Mike’s Marathon Dump: Part II

This is the second and final submission of information on the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon and is dedicated to those of you who are participating in this race for the first time. In this entry you will find information on the course, post-race guidelines, spectator information, and encouragement from yours truly. I hope this helps everyone.

The Course

The number of runners in this race will make most of the course somewhat crowded but the most crowded portion will be mile one.You will not find yourself running at the outset nor will you find yourself running as fast as you would like to when you CAN run.

It is important for the first mile at least to keep your eyes focused on where you are stepping. It is so crowded that it is possible to step on someone’s foot or bump into someone. Eventually the crowd will thin out enough for you to feel comfortable but the first mile will not be your favorite mile on the course.

Oh and I would not suggest running on the grass. The surface is uneven and you could turn an ankle. Remember that the race begins in the pre-dawn hours and it is DARK. Stay on the pavement.

You have to maintain a 16-minute mile pace which means finishing the half-marathon in 3.5 hours or less. Now there is always a question as to when this official pace clock begins. In the past the official pace clock for each wave began when the last person in that wave crossed the Start.

So let’s think about this. The majority of us will be running in the third wave or Wave C which is supposed to get off at 6:25. My guess is that if this pace clock practice continues for this year and, let’s say, it takes about 10 minutes for that last person to cross the Start then that adds some “buffer” to the pace requirements. It adds 10 minutes overall or about 40 seconds per mile. Every bit counts.

That should ease your angst a bit. Again, that assumes the pace clock starts when the last person in the corral crosses the Start.

The course is fairly flat although there are some not so flat portions.

One area is the overpass near the Contemporary Hotel. Coming from under that overpass you will find a pretty steep incline. Be ready for that.

Just after mile 10 there is a ramp that most runners despise. You may need to take that ramp slowly because there’s a whopper coming up.

The whopper is close to the end of mile 11 and it’s a huge overpass you must take to get back into EPCOT. This is best described as “Heartbreak Hill”. Last year I did fine until I got to this mountain as it was the only portion of the course that forced me to walk. It was only for about a half-mile but it would have been nice to have run the entire course.

There is one other slight incline that sort of sneaks up on you. As you enter EPCOT and run past Spaceship Earth on the way to World Showcase Plaza you will sense a slight incline. This incline is really noticeable after logging some 12 plus miles.

“The Turn” as it is affectionately called at the World Showcase Plaza brings with it a sigh that you are well under a mile to go before the Finish Line.

As you go past Spaceship Earth you will be directed to run a bit “backstage” and for those who make it this far there is a treat waiting back there for you. In past years this treat has been a huge choir of gospel singers singing Americana favorites. Last year runners were treated to a choir singing “High School Musical” songs.

When you hit the home stretch a wonderful thing happens”¦fatigue leaves you, pain leaves you, and you get a shot of adrenalin.

Now as you approach the Finish Line you may hear, “Finish strong!” which to some people serves as a trigger to sprint to the Finish. I’ll leave that up to you.

I used to do that until the 2006 Race for the Cure when I pulled a hamstring 30 yards from the finish.

After 13 miles I’d be careful”¦but it’s up to you.

Upon finishing you will be directed to a number of volunteers who will cut your timing chip off your shoe.

You will also be offered Mylar to wrap yourself in. Mylar is like thin aluminum like foil that traps heat and is preferred by some runners at the end of a long race.

The race officials will also “encourage” you to move out of the general Finish Line area and into the area where there is fruit, water, PowerAde, and other goodies awaiting you.

You will be given your medal and then directed to an area where your picture will be taken.

Post-Race Guidelines

You would think that would be it as far as a guideline to this day but there is another important point I’d like to make and that is that you should continue to move around and not sit still. My suggestion is to walk around for at least 15 to 30 minutes after the race BEFORE you get into a bus or a car to go back to your room.

You want your body to slowly cool down and you want to avoid stiffness.

Let’s add to that. Go back to your room, take a hot shower, get dressed, and then get back out there and enjoy the rest of the day.

Do not take a nap”¦.unless you want to wake up incredibly stiff.

You need to get back out there and enjoy the rest of the day and lessen the stiffness and soreness in your body by moving around, keeping the muscles moving, and especially encouraging your circulatory system to bring nourishment to your joints.

Don’t forget to eat. You will have burned quite a few calories over the course of 13 miles and this is the time when you will NOT feel guilty about eating.

Spectator Information

The Half or Full Marathon is not just a challenge for those participating in the races but also for those there to support or to cheer for their family members or friends.

Let’s look at what you can do to cheer your favorite runner/walker.

Forget about the Start. You will not be able to get to that area.

However, do try the following:

“¢ The Ticket and Transportation Center. All the runners need to go under that overpass the TTC trams take all of us from the TTC parking lot to the Monorail or Ferry Boat to MK. This is a great place to stake out a spot to cheer runners. I would get there no later than 6:30 A.M. and look for a spot where you can see the runners BEFORE they are on top of you.

“¢ Main Street USA. This is most difficult and you may have to decide between the TTC or Main Street USA areas for your first sight of runners. A good place to plant your self is near the walkway to Liberty Square. Runners will go through the castle and come down the left side ramp and over to Frontierland. You can see them as they come down the ramp.

“¢ Floridian Way. This is the boring part of the course for the runners and usually has the fewest spectators. If you cheer on runners at the TTC you will have time to scoot over to the Grand Floridian and cheer them on Floridian Way. You cannot do TTC, Main Street USA, and Floridian Way”¦but two out of three is possible.

“¢ Finally, the other good place to cheer on runners is where they enter EPCOT. The runners will enter EPCOT near Living Seas. Actually the runners will come down the ramp and enter near the bus terminal. That is a great spot to see your favorite runner. From there you can head over to the Finish area which is the Imagine Parking Lot at EPCOT.

“¢ It would not hurt to have a sign or something that your favorite runner can spot so he or she can see you. Make sure you show them the sign before the day of the race so they know what to look for and where to look for it.

“¢ One note”¦for the Full Marathon add the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios theme parks to your viewing spots.

It is Time!

So are you ready?

It’s important for all of you who are this race for the very first time to understand that before the race even begins that you are all winners.

The training and the commitment to attempting a 13 mile race, with pacing requirements no less, can be daunting and I commend those of you who have taken on this challenge.

Everyone who makes it to the Start on Saturday morning is a champion in my book.

I have had many friends who have tackled this race. Some did not finish the first year but were still proud of the fact that they gave it a shot and kept trying each year until they did finish the race.

In some cases individuals need two years before being able to complete the WDW Half Marathon because the first year is best seen as the test year. Experience is a very important teacher.

It is so important for everyone to understand that the journey you have all taken just to get you to the Start is an accomplishment in itself.

For many of you this is you challenging yourself. It’s a test”¦.but not a pass/fail test.

It’s a test to see how far you’ve come in giving yourself a healthier life. This race is a barometer or a measuring stick to see just how far you’ve come and perhaps how much further you can go.
Not everyone who attempts their first half-marathon will finish. Not everyone who begins this race will have a medal around their neck at the end of the day.

But so what?

Everyone who makes it to the Start should proudly imagine their virtual medal of courage and personal achievement that they earned all year just to get to Saturday.

I offer my congratulations to all who will be at the Start.

Mike’s Training Diary

This will be a most interesting half-marathon for yours truly.

Due to some “stuff” going on in my left knee and a very stubborn cold I caught at Mousefest my training has been reduced to just about nothing over the last month or two.

The 47 inches of snow we’ve received these past four weeks also has sort of impacted the training. The streets are snow covered and slippery.

I’m never one to back down from a challenge so I do still plan to “negotiate” those 13 miles on Saturday. I expect that I will adopt a run/walk mode instead of my normal run only mode.

Am I anxious? Sure. Am I worried? Not really.

I’m guessing some of you, like me, are asked, “Why the heck are you doing this?”

“Very simple!” I reply, “You live only once.”

Good luck everyone.

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