2011 Marathon weekend trip report - COMPLETE!! 4/5
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mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince · 03-14-2011, 09:27 AM

Running through all four parks, a Mickey medal and a 26.2 sticker for my car. These were the things that motivated me to sign up for the WDW 2011 full marathon. Here's a little running history:

In January 2009, Lou Mongello did several segments about marathon weekend on the WDW Radio show. As I listened to him talk about training for and eventually participating in the half-marathon at his favorite place in the world, I started thinking that it sounded pretty cool.At the same time, I read some marathon trip reports and started getting inspired!

Running had never sounded as interesting to me as it did right then. Now, I’m no athlete. I played soccer in elementary school and basketball in junior high, and I stunk at both! The only time I was serious about exercise was while I was pregnant with my youngest daughter: I swam twice a week for the entire pregnancy and was in the best shape of my whole life during that time. Sadly, after my daughter was born, it was way too easy for me to quit exercising. It would be years before I would exercise consistently again.

But here I was, the year that I would turn 40 years old, considering running, and 13.1 miles at that! My dad is a runner, and I knew that he and my mom would be in Florida in January, so I mentioned the race to him. Three days later, he told me that he had signed up for the 2010 Disney World half-marathon! I was sure that I wouldn’t be ready until 2011, but Dad told me that signing up for a race is a great motivator. He encouraged me to sign up for the 2010, so I did, and he was right!

I knew I had to start somewhere, so I started doing research on the internet. I found a program called Couch to 5K, which gets you from a couch potato to running 3.1 miles in 9 weeks. I started training and participated in my first event in April: a walk for the March of Dimes. By this time, my husband was inspired to start running, and we started training together. We did two 5K events before moving on to a 10K. Our first half-marathon was to be in Detroit in October. I was terrified before this race, because I knew I wasn’t properly prepared. I hadn’t done much more than the 6.2 miles required to complete the 10K two weeks before the half. The Detroit race was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done! My legs hurt so badly by mile 9 that we had to walk the rest of the way, but I finished the race and got a medal to prove it!

Next up was the one that started it all: the Disney World half marathon! I felt much more prepared for this race, both because I had increased my mileage to about 10 miles in the months since the Detroit half, and because I knew I could do it since I’d already done one! The 2010 race weekend was different than any other: it was the coldest Disney World race ever! The 5 a.m. start was met with near-freezing temperatures in addition to sleet and snow! (Fortunately for me, I’d been training outside so I was used to the elements.) However, it was Disney World, so the atmosphere more than made up for the weather! What other race offers you the chance to get your picture taken with Captain Jack Sparrow, Mary Poppins and Mickey Mouse? Where else can you run down Main Street USA toward Cinderella Castle? Where else can you run backstage at the most magical place on earth? It was my favorite race to date, despite the cold. We enjoyed it so much that we signed up for the 2011 full marathon!

So, we started training in early September after we got back from our family trip to WDW. Life got in the way, as it always does, and neither of us ended up doing the mileage we should have done. I do the 4/1 run-walk Galloway method, which really works for me because I know I have a little break coming every four minutes. I'd never be able to get very far without that.

I'm mostly going to concentrate on the race for this report, so I can get it done more quickly. The basics of the rest of the trip are that we stayed at POFQ for the first time, didn't bring the kids, had park-hoppers but tried to take it easier than we usually do, knowing what was coming up. We had a few must-do attractions, but mostly were there to enjoy the atmosphere of race weekend. We did take the Segway tour on Saturday morning, which was one of the highlights of the weekend for me. I can share about that if anyone is interested. We ate at the Tune-in Lounge at 50s Prime Time Cafe on our first night, Kona for breakfast and Boma for dinner on day 2, Le Cellier on day 3 and Ohana for breakfast on our last day.

Now, on with race day pictures!

We paid for the race retreat in case the weather was the same as last year. It was worth it to us. Private toilets, private bag check, food before and after the race. I'd do it again.

We met our WDW Radio Running team friends at the family reunion tents for a little pre-race pep talk:

We were in Corral G, which bummed us out, because we thought the time we submitted (2:42 for our best half time ever) would be enough to move us forward. We could have really used a bigger cushion than that, but what can you do?

Crossing the start line!

The race started at 5:35, and we crossed the start about 6:00. It was so dark out!

There were a few of these guys from the Main Street Electrical Parade. They were even playing the music, which made me happy, since the music for MSEP is my ringtone!

Max and Darkwing Duck! No time to stop for characters this early, but I knew these guys were pretty rare, so I snapped a pic as I went by.

It started to get light out as we left Epcot for the Magic Kingdom. I was particularly looking forward to MK because we had WDW Radio Running Team friends who would be waiting for us on Main Street USA! We didn't have that last year, so it really kept us moving and motivated.

This was a cool inflatable, but the placement was kind of interesting. It was on the road to MK, so we were actually running away from the real Spaceship Earth, but here was another Spaceship Earth ahead of us. We had a long way to go before we would be seeing SE again!

There were so many marching bands along the route, and they really pumped us up as we went by.

One of my favorite moments of last year's race was running through these gates. I was disappointed that we only got to run by them this year, not through them!

These guys were riding around the TTC parking lot. Not sure where they are from; I've never seen them at WDW before!

Tronorail!

Drumline!

Sorry for the quality of the picture. I loved this sentiment, and the guy up there was dancing away and having a good old time!

Contemporary

Space Mountain

Monorail silver

Up next, the Magic Kingdom! We enter through a backstage area that's in the right-hand corner of Town Square if you have your back to the train station. Here's our first glimpse into Town Square:

We saw our friends on Main Street and got a hug and lots of cheers. It was so awesome! We'd hoped to see them later but this was the only time we were able to catch them since we ended up being so slow.

We had our picture taken with so many characters along the way! Should we have taken all that time to stop for these photos? Probably not. Did it add to the fun of the race? Absolutely! The first 18 miles or so were a lot of fun!

Mad Hatter

I was thrilled to see Flynn and Rapunzel! I loved this movie, and my girls really wanted us to get our pictures with them. We took one look at the regular line at MK and decided against it, so I was so glad to have the opportunity to see them during the race. I ran up to Flynn and said "Eugene!" and he chided me, saying that he had a whole new backstory now!

Dumbo!

So funny to see the Carousel without a lot of kids swarming around it.

You heard these guys before you saw them; rounding the corner and seeing them up on the castle was so amazing!

One of the step-sisters told me I was way too perky this early in the morning. She said I must have gotten up on the right side of the bed! (Yeah, at 2:45!)

The Fairy Godmother gave us a "Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!" and told us that would get us across the finish line, but we'd have to wait a while!

The Fairy godmothers-in-training were all out cheering for us next to BBB. Wish I'd gotten a picture!

I took this one just before going down the ramp. I love this photo!

Hooray!

UP NEXT: more Magic in the Kingdom

mom to 3 princesses and 1 prince · 03-14-2011, 12:17 PM

As we went into Liberty Square, I had hoped to see Colonial Mickey, as I'd seen in past reports, but he was nowhere to be found.

This Naveen is not as handsome as the one my DD5 fell in love with this summer!

From Liberty Square we headed to Frontierland, where we get to go backstage to the left of Splash Mountain, in the same place as when you take the Keys to the Kingdom tour. I knew who would be waiting for us backstage and was tempted go skip him because we saw him at last year's race but I'm glad we didn't!

When we rounded the corner, we could hear music from the soundtrack go Pirates, the movie, not the ride. Last year, they were playing the pirates section of the Boo to You music. It was weird to hear that in January. I likes this music, especially because it's on my running playlist. So when I heard it, I started dancing and moving to the music. The line to see the pirates was shorter than I expected, and when we got up to Jack, he said, "I saw you dancing...that's my theme song, you know!" I could swear he was Johnny Depp. He had the voice just right!

Bonus! We got Barbosa, too! Jack was kind of rubbing my sweaty back, and I wonder if inside he was going, "This is so gross!"

I'd read that the 3 miles between MK and AK were particularly difficult, and I was prepared at this point to put on my headphones and get to the business of running. Fortunately, we had almost as much fun after MK as we did in the park!

Last year, we got Mary Poppins and Bert. This year, only a penguin and a carousel horse. One lady tried to climb on the horse and she got yelled at!

My photo of these guys from last year turned out so badly, but the line was too long to get one this year. I guess I was feeling the pressure!

Oompa band!

DH called them bears, so I had to apolozie to Brer Fox for him!

Right as we were walking up, they went off to get their guns. I asked if they were going to put us out of our misery!

Liver Lips apparently thought I looked like I needed a kiss!

Captain Hook was being very feisty, so I kept my distance and stood by Wendy. She called us "Team Wendy" because we were wearing blue!

Zorro!

Just after Zorro, we passed mile 16. I posted on Facebook that we'd made it that far. It was farther than we'd ever run before. DH and I had been taking turns posing in front of the mile markers, but mile 16 was the last picture we took. Again, starting to feel the pressure...

So, we were heading towards Animal Kingdom, and we were making pretty good time. With our run/walk radio of 4:1, it had taken us about four hours to do 16 miles. This is about a 15 minute mile, which we were happy with. In training, I average a 12 minute mile, but with all of the photo stops and bathroom breaks, we were going a little slower than normal. As long as we stay ahead of the 16 minute mile minimum, we were okay. Our original plan was to run/walk as far as we could, at least through the first half, and then walk the rest. We were still feeling pretty good, so we continued to run/walk.

When I did the half marathon in 2010, I was disappointed that we only got to run through MK and Epcot. One of the reasons I wanted to do the full was so that I could run through all four parks. Here I was ready to run into Animal Kingdom, and I was really excited! It was after 10:00, so the sun was starting to rise and so was the temperature. So far so good, though.

First thing we saw was the train that goes to Rafiki's Planet Watch. I didn't recognize it, because we've never utilized it!

The first characters we found were Chip and Dale! I was still amazed by the lack of lines. Maybe the back-of-the-packers don't stop for characters. Maybe we should have paid attention to this fact...

I've only seen this parade once, so it was cool to see a float.

Rafiki! You can see here that I've tried to roll up my pant legs. It was getting a little warm!

King Louie and Baloo!

Flik! Not a big fan of this movie, but there was no line. Terk from Tarzan was next, but we passed her by.

The music from the next two musical groups kept us going. I love steel drums!

We took a quick minute to pose for both the professional photographer and the Photopass guy standing here.

Just ahead...Expedition Everest!!!!

**Colexis Mom** · 03-14-2011, 01:05 PM

Great start so far Beth! Congrats on doing the race!

shena_03 · 03-14-2011, 01:27 PM

Great start

kmurburg · 03-14-2011, 02:02 PM

Love your report! I want my running daughter to do this so bad so I can go to cheer her on!

mpwife153 · 03-14-2011, 02:15 PM

Great start! My goal is to be able to run (I have never been a runner - hate it actually) a 5k at WDW.

MGW · 03-14-2011, 02:24 PM

So great that you are writing this report!

I've been running 5Ks for a few years, did the Royal Fmaily 5K during the Princess half-marathon in February and loved running through EPCOT. A friend is running the Wine and Dine Half this Fall, I am thinking about joining her, she is doing the 4/1 method too. And if we stop for pictures along the way like you did, I think I can make it! LOL!

Can't wait for more!

disney_duke · 03-14-2011, 02:36 PM

I'm soooo with you..... reading along here is like a repeat of my experience!!! We must have crossed paths once or twice. I was in Corral H, right behind you, yet I crossed the start at 6:05! I was in AK right where the drummers were, just standing around for about 5 minutes waiting to meet up with my family - this was somewhere around 10-10:15 ish! How funny?!!! Looking forward to more memories - and to hear about the segway tour!!