Calling all Princesses! (2014 Princess Half Marathon Weekend)- thread #2

[kappyfamily]

Kappyfamily...Not sure what corral you started in, but from corral c I had no issues with rude people or walkers, hey I walked some. The course never seemed crowded even in narrow areas.
BTW- love your response to rude princess

The volunteers are amazing

Coral c lucky you! Yeah back in "I" where I think it's a mix of walkers and runners it was pretty crowded for a lot of the race, if not most. I've never seen so many people totally put on the brakes and stop in the middle of the street to take a pic! What! Getting placed in higher corals where it is mainly runners I think makes a huge difference. Oh well! Like I said, I just kind of shrug it off, the 10k yesterday was fantastic, today wasn't! On to the next! Good job everyone!

 

[MaMa3Princess]

Just crazy rude people today. Maybe it was the humidity? This also was the most passed out and puking I've seen on a course. All in all, it was ok, not sure I will do princess again. Still got some more bling to add to the collection! Hope you all had a great race!

I was ok until around 11 miles!! I saw the humidity take its toll on a lot of people and I am glad I took salt tabs because Gatorade or powerade in that climate is not going to cut it! I honestly think alot of people overestimated that glass slipper challenge. I have a mixed bag feeling about Disney races now. They are super popular, super beginner friendly. I can't complain about course support or logistics as the more corrals was a wonderful to me.
I'm exhausted and all over the place but I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

 

[afnaechiquita]

Coral c lucky you! Yeah back in "I" where I think it's a mix of walkers and runners it was pretty crowded for a lot of the race, if not most. I've never seen so many people totally put on the brakes and stop in the middle of the street to take a pic! What! Getting placed in higher corals where it is mainly runners I think makes a huge difference. Oh well! Like I said, I just kind of shrug it off, the 10k yesterday was fantastic, today wasn't! On to the next! Good job everyone!

i was also in I and didn't experience that. i am always worried i am being unknowingly rude but i try to look before running across the course or stopping to walk.

i was only disappointed with two things: not having the princess mile markers, and way less characters than previous years. didn't see the usuals such as beast and beauty/alice & mad hatter & white rabbit/the CHIPMUNKS/peter and wendy/mulan/pocahontas/esmerelda/etc. nothing on the stretch from sarge - epcot except a dj and that was eh.

i should count myself lucky atta wasn't cut from the course, except she didn't acknowledge me dressing as her at all! she had no line so it's not like there was a press for time. i'm just going to chalk it up to maybe her not seeing the antennae/crown on my head.

humidity did not bother me as i train in weather worse than florida, but i did run slower than my usual pace. i stopped for a few long lines though.

hope everyone else had a great race!

 

[appleorchard]

Had a great time, mostly walkers back in P where I started and had to do a lot of cutting back and forth. My garmin said 13.35 miles. But some of the walkers walk faster than Irun anyway lol. Never saw the balloon ladies, never saw anyone get sick or injured either. Anyone know how many people if any got swept? The Pop and AoA bus line was insane! I went and ate in the race retreat tent and had a massage and it was STILL insane.

 

[kappyfamily]

Had a great time, mostly walkers back in P where I started and had to do a lot of cutting back and forth. My garmin said 13.35 miles. But some of the walkers walk faster than Irun anyway lol. Never saw the balloon ladies, never saw anyone get sick or injured either. Anyone know how many people if any got swept? The Pop and AoA bus line was insane! I went and ate in the race retreat tent and had a massage and it was STILL insane.

I musta been around some kind a group because I saw four different people puke. One about two feet in front of me. I saw four people that were on the sides with medics helping them all were flat and looking very green. One gal about a foot in front of me starting looking really wobbly then the next thing I know she started sliding to the ground. I tend to have that kind of luck though at races! I always have people wipe out around me..... Hmmmmm?

 

[Figment1990]

I made it! My knee was so questionable I wasn't sure I was going to but I did! I had a good race, not great because the humidity was really awful and slowed me down a lot. Along with my knee, I ended up walking a lot more than I normally would. But I still finished within the time limits, 3:11, and I was happy with that with my injury. I also managed to not feel sick or like I was going to pass out, I may be finally getting the hang of this half marathon stuff!

I did think there were a few crowded areas, mostly the bends where the course narrows but overall it was ok. I started in G. I didn't experience rudeness, and only a few times did I feel people were jumping in front of marathonfoto cameras in front of me. Way less than that happened at tink. (But tink is still my favorite Disney race, probably followed by wine and dine). The volunteers were awesome as usual and everything was organized well I thought. I had no transportation hiccups on the monorail at 3:30 am, and bag check went smoother than I expected.

I don't do much character stops, so I didn't even notice who was or was not on course. I still hate the banked roads of WDW races. Did a lot of weaving (carefully) to try to run the tops or in the grass.

Congratulations princesses!

(Ps, DH was at the TTC, poly, mile 12 of Epcot and the finish and his observation was that everyone looked drenched but they looked much more ill at wine and dine last November, from his perspective)

 

[rpcvpanama]

This was by far the worst Disney race I have competed in. Definitely a one and done for me. We were in K and the race etiquette was terrible. Since when did people start jumping in front of the MarathonFoto photographers? I ran TOT and W&D this past fall and never experienced that. It happened in all the races this weekend, 5K, 10K and 1/2 marathon. Also, I have to say the course is terrible. At best 1/10 of the race is actually in the parks. By the time we got to MK it was so crowded it was impossible to run. We were at a dead stop going into the castle because of all the people standing around taking pictures on the path into the castle, right in the middle of the path, mind you, not off to the side.

This was my first Princess, and I guess I just don't get the hype

 

[Figment1990]

This was by far the worst Disney race I have competed in. Definitely a one and done for me. We were in K and the race etiquette was terrible. Since when did people start jumping in front of the MarathonFoto photographers? I ran TOT and W&D this past fall and never experienced that. It happened in all the races this weekend, 5K, 10K and 1/2 marathon. Also, I have to say the course is terrible. At best 1/10 of the race is actually in the parks. By the time we got to MK it was so crowded it was impossible to run. We were at a dead stop going into the castle because of all the people standing around taking pictures on the path into the castle, right in the middle of the path, mind you, not off to the side.

This was my first Princess, and I guess I just don't get the hype

Just wanted to say that having now done w&d and princess I would say they are very different. Probably somewhat because of the size, and the course as well. I hope they keep wine and dine as is though and do not add a bunch of combined race challenges or let the registration swell too big. Wine and dine is Perfect as it is, IMO. I like that it is different from Princess. I had fun at both.

 

[MaMa3Princess]

I musta been around some kind a group because I saw four different people puke. One about two feet in front of me. I saw four people that were on the sides with medics helping them all were flat and looking very green. One gal about a foot in front of me starting looking really wobbly then the next thing I know she started sliding to the ground. I tend to have that kind of luck though at races! I always have people wipe out around me..... Hmmmmm?

I was in H and it was a lot of glass slipper runners and one lady was midway on course around 7 ish toss her cookies. I heard a lady need medical attention after 8. But by 11 most of us all felt a thick blanket of heat and humidity. I think Kappy felt the walk run because that is mid pack and that's where most are fast enough to run/walk a pretty decent time or alot of people did a 10k and doubling your 10k time is not very accurate for most.
I think I will take that logic to get even higher up if I decide to do Princess again.

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Well my Runkeeper had me at 13.9 miles (started it crossing start) so there was WAY more weaving than is normal (I tend to end about 13.3-13.4 per disney race) and it was all walkers/rude people supreme around me (corral I) I hated last years princess for the same reason and it didnt get better so I'm done for several years-(the new corrals worked wonders for the Jan WDW half course crowding but it was the same if not worse for princess)

I gave up trying to fight the crowds at mile 3 where it usually spreads out nice on World Drive but it never let up and decided to make the best of the fog and get some pretty cool pics instead (ended up with 10+ cool monorail and or castle shots) but surprisingly ended up with a semi decent to me time (3:15) which at the same time makes me curious what I wouldve done had I been able to RUN the course...

Had to laugh when the tracking site went down- I was home in clermont before it posted I'd finished (including 20 min in a drive thru) and it was another 20-30 before I could see my time...

I wish they'd (esp on super humid races) go back to offering non-yellow powerade at the aid stations- with the humidity I ran out a few miles early of my propel (I cant drink yellow powerade at all) and really wouldve liked a swig or two...

I also wish (and will email this one) that while rundisney.com was apparently updated to 'yellow flag' the race due to heat the signs at the race complex NEVER were changed from green- As one who didnt log in between thurs and today it wouldve been nice to know that (and I double checked the signs today!)

-em

 

[m_kasch]

I was back in N, and there are many run/walkers, including myself. My biggest things are 1) people walking 4-6 across, and people walking in the middle. I always move off to the side for my walks, but today there were times I couldn't even run at all because I couldn't get by people. Also, Magic Kingdom was a DISASTER. I lost almost 10 minutes there. We dead stopped at the castle, and it took almost 5 minutes to get through there, barely moving through the whole thing. I think it would help if they said no personal pics through there, unless you move off to the side past the cones. I was disappointed - as a local, I can WALK through the castle whenever I want.

I also agree about people jumping in front at the photographers - how rude!!!!!

I will probably continue to do the glass slipper challenge, it was still fun....as my time improves and I get to move up, I hope it will be better - my dad started in G and had no MK crowding issues.

Good job, princesses!!!!!

 

[Neesy228]

Congratulations to everyone! I finished at just over 3:00 and this was my first princess. I had fun, but I think I expected a little more. The course was very crowded and in many areas I was forced to walk just because there was simply nowhere to move. My Nike app distance was 13.6 miles. I also found a lot of people unwilling to move, but no one overly rude. I think I'm going to try the wine & dine next

I'm proud that I finished and excited and impressed with everyone else! Congrats!

 

[NewfieMom]

I haven't seen it posted anywhere - what was the song at Mile 7?

 

[STILLWISHING]

I haven't seen it posted anywhere - what was the song at Mile 7?

let It go

 

[keahgirl8]

I guess I was lucky! I was in corral I and found no rudeness, or people unwilling to move. I was very happy with how nice and supportive everyone was. I did no character stops, because I just couldn't justify it due to the length of the line. I wasn't really worried about getting swept, but I was having so much fun running that I didn't want to stop my momentum. I was able to jog through the castle and didn't really have anyone stop in front of me. I didn't get the Marathonfoto line at the castle, but a very nice CM took a picture with my camera, and I got a couple of myself with my phone. Overall, it was the hardest, most amazing, best thing I have ever done. I can't wait to do my next one!

 

[laura428]

Finished!!

And that was my goal. Had a good time along the way, although I did see some of the rudeness as well in M. On the other hand, I also saw some very kind and supportive people as well, so it all balanced out in the end. Miles 10 and 11 seemed tougher mentally for me, but once I saw mile 12, I was re-energized and ended up running much of the last mile. Crossing the finish line was very emotional - culmination of eight months of training and remembering my dad who really kinda started this journey. Looked up to the sky, said thank you, and shed more than a few tears. So very grateful for this experience.

After showering and a little rest, we went back to Epcot and toured the rest of the afternoon and evening - just got back to ASMo. Surprised at how mobile I am after this morning's run. Flying out in the morning - hoping for sleep soon.

 

[belle2211]

Whew! Today's half was hard. I think it's the worst race I've ever had--100 times harder than the marathon in January. I think it's because except for yesterday, I haven't run since the marathon due to an injury, and I'm still not supposed to be running. I was mentally done at mile 8 and leg was done at mile 10. But I kept up my 2:1 intervals the whole time! Proud of that but slow for me. About 14 mins off my last half (and PR).

 

[nervous1sttimer]

The 10K was awesome (although super humid and boring first 3 miles) and the 1/2 was okay. I had a B bib but started back in N with my mom and think that had a lot to do with the difference in experiences. We struggled with the congestion and although I didn't see any really egregious race etiquette, I was behind a group of girls getting their GSC medals actually laughing about how they had to shove people out of their way in places. I didn't say anything, but it was pretty disgusting.

I am happy with the experience, but also think I am one-and-done on the Princess. I'm proud to have finished it with my mom, will C2C at the Dumbo Double Dare, and then see if it's time for a runDisney break. Congrats to all the other finishers!

 

[ErinsAuntMimi]

I DID IT!! Finished my first EVER 5K!

January 2013 I began this crazy idea of doing a 5K. My first time to see how long it would take me was 71 or so minutes. I set 4 goals at that time. 1) to finish; 2) to finish under an hour; 3) to finish under 50; 4) to finish at or under my age at the time of the race (46.45) A few weeks ago I knew I had to throw out #4 due to shin splints. #1 & #2 were accomplished!!! And, had I been able to keep my time on my own a little better, I think I could have made #3!! In the end, my time was 54-55 minutes.... a personal best for me!!!

If you had asked me Friday morning if I would run a 10K, I would have said absolutely NOT. HOWEVER.... I think I want to try for the 10K next year!!

I had a blast!! I love that my DH supported me in this crazy idea... even running it with me with his "bad" & "worse" knees. I told him he didn't have to run the 10K with me... at least not until he gets new ones! LOL!

Until next year.....

 

[keahgirl8]

Finished!! And that was my goal. Had a good time along the way, although I did see some of the rudeness as well in M. On the other hand, I also saw some very kind and supportive people as well, so it all balanced out in the end. Miles 10 and 11 seemed tougher mentally for me, but once I saw mile 12, I was re-energized and ended up running much of the last mile. Crossing the finish line was very emotional - culmination of eight months of training and remembering my dad who really kinda started this journey. Looked up to the sky, said thank you, and shed more than a few tears. So very grateful for this experience. After showering and a little rest, we went back to Epcot and toured the rest of the afternoon and evening - just got back to ASMo. Surprised at how mobile I am after this morning's run. Flying out in the morning - hoping for sleep soon.

Pretty much. I worked so long and hard on something I never thought I would be able to do. It was emotional for me as well. I cried several times throughout the course!