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!

Shoe Review Times TWO: Newton Running's Distance & Fate!

Yes, I've been busy testing shoes again.  And no, I'm neither getting paid to do so, nor am I getting free shoes.  HOW do I go about getting one of those gigs?!  Because I think I've proven my expertise in such matters.  ;)

Anyway... I've been slogging through yet another hot, humid, Florida summer and about the only ray of light (you know, beyond the many cancer- and heat stroke-causing rays emitted by the freaking sun) in my training has been the glory of Newton Running shoes.  I already detailed my experience with the Gravity '13 model, and I'm happy to report that I'm still running in it and still loving the ride!  BUT... the more I run in them, the less comfortable every other shoe feels.  And I really do need to alternate.  So I grabbed a pair of an earlier model Distance on clearance, and a month or so later, a pair of the new Fate. I've been running quite a bit in both. Results?  Read on!

Newton Running Distance

The Distance is Newton's second main neutral shoe, very similar to the Gravity in shape and form, but with less weight.  I find the "Distance" name a bit misleading, as this feels like a speed shoe to me.  Just picking them up out of the box, I could feel they were lighter than the Gravity, and immediately noticed the different heel...

Distance sole

 

Gravity sole

See how the Gravity has that extra, black layer of outsole?  That's a pretty rugged rubber that doesn't wear quickly.  See how the Distance has no such extra layer?  Its heel is the soft, foamy material found in the midsole.  What this means for a heel striker is some major wear and tear on the heels.  What it means for this forefoot striker who's pretty light on her heels even while walking is limited wear and tear on the heel, but lots of extra pep thanks to losing the excess weight!  These shoes are FAST, I tell ya.

That said, the lack of extra stuff on the heel also means less stabilizing back there.

Additionally, there's not much in the upper to control heel movement, nor to support the Achilles; the mesh of the Distance is a bit more stretchy than the Gravity, and allows my feet to move around more.  In some ways, this is good: nothing in this shoe pushes or pulls in any uncomfortable way.  But the lack of ankle stability is dicey with my bum Achilles; I've only taken these up to six miles at a time so far, as that's about the point at which I feel like I need extra support.

I may never wear the Distance for longer runs, but they're still a great addition to my shoe line-up!  They have all of the awesome energy return of the Gravity, thanks to those super lugs, fit my feet and mechanics beautifully, and deliver a super-peppy ride.  I've been enjoying them for both speed work and, rather surprisingly, as a walk-around-theme-parks shoe.


Moving on to my newest shoe...

Newton running Fate

The Fate is one of Newton's new line of 5-lug shoes, and falls into its middle, P.O.P. 2 category.  What the heck does that mean?!  Well, here's a guide: Choose Your Ride.  In my view, the P.O.P. refers to how much "pop" one gets from the lugs, with P.O.P. 1 giving the most energy return (Gravity falls into this category), P.O.P. 2 giving a little less "pop" and a little more cushion, and P.O.P. 3 offering more cushion and a ride similar to traditional running shoes.

Full disclosure?  I couldn't have cared less about which P.O.P. level I was selecting: they had me at lime green. 

Okay, yes, the color is awesome, but how's the ride?  Let me tell ya...

Starting at the top, the upper is really, really nice and, in most ways, a big improvement over previous Newton models.  All of that green is a fine mesh that's super stretchy: there are absolutely NO potential hot spots likely to cause rubbing, that I can tell.  It's almost a sock-like fit, but not quite - though, I do feel like I could size down a half-size in cooler months and it would fit more sock-like in the smaller size.  My only real gripes are that the tongue could be a bit more plush (I can feel the laces clearly through it on my instep - not problematic so far, but could be on a very long distance), and the heel is a little loosy-goosey, thanks to the soft, stretchy material.

Fate and Distance, side by side

Underfoot, the Fate is a pretty neat ride.  The lugs are less pronounced than on the Gravity or Distance, and I'm less aware of them under my feet while running, though they still give a nice energy return on liftoff.  Beyond that, the Fate's sole offers far more cushioning than the Gravity or Distance, but in such a way that it doesn't feel spongy.  It's more a reactive cushion, if that makes sense, reducing some amount of impact without making me feel as though I'm sinking into mud.  This is HUGE for me, as other highly cushioned shoes have left me feeling like it took a lot more effort to pick my feet back up after landing.  Not at all so with the Fate!

Fate's sole

I'm noticing that the Fate does a superior job, too, of helping me land closer to mid-foot, which reduces a lot of wear and tear on my metatarsals.  I usually end with some pain in that area after a long run in my Gravity's, but that hasn't happened yet in the Fates.  

The Fate's heel is a bit beveled, which helps guide my walking stride; a big plus when I'm fatigued and form starts to get sloppy.

See the beveling?

So far I'm really liking the Fate for easy runs and long, slow runs; it does a nice job of easing aches and pains without feeling like I have a couple of foam pillows strapped to my feet.  It's not as speedy as the Distance, but it just might out-workhorse the Gravity!  

A couple of minor quibbles: 1. these are pretty awful in the rain.  I ran about a mile in pouring rain the other day in them and they just fill up like tubs.  I don't mind being wet, but sloshy and heavy isn't great.  2. that soft, stretchy upper is very unforgiving of mechanical breakdowns.  My feet tend to start rolling outward on the run, and inward on the walk, when fatigued, and the Fate's upper does nothing to prevent this.  I hesitate to move to the Kismet stability model, as any amount of stability seems to invite ITBS into my life.  I've found, though, that a light support insole on tired days fixes things up nicely.  So nothing terrible here, just a couple points to note for those considering the Fate.


So far, as you can see, I'm thrilled with my new-found love affair with Newton Running.  They truly are the only shoe I've tried so far that doesn't irritate my left peroneal tendon, and (knock on wood) I've successfully worked back up to 9+ miles in them with no sign of ITBS.  I don't think the shoes house any sort of magic, mind you - only that I've maybe found some shoes that work properly with, and enhance rather than fight against, my mechanics.  Are Newtons the right shoes for you?  Only one way to find out - give 'em a try!

Running with an elephant on my chest

I worked hard last night, finishing a tough 5 by 400 meter speed workout in our lovely FL summer heat.  I was doing well, despite the less-than-ideal weather, cranking out the first 4 laps relatively easily.  Sure, I was winded by the end of each repeat, but I walked slowly for a few minutes after, caught by breath, and was ready for the next 400.  Until that last one.  Halfway through my final 400, my elephant returned and I was instantly transported to the spring of my sixth grade year, when we were made to run the 600-yard run for the Presidential Physical Fitness Tests…

image credit: https://wendythewanderer.files.wordpress.com

I’ll never, in all of my days, forget walking the last couple hundred yards that day, gasping, wheezing, searching desperately for oxygen to fill my lungs and finding nothing.  I remember clearly my vision reduced to a tunnel, the sound in my ears muffled, my chest compressed as if an elephant sat upon it, as my PE teacher shook her head in dismay, saying, as she recorded my piss-poor performance, “You need to try harder.”

I did try. I tried hard!  I was known by then as a sprinter. I couldn’t hit a baseball much past third base, but I could outrun the throw of it to first base every time.  I was always selected as either the lead or the anchor for sprint relays on Field Day.  I was training hard for the ballet at the time, taking classes every weekday, hours-long intensive workshops on Saturdays.  Really, I was among the fittest of my classmates.  And yet… I finished dead last, far behind the pudgy kid who sat out nearly every PE class, in that stupid 600-yard run.  And spent the rest of the day trying to catch my breath.

The trend continued.  In high school, I played varsity soccer: I did fine on the field, where I could catch my breath between runs, but the elephant appeared every time we were tasked with running a straight mile or so to warm-up.  When I met and married a triathlete, I tried swimming laps with him and my elephant showed up with alarming haste.  We tried running on the beach… elephants everywhere.  We took up swing dancing, a fast-paced, highly aerobic activity – and I quickly found that I had to sit every third song out to avoid the elephant.

One day, when I was finally employed in a position that offered health insurance, I mentioned the elephant to my doctor.  She asked detailed questions about how the elephant felt – heavy, compressive, like no matter how hard my lungs expand or contract, I can’t fill them up with air – when it appeared – any time I moved really fast over a sustained period of time – and if I’d had any serious lung infections – a bout of flu, that became pneumonia, that resulted in a year of chronic bronchitis in high school, a repeat of the same several years later, more bouts of acute bronchitis than I could count.  And then my doctor gave me the explanation that had eluded me since sixth grade: what I had was a condition called Exercise-Induced Asthma.  And, while there was no cure for it, there were things I could do to mitigate its accompanying elephants.

Exercise-induced asthma isn’t really asthma at all, but its symptoms mimic those of an asthma attack: tightness of the lungs, wheezing, inability to draw a full breath.  Some folks with regular asthma will also suffer exercise-induced asthma, but others may not.  Some folks, like me, who have no other occurrences of asthma, suffer the exercise-induced variety.  We who battle the elephants don’t just get winded with aerobic activity.  We reach a point where our bronchial passages become so constricted, we truly aren’t receiving adequate oxygen.  Without adequate oxygen, our bodies begin to shut down functions.  It’s dangerous, scary stuff.

So what can we do to keep the elephant at bay?  We can avoid aerobic activity, of course, but what fun is that?!  We can, however, avoid doing it in conditions that worsen symptoms: cold and/or dry air, times of high pollen counts, any time our lungs are already compromised by allergies/cold/flu.  For the rest of the time, we can use an inhaler of albuterol, which is typically considered a rescue inhaler for asthmatics.  For the sufferer of exercise-induced asthma, however, the inhaler is a proactive lifeline: taking two puffs 15-20 minutes before I exercise reduces the symptoms of exercise-induced asthma significantly.

Note that I did not say using an inhaler eliminates the symptoms.  It doesn’t sadly.  It does work well enough, especially when combined with using run-walk intervals, to banish all chest-sitting elephants from my runs at paces ranging from easy to tempo, but speed workouts?  They’re another story.  But the good news is that combining the inhaler with increasingly difficult speed work does, eventually, result in aerobic adaptations, and I have been able to increase my speed and pace over time through small upticks in exertion. 

The truth is that I may never be able to run distance without taking walk breaks, no matter how strong my legs may be; I’ll likely always need those walk breaks to avoid a run-ending asthma attack.  I have no fantasies about winning my age group or setting any records, so that’s fine; taking the walk breaks means finishing what I start, and that’s what matters most to me.

As for yesterday’s speed workout, I may have ended that final repeat a few meters shy of 400, but the important thing was that I pushed a little further than I have before (my previous attempt being 4 by 400 meters).  I made my body work a little harder, forcing adaptations, without pushing it to a point of danger.  And I finished my workout strong, running an easy ¾ of a mile with no elephants to be seen.

Do you struggle with chest-sitting elephants when you run?  If you do, and haven’t seen a doctor about it, please do!  This is a condition that can be easily treated and does not need to mean the end fo anyone’s running fun.

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!

Running SKIRTS Review: C9, Skirt Sports, Sparkle Skirts

I know – I am way, way, WAY overdue for a new post.  I’d like to say I’ve been ever so busy, but… mostly I’ve been bitter.  About this:

photo from runDisney

Yep, runDisney finally announced the long-rumored Star Wars race weekend.  To be held in DisneyLAND.  Nowhere near Florida, the state I can’t afford to leave for the foreseeable future.

~deepheavysigh~

That’ s a personal issue and I won’t waste time complaining about it here.  But it has been a downer.

Know what else has been a downer?  Summer.  In Florida.  The state I can’t afford to leave anytime soon.  Yes, the deep, dank, soul-sucking season of equatorial heat and monsoons is here and I’m already sick of it.

~deepheavysighx2~

But you’re not here to listen to me whine about races I’m not running or weather I can’t control, right?  Let’s get back on track…

…with a RUNNING SKIRTS REVIEW!  Yep, that’s skirts, plural.  

C9 from Target

I've been exercising in C9 (a partnership brand between Champion and Target) clothing since its inception, and have found the brand to be inexpensive, comfortable and durable.  So when I wanted to try a running skirt, a C9 model was the first I tried.  And it was the only skirt I used for the better part of two years.  But last year, C9 changed up its skirts with some new shapes and fabrics, just as my old ones were getting a touch too big from a combination of weight loss and wear and tear.  So I bought this one as a replacement:

Photo from Target.com

Photo from Target.com

I'm not in love with it, sadly.

Pros:

• A drawstring at the waist is a really nice touch and means that as I lose pounds on a summer run, I can quickly adjust the waist to a more secure fit.
• This is so lightweight, I'm nearly unaware of wearing it.  Fabric is really thin, but opaque; no see-through issues. And it dries very quickly - a major plus when using it for non-running activities such as water rides at theme parks.
• The black front panel/grey back panel is surprisingly flattering.  I worried that it would make my backside look overly ample, but no. And the A-line shape and length is perfect on me.

Cons:

• Only one: the legs roll up.  The legs rolling up thing isn't new; it happens with every one of my C9 skirts.  I've just accepted it; if it's hot enough to bare my legs entirely, then it's also hot and humid enough that I'm sleek with sweat - no need to worry about chafing.  So I was happily running in this skirt regularly.  Until I tried...

Skirt Sports - Gym Girl Ultra

A sale coupled with free shipping and the recommendation from several friends led me to give this beauty a try.  First reaction: overall, it felt a bit heavier than my C9 skirts, but the fabric itself was thin and light.  The skirt is split on both sides to facilitate movement and access to pockets on each leg of the shorts.  

This is upside-down. Blogger won't let me fix that. Sorry.

I have trust issues, hence the safety pin to keep my keys from falling out.
It was unnecessary, though - keys stayed put just fine!

So did a Clif Shot.

The shorts are made of a mesh material, and there is an exterior zippered pocket on the back of the waist.  This is a beautifully engineered skirt that is incredibly well-made.  It was $45 on sale, so almost double what I paid for my C9 skirt, but the superior quality was evident immediately.  I took this on a seven mile run for a test...

Pros:

• Not quite as noticeably light as my C9 skirt, but still very lightweight.
• So cool and airy!  The mesh shorts and split skirt made this super comfortable on a very hot run.
• Low and not too-squeezy waistband.  This may actually be a low-rise on a taller person.  On me, it fits just where and how I like it: below my belly-button, but above my hip bones, and securely without digging-in in any way.
• Pockets!  The leg pockets are awesome. I can stuff a few gels in each, lip balm, car key, etc.  My iPhone 4S fits, too, but I prefer to keep it elsewhere.  The back pocket is pretty big and could also fit some gels, keys, etc.
• Shape - not quite as flattering as the A-line of the C9, but good enough that I don't feel silly in it.  And roomy enough to not hamper my stride in any way.
• Leg openings that DO. NOT. BUDGE.  I truly didn't know what I'd been missing until this skirt came into my life!  The legs stayed put for all 7 miles and I realized at some point that was much more comfortable than the rolled-up legs of my C9 skirts.

Cons:

• Um... there really aren't any!  I might not want to overload the back pocket, as I think too much weight in there could pull the waistband down uncomfortably.  But with the other two side pockets available, I can't see any need to overload it anyway.  That's all I've got for cons.  I LOVE this skirt! Truly worth every penny of its cost.

Sparkle Skirts - Sparkle Tech in Swing and Slim styles

HUGE pocket on the side of each shorts leg.

First, know that the Sparkle Skirt brand is pretty much legendary among the ladies who run Disney.  Join any Disney-focused running group and you'll hear the virtues of these skirts extolled: "The pockets! The legs that don't ride up! The patterns!"  People adore this brand!  I had to give it a try and I couldn't decide between two patterns of the SparkleTech skirt.  So I got both!  And have tried each...

Pros:

• Both of these are fabulous alternatives to wearing shorts in the summer for non-running activities.  Which is really great, since I can't seem to find shorts that fit properly and are flattering on me.
• The leg pockets are enormous!  There's almost no limit to what can be stuffed in there. There's also a zippered waist pocket that can be worn in front or in back and it would hold quite a bit, too.
• It's true: the legs don't roll up at all!
• The patterns available (with new ones being added regularly) are pretty amazing.  These two skirts collectively coordinate with nearly every running and non-running shirt I own!
• I ordered the Slim cut a size bigger to get a bit more A-line shape, as I'd heard that it can look a little too squeezy otherwise.  It's not exactly A-line, but does seem to hang nicely on me.  

Rockin' Comic Relief at WDW's Star Wars Weekend!

Cons:

• These skirts feel surprisingly heavy to me.  The skirt fabric is quite lightweight, but the shorts are a thicker, denser material.  I'd bet that's perfectly fine almost anywhere else in the US, but they felt a little much for running in the heat here.  They weren't causing heat stroke or anything, but compared to the Skirt Sports skirt, the Sparkle Skirts aren't nearly as light and airy feeling.
• I don't love the height and tension of the waistband.  These are cut to land at the natural waist, which is just plain higher than I like.  I find that I'm acutely aware of the tight waistband as I run. 
• I'm not thrilled with the shape of the Swing style, at least not for running.  I found that the extra material kept getting caught between my legs - not a mechanical problem, but annoying.  It's quite cute, though, for non-running activities, I think.

• Price.  Sparkle Skirts aren't cheap.  You are paying for a well-made product, but at $60+ per skirt, they're more than I can reasonably afford for running apparel.  In the end, I decided to pool my budget for running and non-running bottoms, figuring I could use these for both, otherwise this would be a no-go for me.

In the end, I'm glad I got the Sparkle Skirts; they've already become my go-to bottoms for summer.  Even if I never run in them again, they're great alternatives to shorts for our frequent theme park days!  

I may not ever again buy a C9 skirt, which is a shame.  The shape is so nice, the fabric so light, but I've been spoiled by legs that don't ride up and my poor C9 skirts now reside at the bottom of my drawer.

I am now a total devotee of the Skirt Sport brand.  I bought a 2nd Gym Girl Ultra, also on sale, and also tried out a Marathon Chick skirt that was on clearance.  The Marathon Chick skirt has built-in spankies instead of shorts, is entirely composed of a breezy mesh fabric, and is really nice on particularly hot days.  

In the end, I encourage anyone thinking of a new running skirt to try a few brands and see what works best for your preferences, shape and style.  It's great that we have so many choices - something for everyone!