9/1/13: The Disneyland Half Marathon

The Disneyland Half Marathon is one of my favorite races that I look forward to every year! The race started at 5:30 am which meant a 4:00 am wake up time. I get up at this time to go to work so it did not bother me at all. I actually like the fact that the race starts super early because the weather is much better at 5:30 am than it is at 7:30 am! We left the hotel at 4:40 am and started our walk to the corrals. The situation was much like I am used to seeing it and the runners were able to head straight to their corrals since there were no other events before the half marathon. I can usually get pretty close to the front of the corral but I was not able to and ended up somewhere in the middle. I think that all of the Dumbo Double Dare participants headed over to the corrals much earlier after seeing the crowds at the 10K the previous day. 

I regretted not getting closer to the front of the corral because I weaved through the crowds for the first five miles. The course was very crowded and I was unable to find a spot to settle into my comfortable pace and I got really frustrated. Runners were bumping into me, running in front of me or just getting too close. I don't mean to sound arrogant but I like my space and I want to be free to move around a little bit. My pace was 9:30 for the first .55 miles and I was only able to squeeze an 8:37 out of the first mile due to the crowds.

Mile 1 :8:37

Mile 2: 8:20

Mile 3: 8:08

Mile 4: 8:17

Mile 5: 8:22 (GU) 

I saw that other runners were jumping up onto the sidewalk to break through the crowds but I didn't need to do that since I was not shooting for a PR. I didn't set a goal for this race but knew I wanted to close it out with a fast finish. I felt like I could run a decent race since I ran my 1oK pretty easy but I pretty much let my body dictate this race. I didn't push myself but just ran by how I felt. My splits were all over the place so I am not sure what that says about how I was feeling.

There was some pretty interesting signage out on the course this year. These were two of my favorites!

I was finally able to get some space from Mile 6 on but by then I was pretty annoyed. I stopped looking at my Garmin and felt like giving up. I had to have a talk with myself and reminded myself that I wasn't attempting to PR the race so it was not that big of a deal. I kept the pace comfortable and never felt fatigued. I walked through some of the water stops and made it a point to stay hydrated. I decided to carry my handheld with me due to the heat and the fact that the water bottles in my hydrating belt end up with warm water when the temps are high. The temperature felt much better than it was the day before but it was still very humid. It was 79 degrees at the Start and the sun did not break through until about Mile 11.5.

Mile 6: 8:03

Mile 7: 8:23

Mile 8: 8:23

Mile 9: 8:02

Mile 10: 8:36 (GU) I need to get better at running and taking GU while running, Can you tell?

I wanted to finish the race strong no matter what. The final miles have always been a struggle for me especially during the marathon so this is one of the areas that I really focused on. I need to able to find my strong in the end of a race since this could make or break a big race. I felt like I did well and was happy with my last 3 miles. No PR for this race but probably one of my strongest finishes on this course. It is pretty amazing how you can finish a race strong when you start conservatively and then save it for the end.

Mile 11: 8:01

Mile 12: 7:48

Mile 13: 7:45

.27 (6:53)

OFFICIAL TIME: 1:48:43

The Dumbo Double Dare was awesome and I glad that I was able to be a part of this inaugural event but I think that I will just go back to running the half marathon next year. I usually PR this course every year and I am looking forward to another Disney PR on the half marathon course next year. Disney races are a lot of fun with tons of course support so if you have never ran a Run Disney event, you have to try at least one and dress up for it. They are pricey but you will definitely enjoy it! 

Did you run the Dumbo Double Dare or any of the Disneyland race this year? Tell me what you thought of the events this year.

8/31: The Inaugural Disneyland 10K

Run Disney events are pretty popular and draw lots of people so I always stay at a hotel even though I am about 45 minutes from the theme parks. We arrived at our hotel on Friday evening which happens to be walking distance to the Start. It is very reasonably priced, has all of the amenities that we need such as breakfast, a refrigerator and microwave and saves you the headache of having to find parking on race day. The Mickey and Friends Parking Structure gets pretty crowded on race day so I find this to be a much better solution to parking. The walk to the start is about 10-15 minutes so I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to the race which is always nice.

What I love most about Disney races are the costumes that runners wear. Some of the costumes are so creative and people do some serious planning for their costumes. I saw one lady who was dressed in a full on Dumbo costume from head to toe. I am not sure how she ran in that costume because it was hot out there! I dressed up for the 10K but not so much for the half. 

The Disneyland 10K: This race started at 6:15 am on Saturday morning.The 5K started at 5:30 am so the corrals did not open until 6:00 am. The crowds were pretty large and it was a mad rush to the corrals once they were given the go that the 5K participants had cleared the corrals. 

The race start on time and the pre-race show was pretty entertaining as it usually is. The theme of the 10K was "Wonderland" so the Mad Hatter made an appearance and interacted with the race announcers.

I was able to make it pretty close to the front of the corral. I don't like to do the weave in and out of the crowds thing. 

My goal was to run the 10K at a 8:00-8:15 pace but the weather at the Start was 81 degrees and super humid so I immediately dropped the idea of any goal time and enjoyed the course instead. I also knew that I needed to take the 10K easy so that I would be able to run the half marathon the next day without dying. I rarely if ever, run consecutive days so I was already a little nervous about how my body would handle it. My normal routine is alternating between running and cross-training.

I have never taken the time to enjoy a Disney course so this was the perfect opportunity. I stopped and took so many character photos and had a blast! The course was fun and I really liked that 90% of the course was inside of the theme parks. 

We ran through both California Adventure and Disneyland. The half marathon spends much less time in the theme parks so this run was a lot of fun.

My favorite part of the race is running through Cars Land! I love that place because that is where my favorite ride ever, Radiator Springs Racers is located. Can you tell I that I love Cars Land?

OFFICIAL TIME: 52:33. My splits were all over the place (7:36, 8:04, 8:08, 9:20, 8:20, 8:45, and .33 at 7:05) because I was stopping to take pictures. 

Some characters had longer lines than others so I had to wait at times. This race was not a PR but it was definitely the most fun I have ever had! 

Do you like to run fun races like RunDisney events?

One Week to Go and My Dumbo Dare Plans

This whole Dumbo Double Dare 19.3 miles in two days thing came all too quickly! The last time I thought about it, it was like 6 months away and now it is less than a week away. The Disneyland Half Marathon is one of my favorite races and I have PR'd it the last three years that I have raced it. It is a flat and fun course and the weather is great every year. This year my race plans are going to be a little different because I have a 10K to run the day before the half. I rarely run consecutive days since I alternate between running and cross-training. I am thinking that this will be somewhat challenging for me.

Today I started looking through my closet looking for two outfits to wear. I found two outfits in the closet that fit the Disney theme perfectly that I have never worn. One of my outfits is fun and the other is not so much but the colors are appropriate. So what are my race plans? Well, the weather is going to be in the mid 60's which is not bad but not great either. 

The 1oK starts at 6:15 am so if I finish within a hour of the start time, I am thinking that I will be okay. My goal is to run in the 8-8:15 range for the 10K. The half marathon starts at 5:30 am which I really like but I don't have a goal pace or time! Disney races are so expensive and I never take the time to stop and enjoy the course or what Disney has to offer. I never stop to take pictures with the characters either so I just might do that this time. I am a little worried about the warm weather so I will make sure that I don't have too much fun out there! Bottom line is that I plan to have fun out there and not put too much pressure on myself.

Anybody else running the Dumbo Double Dare or one of the Disney races next weekend?

My Weekly Update-8/5/13-8/11/13

The Disney Dumbo Double Dare is right around the corner. I don't even have a plan or a goal. I really need to start thinking about it. I can tell you that I will take one of the two races easy since I don't want to get injured pushing myself too hard. I always get nervous about that.

This week was decent. I feel like I am back on track and my long run was great. I wish they all went this well! Long runs never get easy but I feel that my endurance is improving and I don't finish feeling completely exhausted in the end. For me it is all mental. If I talk myself through it then it seems to go much better. 

My other half is still committed to his half marathon and is doing really well. I let him lead when we run together so that he does not feel pressured to run at any pace other than his own. I follow his pace and it helps me to start out easy and actually warm up. He improves on every single run! I am so proud of him. 

Monday: Cross Training Day: 45 minutes on the bike trainer (11 Miles). I am not too concerned about the miles when I ride my bike but I focus more on cadence.

Tuesday: REST DAY. I had dinner at my friend's house and it was good. Yes, I did finish all of my food. It was YUM! Those are chicken enchiladas buried underneath all of the that salsa verde, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and avocados.

Wednesday: 7 Miles@8:54 pace on the treadmill. My first run of the week always seems to be the hardest. I laid down on my bed for a little nap and it was so hard to get up and head to the gym but I knew I had to.

Thursday: REST DAY

Friday: 20 Miles@8:47 pace. I ran the first 3.25 with my other half @9:42 pace and then we parted ways. I felt bad leaving him but my long run needed to be a fast finish long run today. After we parted ways, my first mile was @ 9:22 pace and my final mile was @ 7:42 pace. He ended up running 6.4 Miles@ 9:29 pace. 

I was bored with my normal route so I took a totally different route and I really liked it. It was kind of challenging for me but the time flew by and the weather was great. I felt really good and just ran without being a slave to my Garmin. I seem to run much better that way. I also like to change my routes every once in a while for safety reasons.

Saturday:  Cross Training Day: 45 minutes on the bike trainer (11.5 Miles)

Sunday: 8 Miles: 5 Miles with the family@9:39 (my son rode his bike) and the last 3 miles alone @8:23, 7:41 and 6:58.) I seem to have an amazing amount of energy when I start at a slower pace and then pick it up.

TOTAL MILES: 35 Running and 22.5 Cycling and lots of icing, foam rolling and using my Stick!

How was your week?

How often do you change your running routes? 

If you don't, please do for safety reasons.

Double Dare Me and 28 Miles to Go!

I am a huge fan of Disney races! I have ran the Disneyland Half Marathon for the past three years and it has become my annual PR race so naturally I love it! I also love Disney medals since they are so fancy and beautiful! Today I saw a post on Facebook from Run Disney which mentioned a new challenge for 2013 known as the the Dumbo Double Dare. In 2013 they are adding a 10K, known as the Disneyland 10K, as well as a new challenge to run 19.3 miles in two days. Participants who take on the challenge would run the Disneyland 10K on Saturday followed by the Disneyland Half Marathon on Sunday and will be awarded the all-new Dumbo Double Dare medal in addition to the Half Marathon and 10K finisher medals. This is very tempting to me but I am not sure if I will sign up for it since the cost is $280.00! Disney races come with a hefty price but I have until January 22nd to think about it which is when registration opens.

In other news, I am 28 miles away from reaching my goal of 1000 miles for 2012! I have two more runs scheduled for 2012 and one of them is a 20 miler! I haven't ran 2o miles in quite some time so I am nervous and excited all at the same time. The weather has been perfect so I am looking forward to tackling 20 miles in cool and crisp temperatures!

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day! We are finally heading to Disneyland!