Jan 19, 2010
Jan 17, 2010
Houston Marathon
A beautiful day for running today! We started at 42 and finished around 50. My day wasn’t quite that perfect. I realized halfway to downtown that I left my Clif Bar breakfast at home. Not a good omen. Then, when I was pulling into my parking space, I heard the crunch of glass and realized I had run over a bottle. All this before 545am. Things did get better. A friend of one of my running buddies had an extra Clif Bar that she brought but since she had never had one before running before, didn’t want to eat. And when I got back to my car at the end, it didn’t look like my tire lost air or had been punctured.
I ended up only doing the half. I could feel a twinge in my left hip flexor as I approached the turnoff at mile 9, and I figured that 40 minutes more running was a better idea than 2 hours and 40 minutes. I stopped by the Hash Mile at mile 11/24 to hang out and wait for some of my friends to come by. 20 minutes later, when they came by, I was off to the finish with them. It felt kind of odd inside the finish area when the volunteers kept insisting on giving me the full medal and the full finisher shirt. They must have thought I looked really good to have just finished in 2.5 hours.
After I finished, I drove back out to mile 24 to wait for my marathon friends. Some of them had asked me to make sure I found them in case they needed help at the end of the race. Jenny and Bianca were the first two to come by, looking strong and well on their way to a sub-4 finish. Shelley was next, was cramping a bit, but had a smile on her face and after running with her for a bit, she said she had it from there. I missed Sandy but saw her fiance Tim. He was doing fine, so that left just Stephanie to come by. She showed up later than expected. She was doing okay, but looked and sounded like she could use some company to get her mind focused again. I ran the rest of the way in with her, which probably sent the timing system haywire when I crossed the line for a second time.
Now that I’ve run two halves and a full in the span of eight days, I’m even more in awe of those crazy people that do a marathon a day for a month or a marathon a week for a year. I probably could have gotten through the full today, but I’m sure it would have more than erased the elation I’m still feeling from Goofy last week. That was the best I’ve ever felt all the way through and after a full, and I still can’t believe it. Today would not have felt nearly as good. The half was definitely the better choice.
Now it’s time for beer, lunch, and a nap.
I ended up only doing the half. I could feel a twinge in my left hip flexor as I approached the turnoff at mile 9, and I figured that 40 minutes more running was a better idea than 2 hours and 40 minutes. I stopped by the Hash Mile at mile 11/24 to hang out and wait for some of my friends to come by. 20 minutes later, when they came by, I was off to the finish with them. It felt kind of odd inside the finish area when the volunteers kept insisting on giving me the full medal and the full finisher shirt. They must have thought I looked really good to have just finished in 2.5 hours.
After I finished, I drove back out to mile 24 to wait for my marathon friends. Some of them had asked me to make sure I found them in case they needed help at the end of the race. Jenny and Bianca were the first two to come by, looking strong and well on their way to a sub-4 finish. Shelley was next, was cramping a bit, but had a smile on her face and after running with her for a bit, she said she had it from there. I missed Sandy but saw her fiance Tim. He was doing fine, so that left just Stephanie to come by. She showed up later than expected. She was doing okay, but looked and sounded like she could use some company to get her mind focused again. I ran the rest of the way in with her, which probably sent the timing system haywire when I crossed the line for a second time.
Now that I’ve run two halves and a full in the span of eight days, I’m even more in awe of those crazy people that do a marathon a day for a month or a marathon a week for a year. I probably could have gotten through the full today, but I’m sure it would have more than erased the elation I’m still feeling from Goofy last week. That was the best I’ve ever felt all the way through and after a full, and I still can’t believe it. Today would not have felt nearly as good. The half was definitely the better choice.
Now it’s time for beer, lunch, and a nap.
Jan 15, 2010
Goofy, Part II
After waking up from my nap on Saturday afternoon, I checked the weather again for what had to be the hundredth time during the weekend. My forecast from Weather Underground was different than Heather’s from the Weather Channel, so I kept vacillating on what to wear for the race on Sunday. Deep down, I really wanted to wear shorts and short sleeves for most of the race. Tights and long sleeves and jackets in Orlando make me feel all bundled up, like I should be out skiing or snow shoeing instead of running. Unfortunately for me, neither of the forecasts was really pointing towards me doing that. An overnight low of 26 coupled with wind in the mid-teens for most of the race didn’t sound like shorts weather. Thankfully, we had reservations for dinner and couldn’t spend any more time obsessing over it.
We went to dinner at the Flying Fish Cafe. It’s one of Disney’s nicer seafood restaurants and was surprisingly good. Overpriced, as all things Disney are, but still quite good. To some, a seafood place might not sound like the ideal pre-marathon food, I just couldn’t handle a second night in a row of Italian. They had two runner-focused dishes that came with pasta or risotto - my swordfish and shrimp came with polenta - so I got my carbs in. Our waiter was hysterical. Heather, not running the next day, was enjoying her martini and moved on to a champagne flight. He asked me if I wanted anything, so I asked for a water flight. He brought me a glass of tap water and then presented me with a fine bottle of the Dasani 2009. A little while later, he fussed at me for mixing my waters and placed a beautiful wine glass on the table for the Dasani. Too funny!
More weather obsessing took place after dinner, much to Heather’s chagrin. I just couldn’t decide between possible combinations of long sleeves and jacket, short sleeves and vest, or both. She finally got exasperated enough that when I asked her to pin on my bib for me, she informed me that I wasn’t allowed to change it once she did. I ended up with the long sleeves and the jacket, and I’m glad I did. Thanks to the wind, it was much cooler during the race than it otherwise would have been. I had my jacket on for most of the race and was glad I did.
Just like Saturday, the alarm went off way too early. I followed the same routine as the day before - check weather, brush teeth, check email, put in contacts, put on clothes, leave. Even the line for the bus was at the same place when I got there at the same time. So how come I ended up getting to Epcot 20 minutes earlier? That was definitely not in the plan and meant I had all kinds of time to kill once I dropped off my bag, and that’s not really a good thing when it’s below freezing and the wind is blowing. I hunkered down behind a concrete pillar used to hold up one of the bag check tents and did my best to stay warm and conserve energy. After 45+ minutes of that, it was time to head off to the start with the rest of the masses. Here’s a shot of the corrals when I got there. I managed to get to my corral right when the fireworks went off on the overpass behind me. Talk about startling the shit out of me. Very cool to watch though.
And then we were off! The marathon starts with two waves and two different courses. I was on the blue course in the first wave, but none of us were very happy about that as we logged the first mile. As we were going up a highway overpass, the red course was running down an offramp and circling back underneath us. That kept everyone talking for a while and just when we were convinced they had the better route, we entered Epcot. They went in and around some of the back lots and underneath the Test Track ride; we got to run around the lake past most of the countries. We definitely got the better end of that deal. As sweet as the Magic Kingdom had been all lit up on Saturday, Epcot under the lights is a thousand times more spectacular. It’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Absolutely amazing. The whole area is lit by gas torches, the globe in the middle is lit up with colors, and the big ball is bathed in light in the background. Throw in the music playing the Olympic theme, the Epcot theme, and all kinds of other cool music, and it’s one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever been immersed in. Not sure which dwarf that is in the picture. It’s only here because it’s the only one I took all weekend with one of the characters. I was having such a good time running and talking that I didn’t want to stop and wait in line. The line for most of the characters was 5-20 people long. That’s a lengthy stop during a race, especially a cold one.
Anyway, I’m really glad I ended up on the blue course. I was going to try to get into a corral on the red one because some guy in line at the porta-potties told me it was a nicer run. That idea ended when I realized a) those corrals were more crowded than the blue ones, and b) the corral I would have gone to started in the second wave 10 minutes later. No way I was waiting any longer than necessary out in that cold to get started.
In some sort of strange coincidence, right around mile 4, I ran into another two people wearing the same shirt that Kathy was wearing on Saturday. They are all part of the same running club and invited me to run with them for the rest of the race. Nicole and her husband Jim were as much fun as Kathy was, if not more. Poor Jim lost a glove at one of the water stops, so we spent the next hour helping him “shop” along the way for a replacement. Jim ended up dropping back behind us after a while so he could do his run/walk plan, so it was just Nicole and I for most of the race. We had a great time, never stopped talking or joking or enjoying all the sights around us. Here’s the only other picture taken along the way. The sun was just starting to make its way over the trees but it hadn’t gotten much warmer yet.
It didn’t really start to get warm until we were halfway to Animal Kingdom. That’s about the point at which I finally stuffed my gloves into my pocket. The cold weather up to that point made it one of the more unusual races I’ve ever been in. The Powerade was frozen at all the water stops, as was the water. The spillage of both caused black ice to form on the road, making it slick and dangerous. To help keep it safe, the volunteers resorted to spreading the Powerade powder on the ground to provide traction. Pretty ingenious, I think.
Other points of note along the course: Heather came out to see me at mile 19. I wasn’t sure she’d make it, but I sure was glad to see her. Nicole was too since we had spent the previous two miles talking about her Ironman relay, my ultra, and how Heather had been the one that got us into the ultra. She had all kinds of questions for Heather and was also happy to meet the woman I’d been yakking about for the past 20 minutes. I gave Heather my jacket because I didn’t think I’d need it again. Boy was I wrong. Once we turned onto World Drive to head to Hollywood Studios, the wind was in front of us, the shade on us, and I was cold. It was a long two miles to get into the park and sun and out of the wind.
The marathon course is a lot more fun and interesting than the half. Not only do you hit all four parks, you don’t spend as much time on the major roads. There is that really dull 4-mile stretch between Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, true, but the other road parts are at least through the golf course and undeveloped areas. And once you get to Hollywood Studios, you’re never on the road again. The entire rest of the course is through the park, around the pathways in front of the nice resorts on the Boardwalk, and then back into Epcot for another lap around the countries. Plus, on Sunday, the famous gospel choir at mile 26 was there performing live. Nothing like the sound of beautiful voices in harmony to get you excited about the last two turns. I was so focused on getting to the finish line that I completely missed hearing Heather yelling and screaming for me from next to the bleachers. I didn’t realize she was at the finish until I heard her yelling at me again as I was waiting in line to get my picture taken after getting my Goofy medal. Getting that medal was awesome! The volunteers were all extremely excited for us, and we were even more so. We were all whooping it up and hugging and carrying on with the biggest grins and smiles you can imagine. As they say, it’s all about the bling. :)
This was one of the best races and weekends I’ve ever had. I felt great during both runs the whole way - no knee problems, no aching feet, no nothing. The only injury I have is one toenail on my right foot that got pushed up against the front of my shoe on Sunday. They’re half a size too big, which isn’t much of a problem when it’s warm and my feet swell. Note to self: feet don’t swell as much when it’s cold. I think one of the reasons I felt so well is that I ran a whole lot slower than I normally do. I was only focused on having fun, keeping an easy and steady pace (although I negative split both days), and making the most of the experience that Disney has to offer. I was so excited about my Goofy experience that the first thing I told Heather when she asked after the finish me how I felt was “It was awesome! I feel great! I can’t wait to do it again!”
So who’s with me? Anyone want to go Goofy in 2011? I’m signing up this weekend. I think I’m going to go medal collecting and sign up for the Disneyland Half in September too. Turns out you get a really cool Coast-to-Coast medal if you run both the Disney Half and the Disneyland Half in the same year.
We went to dinner at the Flying Fish Cafe. It’s one of Disney’s nicer seafood restaurants and was surprisingly good. Overpriced, as all things Disney are, but still quite good. To some, a seafood place might not sound like the ideal pre-marathon food, I just couldn’t handle a second night in a row of Italian. They had two runner-focused dishes that came with pasta or risotto - my swordfish and shrimp came with polenta - so I got my carbs in. Our waiter was hysterical. Heather, not running the next day, was enjoying her martini and moved on to a champagne flight. He asked me if I wanted anything, so I asked for a water flight. He brought me a glass of tap water and then presented me with a fine bottle of the Dasani 2009. A little while later, he fussed at me for mixing my waters and placed a beautiful wine glass on the table for the Dasani. Too funny!
More weather obsessing took place after dinner, much to Heather’s chagrin. I just couldn’t decide between possible combinations of long sleeves and jacket, short sleeves and vest, or both. She finally got exasperated enough that when I asked her to pin on my bib for me, she informed me that I wasn’t allowed to change it once she did. I ended up with the long sleeves and the jacket, and I’m glad I did. Thanks to the wind, it was much cooler during the race than it otherwise would have been. I had my jacket on for most of the race and was glad I did.
In some sort of strange coincidence, right around mile 4, I ran into another two people wearing the same shirt that Kathy was wearing on Saturday. They are all part of the same running club and invited me to run with them for the rest of the race. Nicole and her husband Jim were as much fun as Kathy was, if not more. Poor Jim lost a glove at one of the water stops, so we spent the next hour helping him “shop” along the way for a replacement. Jim ended up dropping back behind us after a while so he could do his run/walk plan, so it was just Nicole and I for most of the race. We had a great time, never stopped talking or joking or enjoying all the sights around us. Here’s the only other picture taken along the way. The sun was just starting to make its way over the trees but it hadn’t gotten much warmer yet.
It didn’t really start to get warm until we were halfway to Animal Kingdom. That’s about the point at which I finally stuffed my gloves into my pocket. The cold weather up to that point made it one of the more unusual races I’ve ever been in. The Powerade was frozen at all the water stops, as was the water. The spillage of both caused black ice to form on the road, making it slick and dangerous. To help keep it safe, the volunteers resorted to spreading the Powerade powder on the ground to provide traction. Pretty ingenious, I think.
Other points of note along the course: Heather came out to see me at mile 19. I wasn’t sure she’d make it, but I sure was glad to see her. Nicole was too since we had spent the previous two miles talking about her Ironman relay, my ultra, and how Heather had been the one that got us into the ultra. She had all kinds of questions for Heather and was also happy to meet the woman I’d been yakking about for the past 20 minutes. I gave Heather my jacket because I didn’t think I’d need it again. Boy was I wrong. Once we turned onto World Drive to head to Hollywood Studios, the wind was in front of us, the shade on us, and I was cold. It was a long two miles to get into the park and sun and out of the wind.
The marathon course is a lot more fun and interesting than the half. Not only do you hit all four parks, you don’t spend as much time on the major roads. There is that really dull 4-mile stretch between Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, true, but the other road parts are at least through the golf course and undeveloped areas. And once you get to Hollywood Studios, you’re never on the road again. The entire rest of the course is through the park, around the pathways in front of the nice resorts on the Boardwalk, and then back into Epcot for another lap around the countries. Plus, on Sunday, the famous gospel choir at mile 26 was there performing live. Nothing like the sound of beautiful voices in harmony to get you excited about the last two turns. I was so focused on getting to the finish line that I completely missed hearing Heather yelling and screaming for me from next to the bleachers. I didn’t realize she was at the finish until I heard her yelling at me again as I was waiting in line to get my picture taken after getting my Goofy medal. Getting that medal was awesome! The volunteers were all extremely excited for us, and we were even more so. We were all whooping it up and hugging and carrying on with the biggest grins and smiles you can imagine. As they say, it’s all about the bling. :)
This was one of the best races and weekends I’ve ever had. I felt great during both runs the whole way - no knee problems, no aching feet, no nothing. The only injury I have is one toenail on my right foot that got pushed up against the front of my shoe on Sunday. They’re half a size too big, which isn’t much of a problem when it’s warm and my feet swell. Note to self: feet don’t swell as much when it’s cold. I think one of the reasons I felt so well is that I ran a whole lot slower than I normally do. I was only focused on having fun, keeping an easy and steady pace (although I negative split both days), and making the most of the experience that Disney has to offer. I was so excited about my Goofy experience that the first thing I told Heather when she asked after the finish me how I felt was “It was awesome! I feel great! I can’t wait to do it again!” So who’s with me? Anyone want to go Goofy in 2011? I’m signing up this weekend. I think I’m going to go medal collecting and sign up for the Disneyland Half in September too. Turns out you get a really cool Coast-to-Coast medal if you run both the Disney Half and the Disneyland Half in the same year.
Jan 11, 2010
Goofy, Part I
Saturday came way too early. I’m sorry, but anytime you have to set an alarm for 320am and a backup for 330, that’s just wrong. Especially when you’re heading out into freezing temperatures, sleet, and freezing rain. One look at the radar picture, with a large green mass heading straight for Orlando, was enough to send Heather right back to bed. Can’t say as I blame her. She and her mother would have been starting half an hour after the rest of us due to their corral and been out there an hour longer due to their pace. Given how the weather turned out, they made the right choice.
I wasn’t too keen on the forecast either (low 30s, sleet and rain, 10-15 mph winds), but there was no way I was going to miss out on the race. I worked too hard and put too much effort into training for this that nothing was going to keep me from getting out there. I pulled on my tights and shirt, zipped up my jacket, loaded up with two goos and a camera, donned my hat and gloves, threw on my throwaway sweats, and trudged off to catch the bus. In case you’re thinking “this doesn’t sound like a race in Orlando,” you’re right. It doesn’t. This is the longest and coldest streak this area has ever seen. We even supposed to hit record lows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. I felt more like I was going out for a run in Yuzhno than in Orlando. The line for the bus wasn’t too bad. It snaked through the lobby and down the hall towards the cafeteria and back entrance to the building. Thankfully, it ended inside rather than outside. It was quite the collection of people. Some were in full Tyvec suits with their numbers pinned on the outside (seemed a bit extreme to me), other were in shorts (also a bit extreme), but most were like me - bundled up to be not-too-cold while standing around before the start and then comfortable while running the race. The funniest group was the Brazilians. A Brazilian man has won the Disney marathon for the past five years (now six), and I think all of his running supporters were staying at our hotel. They were dressed all in green and gold running gear, waving flags, and carrying on like they were at a soccer match. They made such an impression later in their corral at the start that the announcer even commented on how it’s a national law in Brazil that all Brazilian runners have to wave flags and sing songs everywhere they go.
The bus ride over to Epcot took about 15-20 minutes, and then it was out into the cold for about an hour until the start. I dropped off my bag and went to find a place to hunker down out of the wind. At 5, I got in line for the porta-potty and ate my Clif Bar for breakfast. I had a bad experience with food and thus lots of porta-potty stops along the way when I ran San Antonio a few months ago, so I tried to be very careful about what I ate the day or two before the race this time. This morning, my plan seemed to be working well as a good cold-induced pee was all that was needed. While in line, I chatted with some people down from Philly and ended up giving them my camera. They had forgotten theirs (you get one in your goody bag), and since I was running on Sunday too, I figured I could get by without it on Saturday. They were really happy and let me go in ahead of them. It’s the small karma things that make all the difference in the world.
After the long (0.6 mile) walk to the start where I thought the Hasher I was talking to was from Europe but turned out to be so cold he couldn’t enunciate clearly (that’s what he gets for wearing a singlet, shorts, and arm warmers), I was getting really excited. There were thousands and thousands of people around, fireworks going off as each wave started, a DJ playing kicking upbeat music, two announcers keeping us all entertained, and then it was our turn! We were off! Waved at Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy as I crossed the line. The corrals were spread out enough at the start that it wasn’t too hard to get settled into race pace. I dropped in behind the 2:15 pacer and started to cruise. I wanted to make sure she was in front of me the whole way in order to keep myself from going too fast the first day. Running Goofy is not the time to drop the hammer, and my plan was to finish in 2:15 or slower. Much slower than I normally run, but perfectly sensible when running a half and a full back-to-back. Turns out staying behind her was no problem. When the road narrowed from two lanes to one going up the first overpass around mile 2.5, she used her pacer status to work her way through the crowd and never drop more than a second or two off her 10-minute per mile pace. I wasn’t that aggressive and just ran as fast as the crowd in front of me until I could get past them.
About mile 4, I started talking to and running with these two women, one of whom I thought was a Hasher. She was wearing a shirt with her name (Kathy), a picture of a group of people doing Jello shots, and the saying “my drinking club has a running problem” on the back. Since that’s the world-wide Hash saying, I began asking them questions about their hashing. I didn’t find out until 3 miles later that the guy who made the shirts borrowed the phrase and the two of them couldn’t understand why I was asking them about smoking pot. Too funny! I’m glad they didn’t just ignore me, though. I hate, hate, hate racing alone. I do much better having someone alongside me to talk to, joke with, and help keep my mind off the boring stretches of road that I happen to be on at the time. If I’m by myself, I’m that much more likely to slow down or walk or just get mentally down. It’s something I know I need to work on, and would appreciate any advice from the tri experts and new coaches reading this (hint, hint <g>). Anyway, Kathy and her friend Dawn were absolute joys to run with. We had a blast just telling stories and getting to know each other as we ran along. Kathy couldn’t talk too much since she gets asthma from cold air, so Dawn served as a “translator” whenever we needed to talk about Kathy’s kids, job, etc. It was Kathy’s first half marathon, and I was really impressed with how well she was doing. She was totally focused and determined to finish between 2:15 and 2:30. I promised her I’d get her there in that range since they both forgot their Garmins in the car and spent the rest of the race with them as their unofficial pacer.
The race course itself isn’t the most interesting. You start outside Epcot, run along the roads to Magic Kingdom, and then back to Epcot. The best part of the race is going through Magic Kingdom. You get there at mile 3, in the dark, so it’s all lit up and just gorgeous. There are lots of spectators and Disney cast members along Main Street cheering you on, but I found it more enjoyable in the areas where it’s quiet and you’re just running under the lights with Cinderella’s castle lit up in the background. It’s beautiful and a wonderful experience and sight to see. Definitely the highlight of the race. The trip back is another long slog along the roads, highlighted for me by the accordion players (had to be freezing), the lounge singer, and the cute Burma Shave-esque signs. Did you know that Kramer came through Jerry’s door without knocking 285 times in Seinfeld? Now you do. Really, there’s nothing else to do while running along the road back to Epcot than read the signs and thank the volunteers. Being out there in the cold and sleet is a thankless job, and every one of them was a friendly and upbeat as they’d be if it was sunny and 70. Needless to say, we thanked all of them at every stop as we went by. The race wouldn’t happen without them.
The finish back at Epcot is notable only for the gospel choir at mile 13 and the nice long finishing straight. The choir sounded amazing. Even though they were on tape at the time, it’s nice to hear all those voices singing and harmonizing as you approach the finish. Aside from the people cheering along the road, it’s the only real noise you’ve heard since leaving Magic Kingdom 6 miles ago. As Kathy and I approached the finish (Dawn was about 100 yards behind us since she had to walk up the overpass at mile 12), she started getting emotional. I told her to just enjoy it and do what she needed to do and sent her off in front of me a few feet so she could get a picture crossing the line all by herself. When I got there a few seconds later, she give me a huge hug and dripped tears on my shoulders. I started getting emotional too since I was so happy to have been able to help her finish her first half. We crossed the line in 2:20, a perfect time for me and exactly what she was looking for.
And that’s when I started to get cold. The sleet and freezing rain didn’t bother me at all during the race, but once I finished and started moving slowly or not at all, I began to get cold. I passed through the Goofy tent to get my wristband for Sunday, went over to the food line, and started shaking with the chills. Even after putting on the jacket and fleece pants I had in my checked bag, I was so cold that I skipped the 200+ person bus line to go back to our resort, grabbed the one for another resort instead, and called Heather to ask her to come and pick me up. All that sweat just evaporated off me in the cold and I was frozen to the core. Even after waiting 20 minutes for her to drive over to get me, it took a 20-minute shower for me to get back to a normal temperature. I spent the rest of the day resting, napping, and eating. Well, and still being nervous over Sunday. I didn’t decide what to wear until that night, but that’s a story for part II.
Lessons learned from the half: 1) get in line later for the bus. Standing around in 30 degree weather, strong winds, and sleet is no fun. 2) eating right the few days before the race (ravioli is a much better dinner than duck confit) pays huge dividends. No stops makes for a more enjoyable race. 3) Stick to the plan. Not following the pacer through the crowd and running my own race turned out to be the best thing I did. Run what feels right at the time, not what you think made sense at the start. If I had pushed through with the pacer, I never would have met up with Kathy and Dawn, who really made the race as enjoyable as it was. Must be that karma coming back from giving away my camera.
Here's my GPS track from the half.
I wasn’t too keen on the forecast either (low 30s, sleet and rain, 10-15 mph winds), but there was no way I was going to miss out on the race. I worked too hard and put too much effort into training for this that nothing was going to keep me from getting out there. I pulled on my tights and shirt, zipped up my jacket, loaded up with two goos and a camera, donned my hat and gloves, threw on my throwaway sweats, and trudged off to catch the bus. In case you’re thinking “this doesn’t sound like a race in Orlando,” you’re right. It doesn’t. This is the longest and coldest streak this area has ever seen. We even supposed to hit record lows on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. I felt more like I was going out for a run in Yuzhno than in Orlando. The line for the bus wasn’t too bad. It snaked through the lobby and down the hall towards the cafeteria and back entrance to the building. Thankfully, it ended inside rather than outside. It was quite the collection of people. Some were in full Tyvec suits with their numbers pinned on the outside (seemed a bit extreme to me), other were in shorts (also a bit extreme), but most were like me - bundled up to be not-too-cold while standing around before the start and then comfortable while running the race. The funniest group was the Brazilians. A Brazilian man has won the Disney marathon for the past five years (now six), and I think all of his running supporters were staying at our hotel. They were dressed all in green and gold running gear, waving flags, and carrying on like they were at a soccer match. They made such an impression later in their corral at the start that the announcer even commented on how it’s a national law in Brazil that all Brazilian runners have to wave flags and sing songs everywhere they go.
The bus ride over to Epcot took about 15-20 minutes, and then it was out into the cold for about an hour until the start. I dropped off my bag and went to find a place to hunker down out of the wind. At 5, I got in line for the porta-potty and ate my Clif Bar for breakfast. I had a bad experience with food and thus lots of porta-potty stops along the way when I ran San Antonio a few months ago, so I tried to be very careful about what I ate the day or two before the race this time. This morning, my plan seemed to be working well as a good cold-induced pee was all that was needed. While in line, I chatted with some people down from Philly and ended up giving them my camera. They had forgotten theirs (you get one in your goody bag), and since I was running on Sunday too, I figured I could get by without it on Saturday. They were really happy and let me go in ahead of them. It’s the small karma things that make all the difference in the world.
After the long (0.6 mile) walk to the start where I thought the Hasher I was talking to was from Europe but turned out to be so cold he couldn’t enunciate clearly (that’s what he gets for wearing a singlet, shorts, and arm warmers), I was getting really excited. There were thousands and thousands of people around, fireworks going off as each wave started, a DJ playing kicking upbeat music, two announcers keeping us all entertained, and then it was our turn! We were off! Waved at Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy as I crossed the line. The corrals were spread out enough at the start that it wasn’t too hard to get settled into race pace. I dropped in behind the 2:15 pacer and started to cruise. I wanted to make sure she was in front of me the whole way in order to keep myself from going too fast the first day. Running Goofy is not the time to drop the hammer, and my plan was to finish in 2:15 or slower. Much slower than I normally run, but perfectly sensible when running a half and a full back-to-back. Turns out staying behind her was no problem. When the road narrowed from two lanes to one going up the first overpass around mile 2.5, she used her pacer status to work her way through the crowd and never drop more than a second or two off her 10-minute per mile pace. I wasn’t that aggressive and just ran as fast as the crowd in front of me until I could get past them.
About mile 4, I started talking to and running with these two women, one of whom I thought was a Hasher. She was wearing a shirt with her name (Kathy), a picture of a group of people doing Jello shots, and the saying “my drinking club has a running problem” on the back. Since that’s the world-wide Hash saying, I began asking them questions about their hashing. I didn’t find out until 3 miles later that the guy who made the shirts borrowed the phrase and the two of them couldn’t understand why I was asking them about smoking pot. Too funny! I’m glad they didn’t just ignore me, though. I hate, hate, hate racing alone. I do much better having someone alongside me to talk to, joke with, and help keep my mind off the boring stretches of road that I happen to be on at the time. If I’m by myself, I’m that much more likely to slow down or walk or just get mentally down. It’s something I know I need to work on, and would appreciate any advice from the tri experts and new coaches reading this (hint, hint <g>). Anyway, Kathy and her friend Dawn were absolute joys to run with. We had a blast just telling stories and getting to know each other as we ran along. Kathy couldn’t talk too much since she gets asthma from cold air, so Dawn served as a “translator” whenever we needed to talk about Kathy’s kids, job, etc. It was Kathy’s first half marathon, and I was really impressed with how well she was doing. She was totally focused and determined to finish between 2:15 and 2:30. I promised her I’d get her there in that range since they both forgot their Garmins in the car and spent the rest of the race with them as their unofficial pacer.
The race course itself isn’t the most interesting. You start outside Epcot, run along the roads to Magic Kingdom, and then back to Epcot. The best part of the race is going through Magic Kingdom. You get there at mile 3, in the dark, so it’s all lit up and just gorgeous. There are lots of spectators and Disney cast members along Main Street cheering you on, but I found it more enjoyable in the areas where it’s quiet and you’re just running under the lights with Cinderella’s castle lit up in the background. It’s beautiful and a wonderful experience and sight to see. Definitely the highlight of the race. The trip back is another long slog along the roads, highlighted for me by the accordion players (had to be freezing), the lounge singer, and the cute Burma Shave-esque signs. Did you know that Kramer came through Jerry’s door without knocking 285 times in Seinfeld? Now you do. Really, there’s nothing else to do while running along the road back to Epcot than read the signs and thank the volunteers. Being out there in the cold and sleet is a thankless job, and every one of them was a friendly and upbeat as they’d be if it was sunny and 70. Needless to say, we thanked all of them at every stop as we went by. The race wouldn’t happen without them.
The finish back at Epcot is notable only for the gospel choir at mile 13 and the nice long finishing straight. The choir sounded amazing. Even though they were on tape at the time, it’s nice to hear all those voices singing and harmonizing as you approach the finish. Aside from the people cheering along the road, it’s the only real noise you’ve heard since leaving Magic Kingdom 6 miles ago. As Kathy and I approached the finish (Dawn was about 100 yards behind us since she had to walk up the overpass at mile 12), she started getting emotional. I told her to just enjoy it and do what she needed to do and sent her off in front of me a few feet so she could get a picture crossing the line all by herself. When I got there a few seconds later, she give me a huge hug and dripped tears on my shoulders. I started getting emotional too since I was so happy to have been able to help her finish her first half. We crossed the line in 2:20, a perfect time for me and exactly what she was looking for.
And that’s when I started to get cold. The sleet and freezing rain didn’t bother me at all during the race, but once I finished and started moving slowly or not at all, I began to get cold. I passed through the Goofy tent to get my wristband for Sunday, went over to the food line, and started shaking with the chills. Even after putting on the jacket and fleece pants I had in my checked bag, I was so cold that I skipped the 200+ person bus line to go back to our resort, grabbed the one for another resort instead, and called Heather to ask her to come and pick me up. All that sweat just evaporated off me in the cold and I was frozen to the core. Even after waiting 20 minutes for her to drive over to get me, it took a 20-minute shower for me to get back to a normal temperature. I spent the rest of the day resting, napping, and eating. Well, and still being nervous over Sunday. I didn’t decide what to wear until that night, but that’s a story for part II.
Lessons learned from the half: 1) get in line later for the bus. Standing around in 30 degree weather, strong winds, and sleet is no fun. 2) eating right the few days before the race (ravioli is a much better dinner than duck confit) pays huge dividends. No stops makes for a more enjoyable race. 3) Stick to the plan. Not following the pacer through the crowd and running my own race turned out to be the best thing I did. Run what feels right at the time, not what you think made sense at the start. If I had pushed through with the pacer, I never would have met up with Kathy and Dawn, who really made the race as enjoyable as it was. Must be that karma coming back from giving away my camera.
Here's my GPS track from the half.
Goofy is Done!
Can't say much now other than it was amazing! What a great experience. Details to follow.
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Jan 9, 2010
13.1 Down, 26.2 To Go
The half is done. Had a good steady run, sleet and rain not withstanding. I was warm and fine until I finished. That's when the rain and sweat got really, really cold. I'm actually sitting at the Key West resort waiting for Heather to come and get me. The bus line for the All Star resorts was several hundred people long, and my hands couldn't take it any more.
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Jan 8, 2010
The Fun is Starting
Went to the Expo today to pick up my bag and other goodies. Several hundred dollars later (can't pass up discounts on shoes and gear), I'm all ready to go. Got my first Goofy wristband on and will add the temporary Goofy tattoo tomorrow.
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Jan 7, 2010
Good News for Goofy
Ok, so I'm not really an avid or proficient Twitter user, but I do have an account (jmsenger if you care) on the off chance that something useful will come of it. Well, today's that day. I received a tweet from a running store insider that let me know Goofy runners get a special line for packet pickup. We get to go upstairs instead of having to wait in the hour-long line (I know this from Heather's last Disney half in 2005) downstairs. How cool is that?!! Nice that we get something for being dumb enough to do this.
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Jan 6, 2010
On the Road
Travel day is finally here. I think Heather is more excited about that fact than I am. I've been obsessing over the weather forecast for the past four days, trying to find one I like to make packing simpler. Needless to say, I didn't have much luck. The first ones from last Saturday were predicting some rain for the half and cool weather for the full. When Heather did laundry that evening, I asked only for my short sleeve shirt and one long sleeve shirt. By Sunday afternoon, the rain was gone from the forecast, and in its place were cold weather for both races (start temps below 30), so now I needed some clean tights and another long sleeve top. I did my own laundry this time and she still wasn't too pleased. When I finally got around to packing last night, I ended up throwing everything and the kitchen sink into the suitcase. I've got something for every possible condition:
short sleeve tech shirt
long sleeve tech shirt (x2)
compression shorts
tights (x2)
running vest (windproof front, mesh rear)
running jacket
hat and gloves
throwaway sweats (x2)
throwaway long sleeve t-shirt
running hat (for sun or rain)
Add in the Clif food (bars, goo, bloks), the post-race fleece, the 8-hour Tylenol, the Alleve, the Body Glide, the camera, and the two pairs of Asics, and I think I've way overpacked. Still, my plan makes sense in my
head. The start is 545am and sunrise is 720am. That means it won't really start to warm up until 830 or so. I plan to wear the tights, long sleeve tech, and vest on Saturday when I'm only out there running for 2-2.5 hours, and wear the shorts, short sleeve tech, and jacket for the 4.5-5 hours of the full. And yes, I am running with a camera. Everyone's advice for Goofy is to not try to set a PR or run your normal marathon pace. Rather, the thing to do is slow down and have fun, stopping along the way to take pictures with the 1000+ characters and cast members out there along the way. Makes sense to me. After a half the day before, there's no way I'd run a 4-hour marathon anyway, so I might as well enjoy being out there as much
as I can.
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short sleeve tech shirt
long sleeve tech shirt (x2)
compression shorts
tights (x2)
running vest (windproof front, mesh rear)
running jacket
hat and gloves
throwaway sweats (x2)
throwaway long sleeve t-shirt
running hat (for sun or rain)
Add in the Clif food (bars, goo, bloks), the post-race fleece, the 8-hour Tylenol, the Alleve, the Body Glide, the camera, and the two pairs of Asics, and I think I've way overpacked. Still, my plan makes sense in my
head. The start is 545am and sunrise is 720am. That means it won't really start to warm up until 830 or so. I plan to wear the tights, long sleeve tech, and vest on Saturday when I'm only out there running for 2-2.5 hours, and wear the shorts, short sleeve tech, and jacket for the 4.5-5 hours of the full. And yes, I am running with a camera. Everyone's advice for Goofy is to not try to set a PR or run your normal marathon pace. Rather, the thing to do is slow down and have fun, stopping along the way to take pictures with the 1000+ characters and cast members out there along the way. Makes sense to me. After a half the day before, there's no way I'd run a 4-hour marathon anyway, so I might as well enjoy being out there as much
as I can.
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Jan 4, 2010
One Week Left
10 miles near Rice
I got in my last long run before Disney yesterday. The coolness aside, it was a really nice morning for a run. I felt great and figure that if I can maintain the same easy pace for Goofy, I should be able to cruise through the half and have fun taking pictures during the full. Now it's just a matter of getting packed, heading to Florida on Wednesday, and going to Disney on Friday. The forecast is calling for cooler weather with a chance of showers, so it looks like I'll be bringing everything but the kitchen sink - short sleeves, long sleeves, jacket, hat, etc.
The one thing I'm really not looking forward to is having to get on the bus from the resort to the start at 4am. The start isn't until 550, so the thought of sitting around in the rain for well over an hour doesn't get me too excited. Heather went out the other day to buy us some really cheap sweats we can wear to hang out in before the start. That sounds better than sitting on the curb wearing a trash bag. :)
I got in my last long run before Disney yesterday. The coolness aside, it was a really nice morning for a run. I felt great and figure that if I can maintain the same easy pace for Goofy, I should be able to cruise through the half and have fun taking pictures during the full. Now it's just a matter of getting packed, heading to Florida on Wednesday, and going to Disney on Friday. The forecast is calling for cooler weather with a chance of showers, so it looks like I'll be bringing everything but the kitchen sink - short sleeves, long sleeves, jacket, hat, etc.
The one thing I'm really not looking forward to is having to get on the bus from the resort to the start at 4am. The start isn't until 550, so the thought of sitting around in the rain for well over an hour doesn't get me too excited. Heather went out the other day to buy us some really cheap sweats we can wear to hang out in before the start. That sounds better than sitting on the curb wearing a trash bag. :)
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