The 2010 Walt Disney World Half Marathon Mile-By-Mile Recap!
Okay, you asked for it... or maybe you didn't... but either way, here it is: Kirsten's mile-by-mile recap of the 2010 Walt Disney World Half Marathon!!
If you wanna see a course map, you can look here at the one I made on MapMyRun. (If you change "Map Type" from "Street Map" to "Satellite Map" it's a bit more illustrated) Start, finish, and mile markers included, so you can follow along. Like a picture book, 'cause I like those. And more pictures here from the pre- and post-race stuffs!
The Pre-Race
2:30 am: Okay, so our story starts a few hours before, when I get up at an hour that I didn't even know existed. The heat is off in our apartment to save money, and it's flippin' FREEZING. I pop on my headphones while I get ready so I can dance around and warm up.
3:00 am: Out the door, and on my way!
3:30 am: Arrive at Epcot, expecting huge backups - after all, there's something like 20,000 runners in this race - and finding NO problem. Easiest parking at a Disney race EVAR.
4:00 am: I've picked up a bagel and a hot chocolate at the concession stand, and proceed to start stretching and getting my bib pinned on and everything. Putting off going to the bag check tent, because that will be the last I'll see of my extra layers of clothing (two extra long sleeve shirts and a pair of long pants) until the race is done.
4:15 am: Procrastination time over, I'm forced to check my bag or carry it the whole race... two extra shirts and a layer of long pants come off, leaving me with a spaghetti strap top under a long-sleeve tech shirt and a pair of shorts. I check my bag and then make my way to the warmest spot I can find - the medical tent - which seems to have become an impromptu "hide from the cold here" spot for many runners. Warmth lasts 15 minutes, at most, before medical staff finally kicks everyone out. We go a whoppin' 10 feet out the door, then hide along the side of the tent where we're sheltered from the wind in a big, huddled mob of people. I meet up with a group of Canadian runners and we hang out while we wait. After awhile, we start to feel one snowflake... then two... and three...
4:45 am: Less than an hour to go before the race start, we start making our way to the chute. Up until now, we've been in the Epcot "Imagine" parking lot... but the race start is way over on Center Drive, by the Backstage Lane overpass. Hence we begin the long walk along the road to Epcot Cast Parking (WTF? Why are there Studios Backlot Tour trams parked along that road? It's like a freakin' graveyard of them), then down Backstage Lane and the onramp onto Center Drive... then, for me, down to Corral C to wait! The entire walk takes about 15 to 20 minutes. As we walk, the snow picks up considerably. None of it is sticking, but it's still way too cold! The wind is the real killer, though.
5:30 am: We're closing on the race start - and a good thing, too, because I can't feel my legs at this point and I'm shaking uncontrollably... and we haven't even started yet! The national anthem is sung (does the same performer do it for EVERY SINGLE DISNEY RACE?! Seriously!) amid quiet "this isn't 'O Canada'!" giggles from the Canadians around me. :P The wind and snow still howls around us... except now the snow is starting to change into sleet, which is even more miserable. And PAINFUL.
5:35 am: Wheelchairs, GO! OMG, those suckers are fast. Seriously.
5:40 am: The moment we've been waiting for!! Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy are up on stage, counting down to the gun... and in a blaze of fireworks, we're off!!!! ...Or, at least, the first wave is. I'm in the second wave. We still wait in the cold for ten more minutes. On the bright side, as soon as the gun goes, the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade show stop version of "Celebrate You" blasts through the speakers. And I, being a Big Disney Nerd, immediately break out into the dance routine. The one from CADCT Version 1.0, before the Ribbon Wands of Doom. Shaddup. I'm a nerd, and it kept me warm.
5:50 am: 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... IT'S ON.
The Race
(from here on out, we measure time in miles. We're crazy like that.)
Mile 1: West/North on Center Drive! A bit of a slow start into this one, since the whole mob is slowly moving toward the starting line. As I cross the chip sensor, I try to start my own stopwatch on my wrist... which takes several moments as I'm trying to run and do so with numb fingers. I start out slowly, not really trying to pass anyone but keeping with the pack. I have to warm back up at this point!
Mile 2: Continuing west on Center Drive, toward the World Drive interchange. Another flat, easy mile. Layers of clothing and garbage bags are coming off everywhere, and the biggest challenge in this mile is not to trip over them!
Mile 3: World Drive north... we're running into the wind now, and that sleet has picked up considerably. This turns out to be one of the coldest, most miserable miles of the run, due entirely to that fact. We also pass our first high school band and cheer squad (I was too distracted to see where any of them were from), and this one playing the "Rocky" theme. Rock on, little high schoolers, rock on.
Mile 4: World Drive north, into the Magic Kingdom toll plaza and parking lot. My mission: don't trip over the curbs and speed bumps at the toll plaza. Thankfully, a success. I also take my first PowerAde stop here, by the Richard Petty track. A growing number of people are beginning to utilize the Friendly Bush Bathrooms along the course. Ah, running, how you make everyone stop caring about where they spit, pee, or blow snot rockets! Also one of our first on-course characters... I think it's Goofy, but I'm still in a "this sleet is frakking cold" daze, so I couldn't tell ya...
Mile 5: Magic Kingdom Ticket and Transportation Center, then back out through the bus stops and onto World Drive north. The crowds of onlookers begin to fill in! Quite a few CMs and spectators around the TTC. The sleet begins to let up... or at least I don't feel it like I did before. I'm still feeling a lot better than I expected, though! Getting tired, but easily manageable as long as I make sure I'm breathing deeply. The biggest hurdle here - that stupid water overpass thingy by the Contemporary. Seriously... that downhill part sucks because I have to be careful not to slip if there was an icy patch, and the uphill on the other side sucks because... well, it's UPHILL and relatively steep at that.
Mile 6: "Caution runners - course narrows through the Magic Kingdom... caution runners..." Into the MK main entrance area, backstage past the Walt Disney Story Theater, onto Main Street, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and through Cinderella Castle!! Despite being almost halfway into the race, this is quite possibly the easiest mile of all. If you've never ran out onto Main Street before, and had it filled with people screaming and cheering and holding out their hands for high fives, and music blaring, and then RUNNING down the whole of Main Street like that... WOW. Just WOW. The Christmas decorations, the tree, they're all still up and lit up in the pre-dawn darkness. Even if you're exhausted, that is one of the biggest pick-me-ups you could ask for. It lifts your energy up so much, it's like the epitome of the Disney spirit. It makes you feel like a rock star! I blow through there and pick up a lot of speed, reinvigorated just by the sheer energy of it. Into Tomorrowland, and I see Buzz Lightyear outside his attraction... into Fantasyland, where I pass by Alice at the Teacups, and Smee, Pan, Hook, and Wendy across from Pooh, and Cinderella, Anastasia, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella between the castle and the carousel. And OMG, RUNNING THROUGH THE CASTLE. As if Main Street wasn't enough of a pick-me-up... running out from Cinderella Castle? Again - ROCK STAR. Lots of on-course photographers here, for which I'm grateful. Hell, I'm inclined to buy every photo of me from this whole stretch, assuming I'm not making a face that looks constipated or anything. There's also a photographer where the DPI photographers usually stand in front of the castle, with a tape mark on the ground and ready for photos. Thus, the first of my delays as I quite literally BOUND over for a photo in front of the castle. Didn't I tell you I'm re-invigorated? Then back onto the course...
Mile 7: Liberty Square, Frontierland, Park 3, and south onto Floridian Way. MY PEEPS. Okay, I ran too fast, and so none of my peeps are even at work yet. But over the loudspeaker in Liberty Square, they're playing the movie version of "When We're Human" from Princess and the Frog, which I HAVE to sing along to. And I shock myself when I realize I still have the breath left TO sing along to it. (And I totally just now had to grab my iPod and start playing that soundtrack because it's awesome.) Then my Country Bears (or, at least, Liverlips and Shaker) are chillin' in front of the Frontierland Shooting Gallery, so I give them big hugs. Then 50 feet later, I stop to meet Prince Naveen and Louis in front of the Bears exit and Pecos. I tell Naveen and Louis that I miss their riverboat show lots, and Naveen says he does too. Then onward, past walled-up Splash Mountain (WOOOO! Did I mention I'm excited about that? ;)), and out the parade gate. And who's there at shade control? JACK FRELLIN' SPARROW, that's who! And the pirate ship float, with pirates on it... and one of the Boo To You Parade music loops playing. Love it. Then out behind Splash, where there's a water/PowerAde stop blocking the giant row of Splash logs already pulled out of the attraction (can haz new logs?). I'm more distracted by wanting to stop and get a picture with those, although I refrain. They're even still tagged with white towels. /Fro-land Nerd Then out past the manager's trailer - I don't see anyone yet, sadly, because I want to heckle as I run through - and out the Park 3 gate onto Floridian Way.
Mile 8: Floridian Way south, past Shades of Green. A yawner of a stretch, after all the MK excitement... and the first place I notice that it's raining steadily and my feet are wet. Need. Distractions. Mickey and Donald are out at Shades of Green, in their 'golf' get-ups. I really want a picture, but there's a bit too long of a wait to see them. Cool, though! There's also a Cliff Gel Shot stop... not a fan, but I get half a Latte-flavored shot down, since I can feel my energy starting to flag.
Mile 9: Floridian Way south, onto World Drive south. Another yawner of a stretch, making the last few miles start to drag. I'm starting to feel my energy level drop rapidly. But at one point I look up an see another runner about 10 feet ahead of me... and the back of his shirt says, in big, bold letters: "KEEP MOVING FORWARD." And I'll admit it, I'm totally moved by that. I'm a nerd. I realize it's so true. Thank you, Mr. Disney, for the words that keep me running when I got tired - and thank you to the runner with the shirt for the reminder! /sappy moment KEEP MOVING FORWARD. My motto for the rest of the race. Keep moving forward. Another high school band is playing at the Hess Station - I don't even remember what they were playing, but I cheer for them as I run past. Cheering for spectators keeps my energy level up. And as I pass the 9-mile marker, I shout "4.1 TO GO!"
Mile 10: World Drive south, to the Center Drive interchange. Long, straight stretch of NOTHING. I don't even really remember this stretch. There is nothing there, nothing to distract me, not so much as a bend in the road. Psychologically, probably the toughest mile on the course because of that. All you have are thoughts about how tired you are. At this point, I have to start breaking it down into manageable information. My train of thought: "I've got less than 4 miles to go. I regularly run over 5 just in my neighborhood. I can do 4 miles, no problem." And then I just kinda think that over and over and over. This is where I pull off my running cap, because it's just annoying me now. As I reach the Center Drive interchange and the 10-mile marker, there's someone up on the overpass with giant Mickey gloves, cheering everyone on. I start whooping and hollering back - again, cheering on the cheering people keeps MY energy up!
Mile 11: Center Drive interchange to Center Drive east. Okay, this is Florida. Florida is flat. Thus, the race is flat. However, the hills come at overpasses and interchanges. And if you know this interchange (World Drive southbound onto Center Drive, going to Epcot or 536), it's one of those clover-shaped ones, all uphill to an overpass. And when you've already run 10 miles, uphill SUCKS. I consciously slow down here, not wanting to exhaust myself trying to run uphill. Keep moving forward! The late-race fatigue - both mental and physical - is really starting to set in - and it takes a conscious effort to push forward. I start reminding myself that I'm only 3 miles from the end, and that I won't need energy when I'm done. I can push, I can give it all I've got and finish strong. There's an RV out on the interchange with the Green Army Men, whom I salute as I run past. And as some nearby runners shout at the crest of the overpass - "Every uphill has a downhill!" Granted, it's a very short downhill, and goes into another slight uphill, but I can't think about that. We cross back onto Center Drive, on the opposite side of the road from where the race started.
Mile 12: Center Drive east, turning back up to the exit from Epcot parking. Or, as I call it, Another Damn Overpass. Up a slight hill along Center Drive, then we hairpin onto the exit from Epcot parking. But the exit from Epcot parking that goes up the overpass, along the west side of the parking lot. Another Damn Overpass. Keep Moving Forward! I can see Spaceship Earth, and I start focusing on that to keep myself going. But, like before, every uphill has a downhill, and soon I'm heading down the other side of the overpass toward the Epcot bus area.
Mile 13: Epcot Bus stops, and into Epcot itself! The home stretch! I'm feeling the exhaustion BADLY by this point, and a side stitch is developing. I concentrate on breathing deeply to get rid of the side stitch, and remind myself that I have just over a mile to go, and that I can let it all out. No holding back now! In 1.1 miles, I can keel over from exhaustion, but now's the time to push. So I do. We enter the Epcot bus drop-off, where the crowds of spectators start to thicken again. It's a bit of an uphill, but manageable with more "scenery" around. And I put that in quotes because, well, we go backstage again and that's not always "scenic." :P Back in behind The Living Seas, the Cast Members are starting to fill in and cheer us on. Then back onstage at Spaceship Earth! Honestly, that's like a big "you're almost there!" sign! It's the freakin' golf ball! Then out past the Fountain of Nations, toward the International Gateway. Phineas and Ferb are standing outside Club Cool. Awesome, because this is the first time I've actually seen them in the parks, and their show rocks. (One of the runners nearby asks aloud, "Can we stop in and get some of the Beverly???!" LAWL!) The music playing here sounds a LOT like the Fountain of Nations music, but it isn't. Either way, it's like a great movie score from the "triumph" part of a film, reminding me a lot of the Iron Will score. Why go off on the music tangent? Because that's what my brain is doing to keep my mind off the distance! I start flipping through my mental catalogue of Epcot music, trying to figure out what it is. I'm also thinking how appropriate it WOULD be if they played the music from Iron Will - which IS on the Fountain of Nations play list... or the Rescuers Down Under theme, which is as well, and is what I consider one of "my" musical score themes. :P Seriously, that's what I keep my brain focused on for this whole section onstage at Epcot. Then, after looping back at the International Gateway, we run offstage when we get back to Spaceship Earth, and back out between the main entrance plaza and Universe of Energy (*snicker* Someone had a sick sense of humor there...). From here on out, it follows the same course as October's Race for the Taste 10k. We pass a gospel choir in full robes... and here you can really feel the energy ("Feel the flow... here we goooooo!" Okay, nerdy Epcot joke on my part there.) as we approach the finish. As runners pass the choir we start screaming and cheering for them. They are awesome, standing out there, rockin' it out, even in the rain. We come back out onstage to the left of the main entrance, just as we pass the 13-mile sign...
13.1 miles: THIS IS IT! The crowds line the entire walkway now, screaming and cheering everyone on. There's only 1/10th of a mile to go... 528 feet... I can hear the music pounding at the finish, even see the banner. I'M ALMOST THERE! (Sorry... had to...) I feel like I'm about to drop, but I can feel the end so close. I push harder. I start to speed up, even though I feel like my legs are going to fall off. I'm almost completely out of breath, but the end is literally in sight! As I get closer, I see the grandstands packed with people cheering everyone on. The on-course photographers practically line the street, snagging as many photos of runners as they possibly can as they approach the finish. At this point, I pick my head up, give it one last, big push... and fly under the banner and across the chip sensor. I DID IT. I RAN A DAMN HALF-MARATHON. It starts to hit me at this point, and I'm grinning like a complete idiot as I join the mob of people clamoring for a mylar blanket. I RAN A HALF MARATHON.
The Post-Race
It's cold, it's pouring, my hands are numb and my legs are about to collapse. But I reach for that mylar blanket, still grinning like an idiot. As I wait in the mob, a man next to me asks "Aren't you freezing in shorts?!" I reply that yeah, I am now that I'm not running, but my fingers are colder than my legs! Literally. My hands are the most miserable part of me, because my fingers hurt so much. And I'm wearing gloves! Now, if you've never used a mylar blanket, they look really flimsy and worthless. But OMG they WORK. Funny, rescuers actually DO use something useful - imagine that! I snuggle underneath it, making sure to wrap my fingers.
Medal time! It's a mob again, but I'm so tired I don't care - I get that Donald Duck medal!!! Seriously, though... it's funny how getting a medal can just seem like something "extra" after you run 13.1 miles. It is a pretty damn cool medal, though.
SNACKS! We start walking back across Epcot's Imagine parking lot, toward the snack tent. Another perk of endurance running - free food! Powerade, water, a banana, a muffin, a Cliff Bar, an orange, and a Coke. Sounds like a great post-race snack to me! Although it's hard to hold all that when my fingers are completely numb and I'm clutching a mylar blanket so tightly. A nice gentleman nearby gets the ziploc bag open for me because my fingers are too numb. We chat for a few minutes, and then I head off to get my bag - and warm, dry clothes!!
Now, normally the bag claim is busy, but well-organized at least. And if you have to wait, usually it's at least just because there's a lot of people. This one... well, it's a big ol' CF. At least if your last name starts with SM-Z. Seriously. I've never seen a bag claim that poorly-run at a Disney race, ever. The line is ENORMOUS, and doesn't move. Meanwhile, my whole body is shaking uncontrollably under the blanket, trying to stay warm. After AT LEAST 10 minutes we finally start to move. And when we get up there, we realize that the only reason we moved is that the people ahead of us decided to take matters into their own hands, climb behind the tables, and start getting their own stuff. Normally, that's a big no-no, to make sure that no one's stuff is stolen. But at this point, even the volunteers have given up caring, because it's keeping the mob down. I climb back there, and after a short search, find my bag. I go to the table to cut off the plastic tie... only to find that ALL the clippers are broken. ALL of them. The woman next to me is trying in vain to slice the (thick) tie off with one blade of the clippers, like a dull knife. No luck. Finally, a volunteer with what had to be the only working pair of clippers there comes by and snips them for us, just as one of the event organizers comes in and starts yelling at runners to get back on the other side of the table. I can't blame him for trying to keep order and do his job... but they obviously had a BIG breakdown somewhere. They need more help than his feeble yelling at people. At this point, though, I have my bag, and I can run outside and pull on warm clothes, so I don't care what they do!!!
WARM CLOTHES. They feel AMAZING. But even with all my layers added back on, I'm still cold and clutching the blanket around me. But now... distractions... CHARACTERS! I've got my bag, and thus my own camera, back in my hands, so it's time to go meet characters! Props to all the characters out there greeting people, 'cause it's still raining, and in my WDW Enteratinment experience, that's when characters vanish. (Oh, rain sets!) But they all gamely stay out there and keep the energy up. Props to you guys! First stop: Pluto, duh!! My puppy is out and about, and I get a HUGE hug. I even give him a scratch on the nose and get his leg going. ;) Love ya, Pluto! Then, Stitch! He's out in a play area in front of the stage, hula hooping with kids. But in the poor weather, only one or two kids are out there, and they are more interested in the hula hoops than Stitch! Only myself and a few other brave souls venture over for a photo. Stitch is a hoot, too - he's playing tug-of-war with his greeter, using one of the hoops. Then he's using the hoop like a jump rope - good thing he's small, or he might have eaten pavement! Then over to Max, who doesn't get enough love, and Daisy! Chip and Dale come out later, but I'm too cold at that point.
I stop under the one heat lamp that I can find for about 5 minutes to warm up. If I have one suggestion for them, it's HEAT LAMPS. I know they HAVE them, and I would think they're relatively easy to set up, even on short notice. And given the bitter cold weather, more of them would be a blessing. As it is, there's ONE, tucked in a corner between the stage and merchandise tent, and I only find it by accident. There's people packed around it, at times two or even three deep. I stay long enough to warm up slightly, then leave the spot so someone else can step in.
And of course... GIFT SHOP! Come on, it's Walt Disney World. They gotta have one even at a temporary event. And so they do! It's already pretty well cleaned out - particularly hand warmers, gloves, and 2010 Half Marathon merchandise. But I find a hoodie I like... and mentally grumble about the cost of hoodies - one of my favorite types of clothing - around Disney. And then I realize - 50% CAST HOLIDAY MERCHANDISE DISCOUNT! Thank you, WDW, for extending it til February. But I'm guessing this is one of those times where it's no good because it's special event merchandise. So I ask... and find out that it IS valid! Yay!! Suddenly the hoodie is affordable! So I snag it, one of the last few they have in that style. It's XL, way bigger than I need - but perfect for putting on top of 4 layers of clothing. WOO! I have them clip the tag right there, and put it right on. Nice and warm. YAY!
After that, I'm still cold and wet, and decide to head out. Or, at least, head to my car. The traffic backup has begun! So I head for my car, turn it on, and sit in the heat while I wait to get out. For anyone familiar with a post-game or show traffic jam, it's pretty much the same thing. It takes me an hour just to get OUT of Epcot parking. But I'm warm and it gives me a chance to eat my snacks, so it's all good. WOO!
The Wrap-Up
What a blast! I'm exhausted. My legs are dead, my back is sore from tensing up trying to stay warm, but it was SO much fun.
For anyone who doesn't think they can run that far... try it!! You'd be surprised. A year ago, if you'd asked me, I would have laughed at you for even thinking I could finish. 10 months ago, when I got the guts up to register, running 3 miles was a slow struggle, and I put down my expected finish time as 3:15:00 - 15 minutes shy of the course limit. 3 months ago, when I ran the Race for the Taste 10k in very late, summer-like humidity and temperature, 6 miles was almost too much. Even two weeks later, in more comfortable temperatures, the 8-mile Tower of Terror 13k took all I had. But perseverance does pay off. Last week, I set a goal of finishing the half marathon in 2:15:00. My official time...
2:11:36
I beat my goal by over 3 minutes - and that includes all those stops to see characters!
Now I'm just waiting on the ASI (on-course) photos to be posted, and then I'll see how much money I spend on those. :P
What's up next for me? I'm going to try a full marathon. If I can get the time off work, possibly the Seattle Rock 'N' Roll Marathon this summer, so I can visit everyone back home and get my first full in at my hometown! I'd definitely like to do the full Walt Disney World Marathon next year - all four parks in one 26.2-mile run! I'd also love to do the Disneyland Half Marathon this fall. I've already got the time off work, but now I just need the money to get out there! (Any west coasters want to join? You know you want to! Split a hotel room on property with me and run! ;))
So if you think you can't run, try yourself. You'll be surprised. You'll get in great shape, and have a TON of fun. Take it from me - I used to HATE running! I avoided it all I could in school. Just start simple - take it easy, find out what you can do, and SLOWLY build up. Let me repeat, SLOWLY. If you try to do too much too soon, you'll just injure yourself and get frustrated. Push yourself, but don't hurt yourself. And I'm not any expert at all, but I can still give simple advice and encouragement if anyone else wants to join in for next year! And KEEP MOVING FORWARD!
If you wanna see a course map, you can look here at the one I made on MapMyRun. (If you change "Map Type" from "Street Map" to "Satellite Map" it's a bit more illustrated) Start, finish, and mile markers included, so you can follow along. Like a picture book, 'cause I like those. And more pictures here from the pre- and post-race stuffs!
The Pre-Race
2:30 am: Okay, so our story starts a few hours before, when I get up at an hour that I didn't even know existed. The heat is off in our apartment to save money, and it's flippin' FREEZING. I pop on my headphones while I get ready so I can dance around and warm up.
3:00 am: Out the door, and on my way!
3:30 am: Arrive at Epcot, expecting huge backups - after all, there's something like 20,000 runners in this race - and finding NO problem. Easiest parking at a Disney race EVAR.
4:00 am: I've picked up a bagel and a hot chocolate at the concession stand, and proceed to start stretching and getting my bib pinned on and everything. Putting off going to the bag check tent, because that will be the last I'll see of my extra layers of clothing (two extra long sleeve shirts and a pair of long pants) until the race is done.
4:15 am: Procrastination time over, I'm forced to check my bag or carry it the whole race... two extra shirts and a layer of long pants come off, leaving me with a spaghetti strap top under a long-sleeve tech shirt and a pair of shorts. I check my bag and then make my way to the warmest spot I can find - the medical tent - which seems to have become an impromptu "hide from the cold here" spot for many runners. Warmth lasts 15 minutes, at most, before medical staff finally kicks everyone out. We go a whoppin' 10 feet out the door, then hide along the side of the tent where we're sheltered from the wind in a big, huddled mob of people. I meet up with a group of Canadian runners and we hang out while we wait. After awhile, we start to feel one snowflake... then two... and three...
4:45 am: Less than an hour to go before the race start, we start making our way to the chute. Up until now, we've been in the Epcot "Imagine" parking lot... but the race start is way over on Center Drive, by the Backstage Lane overpass. Hence we begin the long walk along the road to Epcot Cast Parking (WTF? Why are there Studios Backlot Tour trams parked along that road? It's like a freakin' graveyard of them), then down Backstage Lane and the onramp onto Center Drive... then, for me, down to Corral C to wait! The entire walk takes about 15 to 20 minutes. As we walk, the snow picks up considerably. None of it is sticking, but it's still way too cold! The wind is the real killer, though.
5:30 am: We're closing on the race start - and a good thing, too, because I can't feel my legs at this point and I'm shaking uncontrollably... and we haven't even started yet! The national anthem is sung (does the same performer do it for EVERY SINGLE DISNEY RACE?! Seriously!) amid quiet "this isn't 'O Canada'!" giggles from the Canadians around me. :P The wind and snow still howls around us... except now the snow is starting to change into sleet, which is even more miserable. And PAINFUL.
5:35 am: Wheelchairs, GO! OMG, those suckers are fast. Seriously.
5:40 am: The moment we've been waiting for!! Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy are up on stage, counting down to the gun... and in a blaze of fireworks, we're off!!!! ...Or, at least, the first wave is. I'm in the second wave. We still wait in the cold for ten more minutes. On the bright side, as soon as the gun goes, the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade show stop version of "Celebrate You" blasts through the speakers. And I, being a Big Disney Nerd, immediately break out into the dance routine. The one from CADCT Version 1.0, before the Ribbon Wands of Doom. Shaddup. I'm a nerd, and it kept me warm.
5:50 am: 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... IT'S ON.
The Race
(from here on out, we measure time in miles. We're crazy like that.)
Mile 1: West/North on Center Drive! A bit of a slow start into this one, since the whole mob is slowly moving toward the starting line. As I cross the chip sensor, I try to start my own stopwatch on my wrist... which takes several moments as I'm trying to run and do so with numb fingers. I start out slowly, not really trying to pass anyone but keeping with the pack. I have to warm back up at this point!
Mile 2: Continuing west on Center Drive, toward the World Drive interchange. Another flat, easy mile. Layers of clothing and garbage bags are coming off everywhere, and the biggest challenge in this mile is not to trip over them!
Mile 3: World Drive north... we're running into the wind now, and that sleet has picked up considerably. This turns out to be one of the coldest, most miserable miles of the run, due entirely to that fact. We also pass our first high school band and cheer squad (I was too distracted to see where any of them were from), and this one playing the "Rocky" theme. Rock on, little high schoolers, rock on.
Mile 4: World Drive north, into the Magic Kingdom toll plaza and parking lot. My mission: don't trip over the curbs and speed bumps at the toll plaza. Thankfully, a success. I also take my first PowerAde stop here, by the Richard Petty track. A growing number of people are beginning to utilize the Friendly Bush Bathrooms along the course. Ah, running, how you make everyone stop caring about where they spit, pee, or blow snot rockets! Also one of our first on-course characters... I think it's Goofy, but I'm still in a "this sleet is frakking cold" daze, so I couldn't tell ya...
Mile 5: Magic Kingdom Ticket and Transportation Center, then back out through the bus stops and onto World Drive north. The crowds of onlookers begin to fill in! Quite a few CMs and spectators around the TTC. The sleet begins to let up... or at least I don't feel it like I did before. I'm still feeling a lot better than I expected, though! Getting tired, but easily manageable as long as I make sure I'm breathing deeply. The biggest hurdle here - that stupid water overpass thingy by the Contemporary. Seriously... that downhill part sucks because I have to be careful not to slip if there was an icy patch, and the uphill on the other side sucks because... well, it's UPHILL and relatively steep at that.
Mile 6: "Caution runners - course narrows through the Magic Kingdom... caution runners..." Into the MK main entrance area, backstage past the Walt Disney Story Theater, onto Main Street, Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and through Cinderella Castle!! Despite being almost halfway into the race, this is quite possibly the easiest mile of all. If you've never ran out onto Main Street before, and had it filled with people screaming and cheering and holding out their hands for high fives, and music blaring, and then RUNNING down the whole of Main Street like that... WOW. Just WOW. The Christmas decorations, the tree, they're all still up and lit up in the pre-dawn darkness. Even if you're exhausted, that is one of the biggest pick-me-ups you could ask for. It lifts your energy up so much, it's like the epitome of the Disney spirit. It makes you feel like a rock star! I blow through there and pick up a lot of speed, reinvigorated just by the sheer energy of it. Into Tomorrowland, and I see Buzz Lightyear outside his attraction... into Fantasyland, where I pass by Alice at the Teacups, and Smee, Pan, Hook, and Wendy across from Pooh, and Cinderella, Anastasia, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella between the castle and the carousel. And OMG, RUNNING THROUGH THE CASTLE. As if Main Street wasn't enough of a pick-me-up... running out from Cinderella Castle? Again - ROCK STAR. Lots of on-course photographers here, for which I'm grateful. Hell, I'm inclined to buy every photo of me from this whole stretch, assuming I'm not making a face that looks constipated or anything. There's also a photographer where the DPI photographers usually stand in front of the castle, with a tape mark on the ground and ready for photos. Thus, the first of my delays as I quite literally BOUND over for a photo in front of the castle. Didn't I tell you I'm re-invigorated? Then back onto the course...
Mile 7: Liberty Square, Frontierland, Park 3, and south onto Floridian Way. MY PEEPS. Okay, I ran too fast, and so none of my peeps are even at work yet. But over the loudspeaker in Liberty Square, they're playing the movie version of "When We're Human" from Princess and the Frog, which I HAVE to sing along to. And I shock myself when I realize I still have the breath left TO sing along to it. (And I totally just now had to grab my iPod and start playing that soundtrack because it's awesome.) Then my Country Bears (or, at least, Liverlips and Shaker) are chillin' in front of the Frontierland Shooting Gallery, so I give them big hugs. Then 50 feet later, I stop to meet Prince Naveen and Louis in front of the Bears exit and Pecos. I tell Naveen and Louis that I miss their riverboat show lots, and Naveen says he does too. Then onward, past walled-up Splash Mountain (WOOOO! Did I mention I'm excited about that? ;)), and out the parade gate. And who's there at shade control? JACK FRELLIN' SPARROW, that's who! And the pirate ship float, with pirates on it... and one of the Boo To You Parade music loops playing. Love it. Then out behind Splash, where there's a water/PowerAde stop blocking the giant row of Splash logs already pulled out of the attraction (can haz new logs?). I'm more distracted by wanting to stop and get a picture with those, although I refrain. They're even still tagged with white towels. /Fro-land Nerd Then out past the manager's trailer - I don't see anyone yet, sadly, because I want to heckle as I run through - and out the Park 3 gate onto Floridian Way.
Mile 8: Floridian Way south, past Shades of Green. A yawner of a stretch, after all the MK excitement... and the first place I notice that it's raining steadily and my feet are wet. Need. Distractions. Mickey and Donald are out at Shades of Green, in their 'golf' get-ups. I really want a picture, but there's a bit too long of a wait to see them. Cool, though! There's also a Cliff Gel Shot stop... not a fan, but I get half a Latte-flavored shot down, since I can feel my energy starting to flag.
Mile 9: Floridian Way south, onto World Drive south. Another yawner of a stretch, making the last few miles start to drag. I'm starting to feel my energy level drop rapidly. But at one point I look up an see another runner about 10 feet ahead of me... and the back of his shirt says, in big, bold letters: "KEEP MOVING FORWARD." And I'll admit it, I'm totally moved by that. I'm a nerd. I realize it's so true. Thank you, Mr. Disney, for the words that keep me running when I got tired - and thank you to the runner with the shirt for the reminder! /sappy moment KEEP MOVING FORWARD. My motto for the rest of the race. Keep moving forward. Another high school band is playing at the Hess Station - I don't even remember what they were playing, but I cheer for them as I run past. Cheering for spectators keeps my energy level up. And as I pass the 9-mile marker, I shout "4.1 TO GO!"
Mile 10: World Drive south, to the Center Drive interchange. Long, straight stretch of NOTHING. I don't even really remember this stretch. There is nothing there, nothing to distract me, not so much as a bend in the road. Psychologically, probably the toughest mile on the course because of that. All you have are thoughts about how tired you are. At this point, I have to start breaking it down into manageable information. My train of thought: "I've got less than 4 miles to go. I regularly run over 5 just in my neighborhood. I can do 4 miles, no problem." And then I just kinda think that over and over and over. This is where I pull off my running cap, because it's just annoying me now. As I reach the Center Drive interchange and the 10-mile marker, there's someone up on the overpass with giant Mickey gloves, cheering everyone on. I start whooping and hollering back - again, cheering on the cheering people keeps MY energy up!
Mile 11: Center Drive interchange to Center Drive east. Okay, this is Florida. Florida is flat. Thus, the race is flat. However, the hills come at overpasses and interchanges. And if you know this interchange (World Drive southbound onto Center Drive, going to Epcot or 536), it's one of those clover-shaped ones, all uphill to an overpass. And when you've already run 10 miles, uphill SUCKS. I consciously slow down here, not wanting to exhaust myself trying to run uphill. Keep moving forward! The late-race fatigue - both mental and physical - is really starting to set in - and it takes a conscious effort to push forward. I start reminding myself that I'm only 3 miles from the end, and that I won't need energy when I'm done. I can push, I can give it all I've got and finish strong. There's an RV out on the interchange with the Green Army Men, whom I salute as I run past. And as some nearby runners shout at the crest of the overpass - "Every uphill has a downhill!" Granted, it's a very short downhill, and goes into another slight uphill, but I can't think about that. We cross back onto Center Drive, on the opposite side of the road from where the race started.
Mile 12: Center Drive east, turning back up to the exit from Epcot parking. Or, as I call it, Another Damn Overpass. Up a slight hill along Center Drive, then we hairpin onto the exit from Epcot parking. But the exit from Epcot parking that goes up the overpass, along the west side of the parking lot. Another Damn Overpass. Keep Moving Forward! I can see Spaceship Earth, and I start focusing on that to keep myself going. But, like before, every uphill has a downhill, and soon I'm heading down the other side of the overpass toward the Epcot bus area.
Mile 13: Epcot Bus stops, and into Epcot itself! The home stretch! I'm feeling the exhaustion BADLY by this point, and a side stitch is developing. I concentrate on breathing deeply to get rid of the side stitch, and remind myself that I have just over a mile to go, and that I can let it all out. No holding back now! In 1.1 miles, I can keel over from exhaustion, but now's the time to push. So I do. We enter the Epcot bus drop-off, where the crowds of spectators start to thicken again. It's a bit of an uphill, but manageable with more "scenery" around. And I put that in quotes because, well, we go backstage again and that's not always "scenic." :P Back in behind The Living Seas, the Cast Members are starting to fill in and cheer us on. Then back onstage at Spaceship Earth! Honestly, that's like a big "you're almost there!" sign! It's the freakin' golf ball! Then out past the Fountain of Nations, toward the International Gateway. Phineas and Ferb are standing outside Club Cool. Awesome, because this is the first time I've actually seen them in the parks, and their show rocks. (One of the runners nearby asks aloud, "Can we stop in and get some of the Beverly???!" LAWL!) The music playing here sounds a LOT like the Fountain of Nations music, but it isn't. Either way, it's like a great movie score from the "triumph" part of a film, reminding me a lot of the Iron Will score. Why go off on the music tangent? Because that's what my brain is doing to keep my mind off the distance! I start flipping through my mental catalogue of Epcot music, trying to figure out what it is. I'm also thinking how appropriate it WOULD be if they played the music from Iron Will - which IS on the Fountain of Nations play list... or the Rescuers Down Under theme, which is as well, and is what I consider one of "my" musical score themes. :P Seriously, that's what I keep my brain focused on for this whole section onstage at Epcot. Then, after looping back at the International Gateway, we run offstage when we get back to Spaceship Earth, and back out between the main entrance plaza and Universe of Energy (*snicker* Someone had a sick sense of humor there...). From here on out, it follows the same course as October's Race for the Taste 10k. We pass a gospel choir in full robes... and here you can really feel the energy ("Feel the flow... here we goooooo!" Okay, nerdy Epcot joke on my part there.) as we approach the finish. As runners pass the choir we start screaming and cheering for them. They are awesome, standing out there, rockin' it out, even in the rain. We come back out onstage to the left of the main entrance, just as we pass the 13-mile sign...
13.1 miles: THIS IS IT! The crowds line the entire walkway now, screaming and cheering everyone on. There's only 1/10th of a mile to go... 528 feet... I can hear the music pounding at the finish, even see the banner. I'M ALMOST THERE! (Sorry... had to...) I feel like I'm about to drop, but I can feel the end so close. I push harder. I start to speed up, even though I feel like my legs are going to fall off. I'm almost completely out of breath, but the end is literally in sight! As I get closer, I see the grandstands packed with people cheering everyone on. The on-course photographers practically line the street, snagging as many photos of runners as they possibly can as they approach the finish. At this point, I pick my head up, give it one last, big push... and fly under the banner and across the chip sensor. I DID IT. I RAN A DAMN HALF-MARATHON. It starts to hit me at this point, and I'm grinning like a complete idiot as I join the mob of people clamoring for a mylar blanket. I RAN A HALF MARATHON.
The Post-Race
It's cold, it's pouring, my hands are numb and my legs are about to collapse. But I reach for that mylar blanket, still grinning like an idiot. As I wait in the mob, a man next to me asks "Aren't you freezing in shorts?!" I reply that yeah, I am now that I'm not running, but my fingers are colder than my legs! Literally. My hands are the most miserable part of me, because my fingers hurt so much. And I'm wearing gloves! Now, if you've never used a mylar blanket, they look really flimsy and worthless. But OMG they WORK. Funny, rescuers actually DO use something useful - imagine that! I snuggle underneath it, making sure to wrap my fingers.
Medal time! It's a mob again, but I'm so tired I don't care - I get that Donald Duck medal!!! Seriously, though... it's funny how getting a medal can just seem like something "extra" after you run 13.1 miles. It is a pretty damn cool medal, though.
SNACKS! We start walking back across Epcot's Imagine parking lot, toward the snack tent. Another perk of endurance running - free food! Powerade, water, a banana, a muffin, a Cliff Bar, an orange, and a Coke. Sounds like a great post-race snack to me! Although it's hard to hold all that when my fingers are completely numb and I'm clutching a mylar blanket so tightly. A nice gentleman nearby gets the ziploc bag open for me because my fingers are too numb. We chat for a few minutes, and then I head off to get my bag - and warm, dry clothes!!
Now, normally the bag claim is busy, but well-organized at least. And if you have to wait, usually it's at least just because there's a lot of people. This one... well, it's a big ol' CF. At least if your last name starts with SM-Z. Seriously. I've never seen a bag claim that poorly-run at a Disney race, ever. The line is ENORMOUS, and doesn't move. Meanwhile, my whole body is shaking uncontrollably under the blanket, trying to stay warm. After AT LEAST 10 minutes we finally start to move. And when we get up there, we realize that the only reason we moved is that the people ahead of us decided to take matters into their own hands, climb behind the tables, and start getting their own stuff. Normally, that's a big no-no, to make sure that no one's stuff is stolen. But at this point, even the volunteers have given up caring, because it's keeping the mob down. I climb back there, and after a short search, find my bag. I go to the table to cut off the plastic tie... only to find that ALL the clippers are broken. ALL of them. The woman next to me is trying in vain to slice the (thick) tie off with one blade of the clippers, like a dull knife. No luck. Finally, a volunteer with what had to be the only working pair of clippers there comes by and snips them for us, just as one of the event organizers comes in and starts yelling at runners to get back on the other side of the table. I can't blame him for trying to keep order and do his job... but they obviously had a BIG breakdown somewhere. They need more help than his feeble yelling at people. At this point, though, I have my bag, and I can run outside and pull on warm clothes, so I don't care what they do!!!
WARM CLOTHES. They feel AMAZING. But even with all my layers added back on, I'm still cold and clutching the blanket around me. But now... distractions... CHARACTERS! I've got my bag, and thus my own camera, back in my hands, so it's time to go meet characters! Props to all the characters out there greeting people, 'cause it's still raining, and in my WDW Enteratinment experience, that's when characters vanish. (Oh, rain sets!) But they all gamely stay out there and keep the energy up. Props to you guys! First stop: Pluto, duh!! My puppy is out and about, and I get a HUGE hug. I even give him a scratch on the nose and get his leg going. ;) Love ya, Pluto! Then, Stitch! He's out in a play area in front of the stage, hula hooping with kids. But in the poor weather, only one or two kids are out there, and they are more interested in the hula hoops than Stitch! Only myself and a few other brave souls venture over for a photo. Stitch is a hoot, too - he's playing tug-of-war with his greeter, using one of the hoops. Then he's using the hoop like a jump rope - good thing he's small, or he might have eaten pavement! Then over to Max, who doesn't get enough love, and Daisy! Chip and Dale come out later, but I'm too cold at that point.
I stop under the one heat lamp that I can find for about 5 minutes to warm up. If I have one suggestion for them, it's HEAT LAMPS. I know they HAVE them, and I would think they're relatively easy to set up, even on short notice. And given the bitter cold weather, more of them would be a blessing. As it is, there's ONE, tucked in a corner between the stage and merchandise tent, and I only find it by accident. There's people packed around it, at times two or even three deep. I stay long enough to warm up slightly, then leave the spot so someone else can step in.
And of course... GIFT SHOP! Come on, it's Walt Disney World. They gotta have one even at a temporary event. And so they do! It's already pretty well cleaned out - particularly hand warmers, gloves, and 2010 Half Marathon merchandise. But I find a hoodie I like... and mentally grumble about the cost of hoodies - one of my favorite types of clothing - around Disney. And then I realize - 50% CAST HOLIDAY MERCHANDISE DISCOUNT! Thank you, WDW, for extending it til February. But I'm guessing this is one of those times where it's no good because it's special event merchandise. So I ask... and find out that it IS valid! Yay!! Suddenly the hoodie is affordable! So I snag it, one of the last few they have in that style. It's XL, way bigger than I need - but perfect for putting on top of 4 layers of clothing. WOO! I have them clip the tag right there, and put it right on. Nice and warm. YAY!
After that, I'm still cold and wet, and decide to head out. Or, at least, head to my car. The traffic backup has begun! So I head for my car, turn it on, and sit in the heat while I wait to get out. For anyone familiar with a post-game or show traffic jam, it's pretty much the same thing. It takes me an hour just to get OUT of Epcot parking. But I'm warm and it gives me a chance to eat my snacks, so it's all good. WOO!
The Wrap-Up
What a blast! I'm exhausted. My legs are dead, my back is sore from tensing up trying to stay warm, but it was SO much fun.
For anyone who doesn't think they can run that far... try it!! You'd be surprised. A year ago, if you'd asked me, I would have laughed at you for even thinking I could finish. 10 months ago, when I got the guts up to register, running 3 miles was a slow struggle, and I put down my expected finish time as 3:15:00 - 15 minutes shy of the course limit. 3 months ago, when I ran the Race for the Taste 10k in very late, summer-like humidity and temperature, 6 miles was almost too much. Even two weeks later, in more comfortable temperatures, the 8-mile Tower of Terror 13k took all I had. But perseverance does pay off. Last week, I set a goal of finishing the half marathon in 2:15:00. My official time...
2:11:36
I beat my goal by over 3 minutes - and that includes all those stops to see characters!
Now I'm just waiting on the ASI (on-course) photos to be posted, and then I'll see how much money I spend on those. :P
What's up next for me? I'm going to try a full marathon. If I can get the time off work, possibly the Seattle Rock 'N' Roll Marathon this summer, so I can visit everyone back home and get my first full in at my hometown! I'd definitely like to do the full Walt Disney World Marathon next year - all four parks in one 26.2-mile run! I'd also love to do the Disneyland Half Marathon this fall. I've already got the time off work, but now I just need the money to get out there! (Any west coasters want to join? You know you want to! Split a hotel room on property with me and run! ;))
So if you think you can't run, try yourself. You'll be surprised. You'll get in great shape, and have a TON of fun. Take it from me - I used to HATE running! I avoided it all I could in school. Just start simple - take it easy, find out what you can do, and SLOWLY build up. Let me repeat, SLOWLY. If you try to do too much too soon, you'll just injure yourself and get frustrated. Push yourself, but don't hurt yourself. And I'm not any expert at all, but I can still give simple advice and encouragement if anyone else wants to join in for next year! And KEEP MOVING FORWARD!