2018 Princess Half Marathon

[joan4mickey]

Where to start...

I had decided a couple of years ago that the 10th Princess would be my last. I do not plan to run again. I do walk so I will continue to stay healthy.

I started this journey with my daughters over ten years ago when we finished our first Princess Half. And now they are grown and my 16 month old granddaughter was able to come and celebrate with me.

Disney pulled through after a bit of frustration on lodging. It was after 4pm on Saturday and we were still waiting for our room at the AKL-Kadani. I wasn't happy as I wanted to eat and settle in for a relaxed evening. Finally we got the text that our room was ready and we found they put us in a two bedroom...we booked a one bedroom and then they called to say they were giving us a $200 credit to use on food or what ever. Nice touch Disney!

The Race...
I woke at 3am..before my alarm went off. I went to bed with a slight headache and woke up with it. I took something for it and ate a fig bar. I had all my stuff layed out and got dressed and was out to the bus by 3:30. No line for the bus. All went smoothly and I found a place on the bleacher to listen to the music and eat my breakfast. At 4:30 we took the Perfect Princess photo and then I walked to the corral, stopping to use the port-potty. I chatted up several girl and they were all first timers!
We all know it was a bit hot and humid so I knew it would be a huge effort to run this. Starting at the mile 3 water stop, I took water at every stop after, always taking a big gulp and pouring the rest on my neck. I was trying to calculate my mile times but wasn't sure how much time passed between the A and B corral starts. I didn't want to check my watch as I didn't want to put pressure on myself. My daughter and husband we're waiting for me at the MK and they gave me big hugs and told me I was killing it (not what I wanted to hear) and I told that I was pretty beat. I was averaging 9:30 mm pace for the first five miles and my limited training was more at a 10mm pace. I stopped to use the bathroom at the MK and then I took a photo in front of the castle and stopped for a photo op with Goofy too. Then the long road back to Epcot. I stopped just before mile 10 at the Pirates photo op...no line! The cloud cover helped. And near the finish I saw my husband and daughter again. The last 8 miles I averaged a 10:30 mm pace. I was very happy with my effort. All the volunteers were wonderful and a big shout out to them. The cold towels at the end were great.

 

[Kimberly Davies]

I was specifically referencing the half marathon. You can select whatever finish time you’d like at registration, but unlike the 5K & 10K you need to provide proof that you can really finish that fast. I saw this same situation last year. I was told that people will have someone else run a POT at a different race to get them into a lower corral because they know they’d be swept if they were honest.



I knew there was no nice way to put it. I knew that people would think that I was being Judy McJudgypants. Corral A was for runners that had a half POT less than or equal to 1:50. That’s an 8 minute mile for 13.1 miles. Even a 10K POT would have to be under 50 minutes. That’s a very fast pace. I was in corral D and crossed the starting line at 5:43am. I passed two different morbidly obese women before I even hit .50 miles. Both were wearing corral A bibs. That’s the type of situation I’m referencing. I don’t like cheating of any kind, but it is what it is and will always happen. I don’t like the corral jumpers or the people who cut the course short either. It has nothing to do with how much a person weighs. I feel exactly the same way about anyone who submits a POT in their name that someone else actually ran. I just hope that karma comes around and bites them in butt.

I don’t want to be judgey either, normally it’s ok for me because I’m not to effected as most are behind me. HOWEVER. I will say I was a little irritated that there were some of those “better endowed” princesses in corral A at the 10km who forcefully pushed themselves to the very front of the corral. Like on the start line. And that’s a bit annoying for those of us who want to do their best to place top 10, or win age groups. I think there should be a level of understanding that those racing competitively get to start ahead as the beginning sprint for us is well... pretty fast.

 

[FFigawi]

I don’t want to be judgey either, normally it’s ok for me because I’m not to effected as most are behind me. HOWEVER. I will say I was a little irritated that there were some of those “better endowed” princesses in corral A at the 10km who forcefully pushed themselves to the very front of the corral. Like on the start line. And that’s a bit annoying for those of us who want to do their best to place top 10, or win age groups. I think there should be a level of understanding that those racing competitively get to start ahead as the beginning sprint for us is well... pretty fast.

I agree there is often a lack of race etiquette in many Disney races, but I'm pretty sure those women you spoke of didn't keep you from winning your age group. Slow you down for a second or two & frustrate you, sure, but not prevent you from making the podium.

 

[Keels]

I don’t want to be judgey either, normally it’s ok for me because I’m not to effected as most are behind me. HOWEVER. I will say I was a little irritated that there were some of those “better endowed” princesses in corral A at the 10km who forcefully pushed themselves to the very front of the corral. Like on the start line. And that’s a bit annoying for those of us who want to do their best to place top 10, or win age groups. I think there should be a level of understanding that those racing competitively get to start ahead as the beginning sprint for us is well... pretty fast.

Sorry, but you weren't close to a Top 10 in your age group, and it had nothing to do with who you had to pass.

There's a gal that usually finishes Top 3 overall in every RD race she does. For Princess Half, she decided to start DEAD LAST ... like, with the Balloon Ladies (her bib number was like 6, BTW - so she's an elite). And you know where she ultimately finished? 13th in her division and 49th woman and 81st overall.

Run your race and worry about you. It doesn't matter where you start or who is around you.

ETA: The person who finished 18th in your age group started 24 minutes after you and still net a better time.

 

[Kimberly Davies]

I agree there is often a lack of race etiquette in many Disney races, but I'm pretty sure those women you spoke of didn't keep you from winning your age group. Slow you down for a second or two & frustrate you, sure, but not prevent you from making the podium.

It’s not a comment of them stopping others from making the podium, it’s a comment on general race courtesy. I would always let the more elite runner have the space. But that’s just me.

 

[Kimberly Davies]

Sorry, but you weren't close to a Top 10 in your age group, and it had nothing to do with who you had to pass.

There's a gal that usually finishes Top 3 overall in every RD race she does. For Princess Half, she decided to start DEAD LAST ... like, with the Balloon Ladies (her bib number was like 6, BTW - so she's an elite). And you know where she ultimately finished? 13th in her division and 49th woman and 81st overall.

Run your race and worry about you. It doesn't matter where you start or who is around you.

I came 23, doesn’t mean I wasn’t trying or close to top 10. And it doesn’t change that I felt it was annoying... as I said I always respect the faster and higher ranked runner to go ahead of me. Always. meanwhile other people in this group are calling others obese

 

[Keels]

It’s not a comment of them stopping others from making the podium, it’s a comment on general race courtesy. I would always let the more elite runner have the space. But that’s just me.

I came 23, doesn’t mean I wasn’t trying or close to top 10. And it doesn’t change that I felt it was annoying... as I said I always respect the faster and higher ranked runner to go ahead of me. Always. meanwhile other people in this group are calling others obese

1. You called them "better endowed", so that's just as bad.
2. Your clock and net is EXACTLY the same. So you started on the front line. The rest of your age group (and the 10K), finished 15+ minutes before you, so you didn't let the elite runners go ahead of you.

 

[Keels]

@Kimberly Davies - you're new here. You might want to take a beat and actually read some of the boards before you start calling out participants and making assumptions based on your experience. We're a pretty tight-knit group, and your comments aren't going to really get you any sympathy.

 

[Kimberly Davies]

1. You called them "well endowed", so that's just as bad.
2. Your clock and net is EXACTLY the same. So you started on the front line. The rest of your age group (and the 10K), finished 15+ minutes before you, so you didn't let the elite runners go ahead of you.

Sorry keels my opinion is my opinion and that’s what it will be. and I am agreeing with others who have posted here today. I am allowed to share my opinion the same as others. You are more then welcome to disagree, and that’s totally fine.

 

[Keels]

Sorry keels my opinion is my opinion and that’s what it will be. and I am agreeing with others who have posted here today. I am allowed to share my opinion the same as others. You are more then welcome to disagree, and that’s totally fine.

Cool. So you get to start ahead of everybody because there's a chance you could place, and when you don't - it's "the fat people" - your words - that followed the system that RunDisney puts in place EXACTLY the way it was intended that were what kept you from doing your best. Got it.

The 18th overall finisher started 20 minutes behind you and obviously had no problem. I guess she got a different course to run. Or maybe a special lane?

Again - run your race and don't worry about others. Or don't run Disney races. Those are your two options because your complaints will never change how the 10Ks at Disney are corralled.

And people wonder why Princess Weekend gets SUCH a bad reputation ...

 

[Kimberly Davies]

Cool. So you get to start ahead of everybody because there's a chance you could place, and when you don't - it's "the fat people" - your words - that followed the system that RunDisney puts in place EXACTLY the way it was intended that were what kept you from doing your best. Got it.

The 18th overall finisher started 20 minutes behind you and obviously had no problem. I guess she got a different course to run. Or maybe a special lane?

Again - run your race and don't worry about others. Or don't run Disney races. Those are your two options because your complaints will never change how the 10Ks at Disney are corralled.

And people wonder why Princess Weekend gets SUCH a bad reputation ...

I think your probably taking this to far out of the way. I did not blame the fat people for not placing, I said that some did not have course courtesy. Others are calling out “morbidly obese” people with A bibs for cheating. Maybe they were the same ones. As for the girl who came 18th. Good for her. She must have ran well!

As for me, I’m not trying to change how run Disney is corraled with one comment on the disboard threads. AHAH because that’s a jump

 

[KingLlama]

*emailing runDisney tomorrow to keep see if I can get “Better Endowed” printed on my Dark Side bib*

 

[Kimberly Davies]

*emailing runDisney tomorrow to keep see if I can get “Better Endowed” printed on my Dark Side bib*

Ahaha sorry, people were saying morbidly obese in the other posts. I thought better endowed was cute, I apologize if anyone found that offensive it was never meant to be!

I mean. You could be opposite and wish you were more endowed

 

[Kimberly Davies]

Ps. I’d like to note that my original comment said that there were some who were forcefully pushing to the front, and that it was a bit annoying.

I never said they prevented anyone from winning anything, I never said that I was trying to change rundisney corral rules. I never said they prevented my placement. My words were never “the fat people stopped me from winning”. I mearly said it was a bit annoying/iritating. Which I think is fine.

 

[Novatrix]

Okay, I'm hereby adding to my Cons list for this race "If you frequent the letsrun forums and are crazy obsessed with finish times, this may not be the race you're searching for".

Look, I watched an awful lot of the runners and walkers around me of all shapes and sizes completing the race under their own steam without cheating. That is a heck of a lot more admirable, in my opinion, than the people who shaved 2 minutes off their 2 hour half marathon PR, or whatever time goal they were aiming for. It's unkind, uncharitable and inaccurate to think that just because they're larger they didn't reach where they were under their own steam.

To address Kimberly's original point, I too found it annoying that people were shoving to the front, but that was mostly because I don't like being crowded and didn't think it was fair that they were shoving in while others had been waiting in the corrals for longer. In the end though, the only thing that impacted my time was me.

 

[Figment1990]

My concern is not necessarily that they cheated, but that what I assumed was possible didn’t happen. It was SO encouraging to see half marathon and challenge medals worn by people with non-runner physiques. It made me stop doubting about trying to do a half.

I am 52, and although I’ve lost 30 pounds, I’m still rounder than I’d like. This was my second 10k and my fourth 5k. We did the parks as well; my Fitbit registered 54 miles in seven days. This 10k was WORLDS easier than my first 10k (the starwars dark side in April).

Edited to add: we started from the front of corral f in both 10ks. In April, the balloon ladies were right behind us for the last mile. We finished in front of them, but only just. This 10k, we NEVER saw the balloon ladies! I looked across the water at the end of the boardwalk and I saw LOTS of people; we had run past a lot of people we started with.

Please don't give up on doing the half marathon if you decide you want to go for it! Especially not because of comments made on the internet. If you approach it properly and prepare I believe you can do it!

I'm not saying there were or were not cheaters (I have no clue. I wasn't even there because I was injured). But I will say that many people who don't have a "runners physique" can and have finished a half marathon (myself included). If you are a slower runner, you may end up having to skip picture stops. If you are a slower runner - I advise finding a "fast" 10k to try to get as much buffer from the last corral as possible. But if you believe you can do it you CAN!

(Says the girl who literally couldn't walk due to severe injury 2 years before completing her first half. The same girl who had undiagnosed childhood asthma and never completed the mile in gym class. The girl who is most definitely in the overweight BMI category but trained enough - and did poor mental math during a race - to nearly break an hour in a 10k to qualify for good Disney corrals).

 

[Novatrix]

RD uses a calculator to convert 10K to half times. Every calculator I’ve ever used adds time for fatigue. I think I read here at one time that they used McMillan? I’ve used a 10K and a half race for POT and was correctly placed both times.

Those calculators are only accurate if someone is properly trained, which due to life doesn't always happen. For example, I've run sub 50 minute 10ks on training runs, my half PR is 2:12, and my only marathon is 6:15. All of these races were in the past 4 months. I bet people seeing me hobbling the later half of the marathon thought that I cheated since I was in corral D, but I submitted a valid POT to be there. Just saying that people could've used results from a shorter race anytime in the past two years, and fitness can increase or decrease quite a bit in that length of time.

 

[Miss Whimsy]

It's not an option. It's called cheating. It'd be like me having one of my friends run for me in a local marathon to get me a qualifying time for Boston. People do this for Boston because they're not fast enough to qualify on their own, and want to brag about running Boston while hoping their friends don't ask too many questions. People do this for Disney because they're not fast enough to start in their proper corral and cross the finish line before getting swept.

haha I must have sounded dense, yes obviously it's cheating, it just never occurred to me as something one could do. Or would want to do--I worked so hard to be able to run MY time, you know?

 

[Keels]

If you register for the 10K outright, you don’t have to provide a PoT - it’s just estimated finish time.

This has been in place for years and years, and it’s been abused since inception.

 

[Miss Whimsy]

My concern is not necessarily that they cheated, but that what I assumed was possible didn’t happen. It was SO encouraging to see half marathon and challenge medals worn by people with non-runner physiques. It made me stop doubting about trying to do a half.

As someone with a definite non-runner physique, you can do it! And what you described as your 10K is how my Half went... this was my second and I did so noticeably better than the first time.