Winter Park Road Race 10k + 2 Miler Distance Dare Recap

Two weekends ago, I ran the Winter Park Road Race 10k + 2 Miler Distance Dare. This was my worst race last year, probably because I was about 8 weeks pregnant and hadn’t been running a lot/was feeling sick and fatigued but so far this year, it was also my worst race and I can assure you I am not pregnant again!

MRTT Mommas

Before the race, I was actually able to meet up with my MRTT Running group (I’m usually running late and miss the meet-up), and there were several chapters represented! During the meet up, I was able to find my friend Meredith, and we ran the 2 miler together. We ran a nice, easy pace and chatted the whole way. We ran the first mile straight through and then started 2/1 intervals during the 2^nd mile.  She was meeting up with a different friend for the 10k and I was on a hunt to find a bathroom between the 2 Miler and the 10k so we separated after the 2 miler. I unfortunately only had about 6 minutes between races so I wasn’t able to find a bathroom and started the 10k with really needing to pee. Luckily I was able to find a no-line porta-potty during mile 2 so it wasn’t too bad and didn’t really affect my time (not that it was great regardless of the stop). The one good thing about this course is it goes through Winter Park and there are quite a few houses under construction along the course so there are plenty of random porta-pottys for us runners.

I had a terrible stomachache/cramps during the 10k which made it just miserable to run. I kept thinking to myself, well I can just walk the rest, but then I’d think, but the more I walk the longer it’ll take to get home and showered. Plus we had plans later that morning so I knew I needed to get home as quickly as possible. It was super humid out too so it felt a lot warmer than it was. The last few races I have run in have had beautiful running weather so the humidity on this one really sucked. 

This is the second time I’ve done this race/distance dare event and both times I had bad experiences (mostly because of how I was feeling though, not because of the race itself). The 2-miler was so crowded and full of people who had zero running etiquette. This is pretty common for shorter runs and this old sold out, so it was very congested. It’s a good starter race for people who aren’t quite ready for a 5k and I only run that in addition to the 10k because it comes with a medal. I actually do really enjoy the course of both (minus the brick paver roads). There are a lot of nice things to look at (golf course, lakes, parks, mansions, etc.) and it’s mostly shaded. They do a great post-race party and always give out a nice wine glass to participants (plus the medal for the 10k). Track Shack does put on good events, although they are pretty much selling out all their races lately (good for them obviously) but it also means they are pretty crowded events. I always get sucked into this particular race because it’s a distance dare and it has medals, but I don’t think I’ll participate next year. Although, I say that now, knowing me, I’ll probably change my mind when it comes around haha.

My 2 Miler Stats:

Official Chip Time: 24:55 (overall pace of 12:14)

Place: 760 of 1037 Finishers

Place: 452 of the 671 Women Finishers

Place: 57 of 84 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

2.04 miles in 24:55 (overall pace of 12:14) <- wow I don’t think my RunKeeper time has EVER been the exact same as my chip

Fastest Mile: #1 at 11:39

Slowest Mile: #2 at 12:53

My 10k Stats:

Official Chip Time: 1:15:27 (overall pace of 12:08) 

Place: 1914 of 3013 Finishers

Place: 1111 of the 2007 Women Finishers

Place: 160 of 281 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

6.30 miles in 1:15:00 (overall pace of 11:54) <- I started it late

Fastest Mile: #3 at 11:24

Slowest Mile: #5 at 12:34 

Distance Dare Stats (they had limited stats, added together the two times & showed placement for gender): 

Official Chip Time: 1:40:35
Place: 272 of 462 Women Finishers

and the commemorative wine glass

Florida Hospital Lady Track Shack 5k Race Recap

This past Saturday, I ran the Florida Hospital Lady Track Shack 5k. This was my first time running this race and normally I really like Track Shack races so figured I’d sign up. This was a women’s only race and came with a finisher’s medal (and a tutu!) I’m a sucker for race bling, so figured it’d be a good short race to do a week after my half marathon. This was the first time I’ve done a women’s only race (the Disney Princess is MOSTLY women, but men are allowed to run it where as this one, men weren’t allowed to sing up).

I drove over to the race with two of my neighbors and ran the 1^st mile with one of them and then continued on my way the rest of the race. My other neighbor does “race-walking” so she did her own thing. The race was held in Winter Park, which I do love running through BUT it also means parts of the race are on brick roads. It’s not that I hate brick roads, because in some areas they are fine, but this particular course has a lot of UNEVEN bricks, with dips and I just felt like it made for a little tougher of a run because you have to really pay attention to where you are stepping so you don’t get injured. The course was also VERY crowded with runners/walkers grouped together. It’s a breast cancer race, so lots of groups of women and moms with kids out there. It was hard to weave in and out of the large conjugated groups throughout the whole course. Usually you can break away from the pacts a little easier in races. Maybe I started too far back, who knows, but I wasn’t a fan of the groups, although happy to see so many women (and kids!) out there running. I can’t wait until Emily is older and we can do 5ks together! There was also SO.MUCH.PINK! I loved it!! So many ladies were wearing the race pink tutu’s and pink race t-shirts so it was like a sea of pink!

The weather was just like last week’s Celebration Half. Started off in the high 40’s but was absolutely perfect for the run, probably ended in the mid to high 50s. I took my gloves off around mile 1 and even rolled my sleeves up at one point. I think the 50’s is perfect running weather! I wanted to wear the tutu (over my pants) they gave out in our race bags, but they didn’t ask for sizes (I guess they based them off the shirt sizes) and mine was a little too snug to wear comfortably but I’m hoping I lose a few more pounds over the next few weeks and it fits better for the Princess Half.

My time wasn’t the greatest because I ran the first mile with my neighbor and she’s slower than I am, but I didn’t mind too much as it was nice to have someone to run with for a little while and I’m glad she’s getting into running! She said she wants to sign up for another, so I’m sure we’ll be running together again soon!

My Stats:

Official Chip Time: 38:43 (overall pace of 12:27)

Place: 1268 of 2743 finishers (and Women Finishers since there obviously wasn’t any men)

Place: 135 of the 244 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats (which accounts for the zigzagging):

3.16 miles in 38:45 (overall pace of 12:15)

Splits:

Mile 1: 14:38

Mile 2: 11:37

Mile 3: 11:04

.16 Mile: 8:45  <- I always sprint at the end

Winter Park Road Race 10k and 2 Miler Recap

the start of the 2 miler (via Facebook)

Yesterday was the Winter Park Road Race 10k and 2 Miler. I was signed up for both the 10k and 2 Miler (making it a Distance Dare event). This was the last event of the Track Shack Running Series I had signed up for last year. I hadn't ran (and barely walked) since the Best Damn Race 10k, 2 weeks ago, so I was not looking forward to it at all.

I arrived in Winter Park with what I thought would have been enough time to finally meet up with some of the ladies in the Moms Run This Town group, but by the time I picked up my packet and walked back to my car (I parked like .4 miles away) to drop off the stuff and get back to the start line, they were already counting 90 secs down to the start of the 2 Miler. In order to make the start of the 10k, I needed to finish the 2 miler in 30 minutes or less. That should never be a problem with my usual pace but of course I wasn't really "feeling" like running this morning so I was a little worried. The course for the 2 Miler was an easy course through the residential area of Winter Park and the weather was perfect. I finished with about 5 minutes to spare before the start of the 10k. 

I wish you could just continue into the next race and not have to wait for them to begin because the little sweat I did have from the 2 Miler did bring me a chill while waiting for the 10k to start (and I'm coughing and sneezing today, coincidence?) I ran the first mile per my 3/1 intervals and then stopped to use the bathroom at a random construction site of a house (there were a bunch of houses being built along the course so the port-o-potty's were easy to come bye without lines of more than 1 person). After stopping to pee, I just couldn't get into the running groove. I just wasn't "feeling it" plus my "bad" foot was hurting a little bit and I ended up walking the majority of the race (pretty much only running on the walking intervals). The course scenery was sooo nice, probably multi-million dollar estates on the chain of lakes in Winter Park, ah so pretty to look and drool at! My one complaint of the course though was the majority of it was on brick roads, and it wasn't that they were brick roads, it was how uneven they are. I was only walking for most of it but when I did run, I was very concerned about tripping on raised bricks. There was even one section that was "up-hill" which to most people probably wasn't much but to us flat-Florida runners, it wasn't welcomed, at least not by me. Overall though, had I been in the mood to run, it probably would have been a very enjoyable race and once again the weather was absolutely PERFECT! 

Because I had signed up for the Track Shack Running Series I was allowed to go into the post-race VIP area for free (others had to pay $10). Inside they had PF Changs sampling their Chicken Lettuce Wraps (one of my FAVORITE things from PF Changs), Krispy Kreme Donuts, beverages and some other samples. Plus picnic tables to sit down and chat with others. They were also giving out beer (to all runners, not just the VIP group) but after a run, 9am beers don't sound appetizing to me  although the line was VERY long, so apparently it appeals to lots of others! I just indulged in many Chicken Lettuce Wraps while chatting with some other runners and had a Krispy Kreme donut for dessert. In the regular post-race area they also had a bunch of refreshments like samples from Smoothie King, cups of fresh strawberries, and bananas. All runners also got stemless wine glasses and the 10k finishers got Medals and the Distance Dare finishers got an additional medal. Although, I'm a little disappointed that the Distance Dare medals are the same as they were for the last Distance Dare event (U CAN FINISH) and only changed out the lanyard. (Plus our Tech T-Shirts!) It was a pretty "perk-worthy" race to run that's for sure. I really enjoyed the Running Series however many of the races were pretty far from home and now that I know Winter Garden's Tri-N-Run hosts a bunch of their own races (usually on the same days as Track Shack) I won't sign up for the series again as I'd prefer to run the races closer to home (a 5-10 minute drive sure beats a 35 minute drive, especially at 5:30am). Although I'm sure I'll still run some of the Track Shack races too, I just won't sign up for the series. 

This was the last race I was signed up for until November's Give Kids the World Gingerbread Run. Depending on what is offered, I may throw another 5k or two in there before then. Otherwise, summer is coming and it gets way too hot!

Race Bib!

the finish line

Race Bling!

Stemless Wine Glass

My 2 Miler Stats:

Official Chip Time: 25:23 (overall pace of 12:41) - They started everyone at the same time even if you didn't cross the start line right away

Place: 383 of 671 Finishers

Place: 1475 of the 1782 Women Finishers

Place: 55 of 92 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

2.20 miles in 25:03 (overall pace of 11:23) 

Fastest Mile: #1 at 11:17

Slowest Mile: #2 at 11:54

My 10k Stats:

Official Chip Time: 1:22:58 (overall pace of 13:21) 

Place: 2438 of 2817 Finishers

Place: 1475 of the 1782 Women Finishers

Place: 219 of 246 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

6.25 miles in 1:23:02 (overall pace of 13:17) 

Fastest Mile: #1 at 12:27

Slowest Mile: #4 at 13:56 

Distance Dare Stats (they had limited stats, added together the two times & showed placement for gender): 

Official Chip Time: 1:48:21
Place: 309 of 377 Women Finishers

Run around the Pines 5k Race Recap

This morning, I ran Track Shack's Run Around the Pines 5k in Winter Park, FL. G wasn't running this one with me. I've been pretty congested all week but was determined to run anyways (even if I ended up walking more than usual). I surprisingly woke up feeling pretty great and MOST of my congestion was gone (at least both nostrils were clear anyways! It was a little chilly out when I left the house (Mid-50's) but not as bad as it was during my last race when it was in the 40's. I wore the same thing as last time (long sleeve dri-fit shirt and pants). I also wore my new bondiband that I got from Tri and Run and loved it! It covered my ears to keep them warm and kept my earbuds in + kept my ear back and the sweat out of my eyes! Best $9 I've spent in a while!

this is the Bondiband I have, get it here

I ran my typical 3/1's while listening to Glut Pop on iHeartRadio (my usual running music) and am happy to report I didn't stray off of them ONCE., stuck to them to the tee! There were a ton of kids participating in this race (it left from the road outside an elementary school and ended at the high school track so looks like they advertised it with the schools as I saw a bunch of young kids in neon yellow shirts representing their school) and I was worried they'd congest the roadways like in the U Can Finish 2 Miler. This was not the case at all (roads were wider than the path at UCF) and it was a very nice run through a residential area of Winter Park, mostly shaded roads with trees and finished on the Cady Way Trail (which is a very nice trail!) before the finish line that was just off the Cady Way trail ending at the Stadium/Track. I was surprised that they only had one water stop, but since I always run with a water bottle it didn't really effect me. Normally, Track Shack has two in their 5k's. 

My only complaint about this race was the fact that I parked at the elementary school and apparently didn't realize I was going to be STUCK in the parking lot until all the finishers crossed the finish line. I suppose it's my own fault for not looking at the course but a) they should have warned us/put up signs b) I also thought there was an exit on the other side of the parking lot but instead it was a loop. It wouldn't have been a huge deal except I was trying to get home by a certain time as G had somewhere to be. I didn't make it in time but luckily my inlaws were able to watch EM for the 20 minute overlap. (Gotta love them living down the street!) This race is the 2nd to last in the Track Shack Running Series, my last one is in March and is a 10k + 2 Miler Distance Dare!  

My Stats:

Official Chip Time: 35:16 (overall pace of 11:21) 

Place: 858 of 1357 Finishers

Place: 392 of the 756 Women Finishers

Place: 54 of 78 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

3.14 miles in 35:20 (overall pace of 11:14) 

Fastest Mile: #1 at 11:11

Slowest Mile: #3 at 11:27

Seasons 52 Park Ave 5.2k Race Recap

Saturday morning was the Seasons 52 Park Ave 5.2k. This was definitely the coldest race I have ever participated in. It was in the mid 40's. G's shins were hurting so he decided to sit this one out. I got there and picked up my race packet and hightailed it back to the car to sit and wait in the warmth of my heated seats until about 7:10. I walked over to the start line, and there was hardly anyone there which seemed odd since the race was starting in like 15 minutes. I decided to hide out in the Panera Bread which was conveniently located next to the start line and stayed warm until about 3 mins before the race started. I couldn't decide if I wanted to run in my sweatshirt or not and after what happened at the WDW 10k, I decided to suck it up and just deal with the cold prior to the race and know that I'd be more comfortable during the race. I'm SO glad I did that because within 3 minutes of running, I was more than warmed up! The run went through a mostly residential area of Winter Park,  with a portion on brick vs regular asphalt. It was a nice run and considering I haven't ran since the WDW 10k, I did alright. The run was enjoyable and I loved looking at all the houses in Winter Park. Some were really unique and fun to look at. I did my normal 3/1's (which I pretty much stuck to) while listening to Glut Pop on iHeartRadio. Since I was by myself, I didn't take any pictures other than my event shirt. Not even a selfie!  Seasons 52 was the big sponsor of the run and ever 52nd finisher got a $52 gift card to Seasons 52. Sadly, I was not a 52nd finisher, boo!

My Stats:

Official Chip Time: 37:10 (overall pace of 11:30) 
Official 5k Chip Time: 36:01

Place: 1148 of 1854 Finishers

Place: 575 of the 1092 Women Finishers

Place: 71 of 128 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats (which accounts for the zigzagging, run off to the bathroom, etc.):

3.26 miles in 37:14 (overall pace of 11:25) 

Fastest Mile: #1 at 10:57

Slowest Mile: #2 at 11:52

U CAN FINISH Race Recap

G and I ran Track Shack's U CAN FINISH 5 Miler and 2 Miler Distance Dare this morning. It was actually pretty chilly (for us Floridians) when we got to UCF this morning around 7am. As I mentioned in my previous post, G and I signed up for the Track Shack Running Series and this was the 3rd event in the series. We missed the 2nd event when we were in Philly. This was their first Distance Dare event of the series as well. Pretty much it just means there are two races, right after each other and you run both of them. The only downside to the Distance Dare is depending what time you end the first race, in this case the 5 miler, you have to wait to start the 2nd race, the 2 miler. The 2 Miler didn't start until 8:45, so I didn't have to wait THAT much time in between races but it was enough for my muscles to start tightening up. Also the 2 Miler was more of a "fun run" with a TON of kids and a handful of strollers. I'm all for kids running, in fact I can't wait for EM to eventually be able to join us, I love seeing families running together, it was just very congested! My complaints with the 2 Miler were 1) they didn't have a true chip start time, just clock time (meaning everyone's time started at the same time 2) they used the last 2 miles of the 5 miler course, which was fine except right at this point of the course it got pretty narrow in a few areas and during the 5 miler the runners were already spaced so it wasn't too congested but during the 2 Miler it was still the beginning and during these narrow parts, it was seriously like walking SLOW, which did not help my tightening muscles or my time. I wanted to get at least 12:00 pace, but once it got so congested in the 1st mile I just said screw it and took my time with the other mile. Now for the 5 Miler, I loved it! It as SO nice outside, like I mentioned above, it was a little chilly when we started but as soon as I got going it felt nice and it did get warm and humid once the sun fully came up but it wasn't bad at all! After coming from a Disney race last weekend, not seeing any entertainment or people cheering you on until mile 2.5 was kind of disheartening! I feel like Track Shack races usually have more than they did for this race, maybe I just still had Disney too fresh in my mind, but seriously don't remember seeing a single person other than runners for the first 2.5 miles. Once you hit 2.5 miles though, the entertainment/people cheering you on really picked up and it was good. I love this course because it goes through UCF and I LOVE UCF and getting to see the campus again. Reminds me of my college days... ahh, the good times! I ran 3/1 intervals for both races (although it was hard to "run" for some of the 2 Miler due to the congestion of people) and I really liked running those intervals. I listed to the Cult Pop station on the iHeartRado app again too. Looks like this is going to be my running routine this season! Since this was a Distance Dare event, they did give out medals to the finishers of the Distance Dare. I'm a little disappointed that they don't have the race name on the medal, only the lanyard part :( I really hope it's not the same medal with a different lanyard for the other Distance Dare event at the end of the Running Series in the Spring. G and I didn't take any pics together for this race and only a few total, but here they are and following is our race stats and a guest post from G himself on his thoughts on the race.

Finisher's Medal for the Distance Dare

Love that I get to keep the same number for the whole series!

The finish line! (not us posing obviously)

My Stats:

5 Miler

Official Chip Time: 56:08 (overall pace of 11:14)

Place: 911 of 1303 Finishers

Place:442 of the 732 Women Finishers

Place: 71 of 104 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats (which accounts for the zigzagging, run off to the bathroom, etc.):

5.08 miles in 57:33 (overall pace of 11:20) - Also didn't stop it for a solid minute after the finish whoops

Fastest Mile: #1 at 10:51

Slowest Mile: #4 at 11:30

2 Miler

Official Chip Time: 24:41 (overall pace of 12:20)

Place: 576 of 910 Finishers

Place:304 of the 545 Women Finishers

Place: 45 of 69 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

My RunKeeper stats:

2.04 miles in 24:04 (overall pace of 11:48)

Fastest Mile: #2 at 12:04

Slowest Mile: #1 at 11:32

Distance Dare (they had limited stats, just added together the two times and showed placement for gender)

Official Chip Time: 1:20:49 

Place: 187 of the 196 Women Finishers

G’s stats:

5 Miler

Official Chip Time: 58:23 (overall pace of 11:40)

Place: 986 of 1303 finishers

Place: 496 of the 571 Men Finishers

Place: 63 of the 69 in his Men’s Age Division (30-34)

His RunKeeper stats:

5.23 miles in 58:56 (overall pace of 11:17)

Fastest Mile: #3 at 10:56

Slowest Mile: #5 at 11:48

2 Miler

Official Chip Time: 23:54 (overall pace of 11:57)

Place: 538 of 910 finishers

Place: 264 of the 365 Men Finishers

Place: 31 of the 47 in his Men’s Age Division (30-34)

His RunKeeper stats:

2.09 miles in 23:22 (overall pace of 11:12)

Fastest Mile: #2 at 11:14

Slowest Mile: #1 at 11:18

Distance Dare 

Official Chip Time: 1:20:49 

Place: 176 of the 298 Women Finishers

Guest Post from G: 

Today was an absolutely beautiful day for a run and I love running through UCF.  The first mile was around the football stadium which is always fun to be around and makes me happy about the only thing related to fall that I love, football!  Anyhow, I felt pretty good and I was working on trying to get my pacing right so that I had even, or preferably, negative splits and all in all I'm happy with them.  My 4th mile was so slow because I pushed it a lot during the 3rd mile and should have dialed it back to get the right split.  Mile 5, well that sucked.  I had to stop running at two points to throw up, but then I was able to push along to make sure that I got the under 12 mile minute in there.

The 2 mile run I wasn't so sure about but I figured I'd try to do it as well as I could and I was pretty happy with that time, beating Denise after she had beaten me in the 5 mile race.  Once we got through the zoo of people, many of whom had never run before and had no idea what proper running etiquette was (seriously don't stop running right in front of someone, make sure you get to the side and make sure you make a sign if you are going to start walking), I was able to have a pretty nice run and a nice negative split!

**I may update this post in a day or so and add some pictures from the professional photographer depending how they come out.**

Tower of Terror 10 Miler Recap

Well I spent an hour typing this post up on my iPad last night and the Blogger app crashed as I hit save (and it didn’t auto save along the way). I am no longer ever trying to post from the app again! So here we go again…and sorry in advance, it’s REALLY long!

Saturday night, G and I ran The Twilight Zone 2013 Tower of Terror 10 Miler. If you remember from my previous post, I was not looking forward to this race at all. After only running about 6 times since I was allowed to start running again (post-surgery), being sick this week, and it being a night race, I am very happy with my 2:07:05 finish. G and I separated after Mile 1 (he wasn’t feeling too good and wasn’t doing any set type of intervals so it was driving me crazy).  I pretty much ran 3/1 intervals except when there was a water stop that didn’t align with my walking intervals (which only happened ONCE) but I just modified as they came. I jammed out to the Cult Pop station on the iHeartRadio app which played the perfect music to keep me pumped during the run. I really didn’t start to feel tired until Mile 7ish and a nice lady gave me a strawberry GU (she saw me starting to struggle) and that helped perk me back up to finish. It was also at that point that I realized I wasn’t going to be able to make my 2 hr mini-goal, so I didn’t push it as hard the last few miles. I will definitely say, when I finally saw the entrance to Hollywood Studios around 8.5 miles, I was never happier to see that entrance, since I knew that the finish line was close! There is definitely something to be said about the Runner’s High you get after crossing the finish line,  hearing the people cheer you on, and getting that medal hung around your neck.. it’s awesome! My body on the other hand, feels nothing close to awesome… omg so sore! (note to self: must actually train for next long race!!)

patiently waiting in our corral

the best sign of the race.. close to the finish line!

My Stats:

Official Chip Time: 02:07:05 (overall pace of 12:43

Place: 4083 of 9478 Finishers

Place: 2241 of the 6132 Women Finishers

Place: 443 of 1182 in my Women’s Age Division (25-29)

5k Split: 37:18

10k Split: 1:17:06

My RunKeeper stats (which accounts for the zigzagging, run off to the bathroom, etc.):

10.18 miles in 2:07:07 (overall pace of 12:29)

Fastest Mile: #3 at 11:45

Slowest Mile #10 at 13:11

G’s stats (yes, I beat him by a whole 30 seconds!):

Official Chip Time: 02:07:35 (overall pace of 12:46)

Place: 4149 of 9478 finishers

Place: 1863 of the 3346 Men Finishers

Place: 328 of the 563 in his Men’s Age Division (30-34)

5k Split: 38:35

10k Split: 1:18:55

His RunKeeper stats:

10.25 miles in 2:09:40 (overall pace of 12:32)

Fastest Mile: #4 at 11:50

Slowest Mile #10 at 12:56

I kind of have a love/hate relationship with Disney races and I always say “I’m never running another Disney race again” but then I sign up for another one anyways, must be because my love factors always outweigh the hate factors. Here are my Love/Hate factors for Disney Races (with some specifics to this race thrown in)

HATE:

• PRICE: All Disney races are just SO expensive and that is the one thing I hate the most! I paid around $165 for this 10 miler after purchasing the commemorative pin and all the fees. (I insist on buying the pins, I don’t know why, all I do is put them on my cork board at work, but I MUST get them!) There are non-Disney marathons that are less than $100 yet I paid wayyy more than that for a 16 mile shorter race just because it’s Disney. (and I know a lot of the money goes into the things I LOVE about Disney races but it’s just hard to justify sometimes)

  

  my super cool pin

  
  
• TIMING: All races require you to get there relatively early before they actually start. (Most want you to be there about 45 minutes before start time) Now with Disney races, you always have to get there soo much earlier because of the traffic, crowds, parking, corral placements, etc. The morning races are really tough because it requires you to get up in the middle of the night! This particular race, since it started right outside Hollywood Studios and the park was still open required us to park at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. We had to be sure to be parked and on their shuttle by 8pm according to race instructions, so by 8:15 we were walking around the pre-race area for a race that wasn’t even going to start until 10pm and our corral wasn’t due to cross start line until around 10:15 (we had to be IN our corrals by 9:15). So, for about the time it would take me to run the race, I was sitting there tired (it was already close to my bedtime) and waiting for it to begin. It is just the nature of a race of this magnitude, and ALL of their races draw huge amount of participants and volunteers/spectators, so it has to be done, but doesn’t mean I’ll ever like it. (I love my sleep way too much!)
• COURSE: I guess I don’t hate all the courses, some of the other races I’ve done have been better than this one. I just feel like in general way too much of the courses are on Osceola Parkway. Which yes it is Disney property, and yes they have a ton of entertainment (see #1 like below), and yes, I know they have park hours and other non-race guests to accommodate but I just feel like more of the courses should be IN the parks. I don’t know how they could make it possible and I’m sure if they could they would, but running up and down Osceola Parkway really exciting enough for me (even with the entertainment!) 

LOVE:

• ENTERTAINMENT: If you’ve never been to a Disney race, you won’t understand this. Disney’s race entertainment is fabulous! From pre-race to post-race, they keep the crowd going! They have some sort of photo opp (usually characters) during every single mile, a cool poster for each mile marker, and all sorts of other entrainment and special features (fireworks, cool lighting, photographers etc). There is also a huge amount of volunteers and spectators that are along the side lines of the course cheering you on and holding up funny posters! One of these days I’m going to run a Disney race and actually take advantage of it all. Usually I just want to finish so bad that I’m not willing to wait in 30 person deep line to take a picture (yes, THAT many people do stop and take pics) but one day I will. (it’s not like I’m ever really fast, so I don’t know why I insist on rushing through the course) PLUS you get to run through the parks! As noted in the hate section, not all of the courses are ever entirely in the parks but running through Cinderella’s castle, behind the scenes of Hollywood studios, on the warming track of the Brave’s spring training stadium, etc makes Disney races special. A lot of where you run during a Disney race you can’t get to during normal park hours. (When we ran the Disneyland Half Marathon a few years ago we also got to run through the warming track of the LA Angels MLB Stadium!)

  

  the start line

  

  fireworks at the start

  
  

  

  running on the Brave's warming track

  

  some cool lighting
  
  

• WATER STOPS: All my longer races were ran with a camelback on, so going into this race I was a little nervous knowing I only had my one 16.9 oz water bottle in my hand. Luckily it felt like the water stops were perfectly placed (even if they didn’t align with my walk intervals lol) and I never felt like I didn’t have enough water. I was able to fill my bottle up as well so that I had my “clutch” in case I got super thirsty!
• PEOPLE:  Being around so many people with the same running enthusiasm is great! Everyone is so friendly (well let me preface this with the people I interact with, not the serious “Corral A” runners, I’ve never been near them, they might not be as friendly since they are trying to actually win). People apologize for stepping on laces, or running into you, and share GU when you are struggling. Whether it’s someone’s 1^st race or 100^th race, it’s so refreshing to share a common goal, to cross the finish line. And so many people stop afterwards and cheer on the rest of the runners as they complete the race too.
• RACE BLING: I’m a sucker for finisher medals, and hands down Disney races have the best medals ever! I mean check out the medal from this race, the elevator even goes up and down! Sometimes medals are even a deciding factor (if they don’t give them out) if I’ll sign up for a race. I’m not sure why the medals matter to me, I mean all I do is hang them in my cubicle at work, but I love them!

awesome medal

OK, like I said, sorry so long, but I think that is why I like blogging because I can type as much as I want and it’s not like a 10 sentence Facebook status update. Everyone who knows me in real life, knows I hardly ever shut up when I talk about things I like (just ask me about cruising, I can go on for days lol) so this is a good place for me to get it all out J Can’t wait for my next Disney race, the Walt Disney World 10k in January!

personalized race bib