen - I'm not a social runner.  A large part of what I enjoy most about running long distances is the chance to be alone with my own thoughts; out on a long run, I'm not Mom, or Friend, or Employee, or Blogger - I'm just me, free to let my thoughts run without interruption, or to blissfully not be required to think at all.  So I'm here to tell you that you don't need to be an outgoing extrovert to join a running group.

That's because running groups come in all sorts of sizes and packages.  There are local groups who meet to run and socialize, and local groups that meet to train hard.  There are online groups that "meet" across the miles in social media groups.  There are groups that welcome new runners, and groups that cater to elites; groups that chat only about running, and groups that talk about anything and everything; groups that focus on a certain race or series of races, and groups that aren't specific to any race at all.  There is truly a group for every runner, of this I am certain.

The key is to find a group that makes you feel supported, encouraged, secure and confident.  I had to try on a few different groups to find "my" running group, and when I did stumble upon it, I wasn't sure I even wanted to be part of a group at all.  But in the year+ I've spent with the amazing folks in my group, I've found a family of runners with whom I can be myself.  I can tell or ask them almost anything and get well-thought, honest answers and replies.  We can all have lousy runs and hear from our friends that we're not alone and tomorrow will be a better day.  We support each other through illnesses and injuries, and shout to the rafters to cheer each others' successes.  At races, we make time to connect in person through meals and meet-ups, on race courses and in Disney parks.  Though we may joke and lightly tease about silly things, we never go on the attack over differing views or life choices.  We encompass all ages, speeds, sizes, colors, genders and occupations and, though we have so many differences, our love of running trumps it all.

I can honestly say that I would not have run at least one race without the support of my running group.  Injured and afraid, I was 99% ready to bail on the WDW Half-Marathon this year.  It wasn't the kind of thing I wanted to admit to anyone, but I did to my running group - who promptly circled their wagons and convinced me that while I might not feel up to going for a new personal record, I could finish the race and have a really fun time doing it.  They were absolutely right.

Can you run happily without ever joining a running group?  Of course!  But I promise, finding a group that fits you and your needs can only be beneficial and is totally worth the effort of finding. 

TOTALLY worth the effort of finding you - GO TEAM!

I think that wraps it up!  Thanks for reading along - do you have more tips for running Disney races?  Share them in the comments, or do your own blog post about them, let me know, and I'll link to them here!

~~~

I've got one more, non-Disney long distance race next week, and then I'll be going into my off-season for the summer.  Because summer in Florida is freaking HOT, y'all.

However...

Remember how I was done with the Tower of Terror 10-Miler after the last one?  Yeah, well... I'm signed up for another round.  And the 2014 Wine & Dine Half-Marathon, too.  So in another six months, I'll be back to running Disney :)

Race Recap 3: 2014 runDisney Princess Half-Marathon - final leg of my Princess Triple Crown!

2am.  Stupidest-Early EVER.  Time to get up, get ready, get to the race.  Yet again.  ~yawn~

That's how it felt, too.  The joy and excitement of three consecutive days of racing had left the building faster than Elvis and had been replaced by... well, by ambivalence.  It's not that I was dreading another race, so much as I didn't really care much about it.  I just wasn't that into it, if you will.

#ALLTHERACES! Temporary tattoos from Sparkle Athletic - thanks ladies!

Still, I had people to see, things to do, so I hauled my tired ass out of bed and into the shower, pulled on clothes, and got out the door in search of a bus stop.  NOTE: I strongly suggest figuring out where is your nearest bus stop A. in the light of day and B. at a time other than Stupidest-Early EVER.  I knew I was too tired to operate my vehicle by that point, and really didn't want to drag myself another quarter-mile after the race to get to my car, so I opted to take a race bus.  Only, I went the wrong direction, in search of the bus stop.  Halfway across the parking lot, I saw a Princess heading toward me with purpose... and I asked, "Am I going the wrong way for the bus?"  She smiled, said "Yes! Come with me - I'm going there, too!" and led me in the proper direction.  Thanks, fellow Princess!  

The bus took a while going through its many stops around the Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR), but arrived at the race with plenty of time before the start.  A short walk and very speedy, efficient security check later, I was in the Race Retreat tent, sitting with a few running group friends.

Ah, Race Retreat.  Where I could eat breakfast, lay my weary head upon the table for a 5-minute nap, use a semi-private porta-potty, leave my race bag at the last possible moment, and return later for a full breakfast, more semi-private porta-pottying, and quick retrieval of my race bag.

What is this mystical Race Retreat?  In runDisney's words:

Race Retreat is a great way for runners to prepare for their race, get pampered, and reunite with friends and family once the race is over.

Race Retreat Package Features

Pre-Race Amenities

• Pre-race bagels, fruit, coffee, water and PowerAde
• Temperature-controlled tent with lounges
• Private restrooms and bag check
• Padded stretching area

Post-Race Amenities

• Internet access to check live results
• Breakfast with hot and cold beverages
• Changing tents
• Self-treatment station
• 10-minute massage for only $10 (subject to availability)
• Designated location to meet friends and family to celebrate your accomplishment!*

Other Amenities:

• 2014 Disney Princess Half Marathon commemorative item
• Disney Character greetings
• Live video feed from the Finish Line
• Information Station

All this could be had for the 2014 price of $120.

GULP!!!

Yeah, it was a lot.  But... when I worked a little Fuzzy Disney Math (FDM), it totally made sense to add Race Retreat to my half-marathon day!  I'd have bought myself breakfast somewhere, anyway ($12), as well as some hot cocoa ($3), water ($5), Powerade ($3) and a banana ($3).  I'd get some kind of "free" Race Retreat gift ($15), too.  I'd save gas and mileage on my car ($10).  So for around $70, I'd get a place to eat, take shelter from any inclement weather, semi-private facilities and a quick bag check.  A relative bargain when it comes to Disney, right?!

So, yeah - I spent some pre-race time trying to wake-up in Race Retreat before the call to corrals came and we headed out.

The Princess Half-Marathon corral situation is very different from the 5K and 10K setup.  There were many more corrals - A through P, to be exact - and all were located a half-mile or so from the pre-race staging area.  25,000ish of us slowly made our way over and our little group split up to take final potty stops and to get into our respective corrals.  I'd been assigned to corral I, but no one left in my group was in I, so I opted to move back to J with two great ladies from my running group.  Anxious though I was to get the race started and over with, I wanted even more to start with some familiar faces as I began the final leg of my own Triple Crown and runDisney's Glass Slipper Challenge.

The announcers worked up the crowd, the national anthem played, corrals A - I took off, and BOOM!  so did we.  No pic this time, but I'm pretty sure we got something fancier than roman candles for that race.

My plan was to walk a huge chunk of the first few miles, alternating 1/4-mile walks with 1/4-mile run/walking and I quickly lost sight of one of my friends as she took off at her much faster pace.  My friend Anne (go visit her at Outrunning the Fork!), though, was walk/running a similar pace and we wound up playing a little game of tag through the first couple of dark miles before losing each other.

I don't remember much about the first 3 or so miles - I didn't really feel awake, it was still dark, and I had a hard time getting into a comfortable groove.  Oh, and it was even more humid than the day before.  Hard to imagine?  Here's a visual for ya:

At some point, "humid" no longer applies.  What was going on there was just plain WET air.
Like running through a tunnel of WET.

With no time goal in mind, I had it in my head that I'd stop for a fair number of photos.  And having missed it in the 2014 WDW Half-Marathon, I got myself over to course left to grab a pic with the hothothot exotic car display!  

Everyone else was posing with the drivers and the NASCAR car to the right.  I only had eyes for the Lambo and the photog worked my phone to take a pic without the race car... but driver dude couldn't resist jumping in. FAIL.

Three miles done, 10 more to go and I was feeling okay.  Not stellar, but not bad - okay.  As the sun came up, I started feeling more awake and able to take in my surroundings.  I chatted with a few other runners as we wound through the Ticket and Transportation Center parking lot, and grabbed a shot of the awesome Japanese drummers out at Stupidest-Early EVER to keep us going.

The thought of entering the Magic Kingdom - and stopping for a few pictures - kept me plugging away through Mile 4 and next stop...

Sun's up, but note the shroud of WET surrounding Cindy's castle.

Main Street, USA!!!

Folks, if you haven't experienced this, let me say - entering Main St. after a relatively quiet few miles will get any runner going!  The roar of the crowd, the smiles on your fellow runners' faces, the excitement of being in the Happiest Place on Earth - it all makes for an easy, almost too quick, jaunt through the park.  This portion of the course has gone by MUCH too quickly for me in previous races, so I made a point to slow down, take it all in, and, yes - stop for more pics...

Entering Tomorrowland from Main St.

About to run through the castle - see the trumpeters up there?
They busted out a wicked-good herald of the theme from Rocky!

I had promised myself and others that this time, not only would I stop for the iconic photo in front of the castle, I'd make it an epic shot.

I think I succeeded!

Princess air, baybee! Still waiting on a good package to purchase...

I'd also been tasked by a friend with getting a few unusual photos during the race.  I failed pretty epically on most of the list, but I did get this.  And I am super-crazy glad I did - it might be my favorite photo from the whole damn race weekend!

Can you believe this isn't an official photo stop?!  Luckily, a very nice Cast Member was right there, taking time to cheer us on, and he was happy to snap a pic for me.  Thank you!!!

Although... this one is a contender for Favorite, too. :)

Louis, my favorite character in The Princess and the Frog!

Louis had a pretty decent line, but I was glad to stop moving for a bit.  In fact, not moving felt pretty darned good.  By the time I got up to Louis, I was enjoying not moving very much and was starting to feel sleepy again... and Louis was soft... and plush... and I seriously could have closed my eyes right there and been asleep in seconds, resting my head on his shoulder.  I wasn't even remotely bothered by the fact that Louis' plushy softness was no doubt slathered in the sweat and germs of 10,000ish previous runners.  That's saying... well, something.  

After exiting the Magic Kingdom around Mile 6, I mentally prepared for the next chunk of my race.  I'm a second-half runner: give me any distance, and odds are I'll run the second half faster than the first.  It's a strategy that's good for my body, as it has lots of time to warm-up and find its groove, and for my soul, as it nearly always means passing lots of other tired racers in the later miles.  Second-half racing worked beautifully for me when I ran the 2013 Princess Half - I wound up finishing that one feeling strong, fast and energized.  And I had expectations of the same this year.

Nope.

I dug deep, prepared to do less walking, more running and pick up the overall pace, and... nothing.  I just had no motivation at all.  Thinking maybe I just wasn't quite ready to pour on the speed, I pulled over for another photo...

I don't even particularly like this guy, let alone his movie!
I'd have done almost anything at that point to not run.

I stopped even thinking about running after that.  Walking along, I began entertaining thoughts of dropping out.  I wasn't very serious about it, but pulling over to sit a spell sounded good.  And if the sweeper unit came along to bus me to the finish, so be it.  My feet were hurting, and my right shoulder was tight, but I wasn't injured and nothing was debilitatingly painful... I was just tired of running.  And.  Walking.

And then... I saw Anne.  ANNE!!!  I don't even recall if I caught up with her, or she caught up with me, but man-oh-man, was I happy to see a familiar face.  As we walked together, I told her how OVER the race I was, she expressed a similar sentiment, and I'm pretty sure we agreed there and then that we'd neither of us do Princess weekend again, lol!  But, we agreed, we were within a couple miles of the finish and it was silly to quit.  So we kept plugging along with the agreement that if either of us felt like running, we'd run, and the other could choose to run or not, and we didn't want to hold one another back if we managed to find some hidden reserves of energy.

We snagged this...

Barbosa does NOT do Jazz Hands.  Aaaargh.

... and kept on keeping on.  We walked, and talked, and ran a little, and pulled over for big globs of Biofreeze to smear on any parts in need of numbing and refreshing, and eked out another couple miles.  We yelled out to some friends who passed us and did some leapfrogging as I ran the uphills and walked the downhills (IT Bands HATE downhill running, trust V), while Anne walked the uphills and ran the downhills.  And soon, there it was... the Big Ball, off to our left, behind the Epcot parking lot!

From our vantage point atop an overpass, we could see thousands of runners still behind us.  THOUSANDS.  As slow as we'd been moving, that was incredibly comforting.  Laughing that we could literally crawl the rest of the way and not be swept (um, yeah - in hindsight, I suspect we were a lot closer to being swept than we thought...), we strolled slowly a little longer, got through Mile 11, and made our way into the backstage of Epcot.

I didn't stop for any more pictures, and I thought I remembered feeling only slightly more energized by knowing we were only a mile away from being DONE, and thanks to some very un-Princess-like folks pushing and jumping their way in front of us at each race photographer, I didn't think we'd have any photographic evidence of our exhausted selves dragging it home...

PROOF... that we had fun!

Wow - for a couple of tired ladies who were totally DONE, we sure looked to be having a great time!  Okay, maybe we were just delirious and veryveryvery happy to be near the end, but I think there was a healthy helping of having fun, too.

We walked a bit more through Epcot and back to the Big Ball and agreed that we'd run from there to the Finish.  I willed whatever I had left into my legs and beat feet through the finish line with a "WOOOOO HOOOO!" and immediately turned to Anne, to offer a huggy and heartfelt "Thank you!!!" for helping me through those last few miles.  I know I could have gotten through them alone... but I'm awfully glad I didn't have to!

Anne and I grabbed our medals, made our way back to Race Retreat and pretty much dove into the buffet.  I don't think I've ever been so happy to see eggs.  And potatoes.  And melon.  And brown water labeled "Coffee" mixed with brown water marked "Hot Chocolate."  

Worth. Every. Freaking. Penny.  

Another runner joined us at our small table and it was so nice to sit back, relax, sip coffee and water and chat about our individual races.  And as we sat, a big-screen TV played live footage of the race... we got to see the very last person cross the finish and, for me, that was the moment I finally felt DONE with the race.  #ALLTHERACES had been run and were closed, I'd gotten through my self-afflicted Triple Crown Challenge, and I had four medals to prove it.  That pretty much required a champagne toast to celebrate!

To us, Princess Anne - ROCKSTARS, the both of us!

Anne and I parted ways and I grabbed a bus (yep, I was, indeed, happy not to have to schlep all the way back to my car) back to CBR, where I rushed through the fastest shower I've ever taken post-race, into clean clothes, and out to my car.  Within an hour of finishing the Princess Half-Marathon, I was racing back to the Magic Kingdom to meet my running group for medal photos.

Only four of us made it, but it was worth the effort - I'm not sure I'd have managed to get this otherwise...

FOUR medals!
5K, 10K, Half-Marathon and Glass Slipper Challenge - a medal for each.

I said goodbyes and thank you's to the fabulous folks with whom I chat online almost daily, and headed into the park for lunch, but faced with insane crowds and endless lines for food, I quickly returned to my car and headed back to CBR, where I enjoyed a long, leisurely lunch in the shade by the marina.  It was the perfect way to rest my legs, get in some calories, and reflect on a very long weekend of experiences and accomplishments.

~~~

Next: final thoughts, including TIPS for folks considering Disney races, a massive shout-out to my running friends, and why I don't plan to do this again next year!