2010 Princess Half Marathon and Flower & Garden Fest Trip!

[Where'sPiglet?]

After we approached the Magic Kingdom Resort Bus Stop, we saw Deb Wills from All Ears!

She looked kind of familiar to me, but it was Morgan who told me who she was!

We went just past the MK bus stop before turning and entering the Magic Kingdom through a back entrance. When you enter the MK as a guest, you go in through the turnstiles and under the train tracks through the left or right tunnel. If you go in through the right, there is the building that houses Tonys Restaurant and the cinema that plays old Disney cartoons such as Steamboat Willie. There is a side street between that building and the one that sells the hats. We entered the Magic Kingdom through that side street.

You can see the Fire Station in the background of this photo of us entering the MK:

The weather was really shaping up to be wonderful. Look at the flag is so still and the sky is a stunning blue! We saw City Hall and the Fire Station before turning up Main Street!

We also saw the Emporium. In the MK, there were a lot of people standing around cheering for us. These people were clapping as we went past. I wonder if they were standing there clapping for hours as everyone went past.

This picture is a little blurry, but it shows how they set up one of their parade ropes and there were a lot of people watching and cheering! Also, the CASTLE has come into view!!

This picture is similar to the last, but this one was taken with my iPhone. I kept my iPhone in my pocket during the race. First, I needed it so I would make sure to find Morgan and I found each other in the crowds before the race. Secondly, I needed to update my Facebook page during the event!

For those of you that are friends with me on Facebook, youve seen this photo before, on the morning of March 7th.

You can see some scaffolding on Main Street. They were doing something to some of the buildings, but they have very creative scaffolding. It IS Disney after all. I was a smidgen disappointed that my view was tarnished, but really, I wasnt there to take pictures. I was in a half marathon!

I have a ton of photos of the Castle. Somewhere around here, I even have one (or more) of the Castle decorated like a giant birthday cake. But THIS one was taken while doing a half marathon! Which explains its blurriness&

We made another turn and entered Tomorrowland. Ive always loved this land in the morning. My family usually goes right when we enter the MK, so we can hit Space Mountain first. Maybe that is why it feels extra special to me early in the morning. This picture actually resembles a typical morning at Rope Drop.

Now, I do NOT have a picture of what we did next. 13.1 miles is a long way. You need to drink a lot. Morgan, having done this before, knew the route and knew that there is INDOOR PLUMBING in the Magic Kingdom. We ran into Cosmic Rays to use the bathroom&.and we werent the only ones to do this. We also saw people running off to use other REAL bathrooms in the MK.

After that little detour, we got back on track, which took us around the Teacups and into Fantasyland.

Through Fantasyland, we went along the building that houses Pooh and Snow White on our left, and Dumbo and the Carrousel on our right. It was not long before we saw the back of the Castle!

Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen were standing near the Castle. I loved that movie! I mean, whats not to love? The princess makes beignets!

More royalty&

Herald trumpets&

We went through the Castle and came out to a nice view of Main Street:

We took the little bridge to Liberty Square&

While we were in Liberty Square, we found Mile Marker 6!

We were ALMOST to the halfway point of the race!!

Up next&a little more Magic Kingdom and a lot more&grass.

 

[A&Bmama]

OMG I can't imagine running that far! I just joined a gym and realize that although I am not in bad shape, I am not in great shape either.

How long have you been running? How did you train for this?

Can't wait to hear more and see the finish line!

 

[Shannon84]

So excited to see this update today

Were there people walking this half marathon at all? The castle looks like a great motivator, i mean how magical to be running in MK and all!!!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

OMG I can't imagine running that far! I just joined a gym and realize that although I am not in bad shape, I am not in great shape either.

How long have you been running? How did you train for this?

Can't wait to hear more and see the finish line!

Hi! Good to "see" you again! I see you updated your TR; I'm off to take a look!

I signed up to do this in late October 2009, and the race was in early March 2010, so I had about 5 months to train. I started out just walking, and I was doing about a 16:30 min/mile pace for 2 miles. By two weeks before the race, I maintained a 14:00 min/mile pace for 10 miles. I did NOT do that pace in the Princess, but there were a lot of things to distract me.

I alternated walking and jogging. Like you, I found out I was not in great shape; I could only jog for a little bit before needing to go back to walking. Over time, I could maintain a jog for longer and longer. I'm still not great with the jogging, but my stamina is far improved from last October!

I used the Jeff Galloway training program, but I did not follow it as well as I had hoped.

DisneyTiger has mentioned the "Couch to 5K" program, which is a program that builds you up from nothing to jogging a 5K (3.1 miles) in a 9 week time frame. I have heard many good things about it, and have thought about trying it, but haven't done it yet.

I am HOPING to get more posted today, but it seems to be jinxed. Something crazy always seems to happen when I sit down to work on an installment!

So excited to see this update today

Were there people walking this half marathon at all? The castle looks like a great motivator, i mean how magical to be running in MK and all!!!

I'm glad!

A LOT of people walked! We alternated walking and jogging; we walked more than we jogged. Our goal was to have a good time and to FINISH, and we accomplished both goals! And yes, it was very magical to be running through the Magic Kingdom!

 

[A&Bmama]

Hi! Good to "see" you again! I see you updated your TR; I'm off to take a look!

I signed up to do this in late October 2009, and the race was in early March 2010, so I had about 5 months to train. I started out just walking, and I was doing about a 16:30 min/mile pace for 2 miles. By two weeks before the race, I maintained a 14:00 min/mile pace for 10 miles. I did NOT do that pace in the Princess, but there were a lot of things to distract me.

I alternated walking and jogging. Like you, I found out I was not in great shape; I could only jog for a little bit before needing to go back to walking. Over time, I could maintain a jog for longer and longer. I'm still not great with the jogging, but my stamina is far improved from last October!

I used the Jeff Galloway training program, but I did not follow it as well as I had hoped.

DisneyTiger has mentioned the "Couch to 5K" program, which is a program that builds you up from nothing to jogging a 5K (3.1 miles) in a 9 week time frame. I have heard many good things about it, and have thought about trying it, but haven't done it yet.

I am HOPING to get more posted today, but it seems to be jinxed. Something crazy always seems to happen when I sit down to work on an installment!

I don't know if my body can take the impact of running but I am tempted to try and find out now. I walk 1 mile to and from work everyday. I also walk home for lunch frequently so I have a little bit of cardio stamina built up, but I haven't run more than 100 yards in...decades. There is nothing like a meaningful goal with a deadline to get you moving though. My goals when I joined the gym were just to keep my weight in check and to build upper body strength. Good goals but there is no deadline, no "finsh line" to motivate me to keep moving forward.

I'm going to try jogging for a minute or two on my way to work tomorrow and see how it feels...

I'll let you know how I make out. (that should keep me honest )

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

ARGH! I swear this trip report has been jinxed!

I have been trying to upload the next set of photos all day, but something is wrong with my computer. It got a virus the other night and I HAVE the photos still on my computer and the external, but I can't get them from there to the internet to put them here!

I think I'm going to need to back up all my files and then gut my computer back to factory settings.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Well, I have not yet beat my computer to pieces. However, I was able to get up the next set of pictures so here comes the next update!

I don't know if my body can take the impact of running but I am tempted to try and find out now. I walk 1 mile to and from work everyday. I also walk home for lunch frequently so I have a little bit of cardio stamina built up, but I haven't run more than 100 yards in...decades. There is nothing like a meaningful goal with a deadline to get you moving though. My goals when I joined the gym were just to keep my weight in check and to build upper body strength. Good goals but there is no deadline, no "finsh line" to motivate me to keep moving forward.

I'm going to try jogging for a minute or two on my way to work tomorrow and see how it feels...

I'll let you know how I make out. (that should keep me honest )

I wish you luck with this! Did you try jogging? How'd it go?

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

We passed Mile Marker 6 in Liberty Square. We continued along the path that runs along the Rivers of America, and we saw this:

Splash Mountain is one of my favorite rides. It is quintessential Disney. It has it all: strong theming, music, a story line, an element of surprise, an element of thrill, and its all-around well done. I do have to say that it is quite tantalizing to be among your favorite rides and not be able to go on them! We had a finish line to find!

While going back through my pictures, I felt the need to go to Google Maps to see exactly where we were in the Magic Kingdom.

We left the Magic Kingdom through the same exit to backstage that the Spectromagic Parade uses in Frontierland. We crossed the train tracks and they had the train sitting there for us. I love trains.

We curved around a bit in the backstage area, where we saw some parade floats. I love a good parade.

After going through backstage, we took what Google Maps has labeled as Caribbean Way to Floridian Way. The building you see on Google Maps on Dump Road is nice. I am not sure what it is, but it looks nice!

The stretch along Floridian Way between the Magic Kingdom and the Grand Floridian is a little dull, especially coming from all that excitement! Disney tried to make it a little more interesting by having a few small signs with quotes and things on them. The small signs were not what I was interested in, however. I was keeping my eyes peeled for THIS:

And this sign is so charming. Its black, its gold, AND it has a fleur de lis.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

Hi, I am enjoying your trip report. I think I am going to run the F&W mini-marathon in Ocober 2011.

Just curious, did they enforce the 16 mile per minute pace?

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Hi, I am enjoying your trip report. I think I am going to run the F&W mini-marathon in Ocober 2011.

Just curious, did they enforce the 16 mile per minute pace?

Thanks! And

I've heard about that race, it sounds fun!

I heard they did enforce it. I can't remember all the exact details, but I heard that the way they do it is to place a flag in a cone at the mile marker if you are behind pace. If you see a flag, you may be picked up at any time. I don't think it's like the bus just crawls right behind you.

I think I heard that there were about 1,000 people behind us at the time we finished. I am not sure they all made it across the finish line.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

ha ha! I said 16 mile per minute pace. That would be something, huh? I'm glad you figured out what I meant.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

ha ha! I said 16 mile per minute pace. That would be something, huh? I'm glad you figured out what I meant.

Ha! I didn't even notice! I teach English as a Second Language, so most close approximations I can decipher!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

With 7 miles down, we were now more than halfway!!

We were still going down Floridian Way. After a stretch with almost nothing, we were re-entering a civilized stretch! We came across Beauty and the Beast!

It was a short while later when we started going past some resorts. This was another section of the race that had a good amount of people cheering us on! Here is the Grand Floridian:

This resort really is beautiful. I have a goal to someday stay at all of the on-site resorts at least one night. The Grand Floridian is still on my to stay list. So is the Polynesian:

However, I HAVE stayed at the Shades of Green, which is across the street from the Polynesian. Shades of Green is nestled among the golf courses, which we went past.

With all the resorts to look at, this mile seemed to go a little faster than the last. Here is Mile Marker 8!

About midway through Mile 8, we were given Clif Shots. I dont have many photos from this stretch because I was fussing with this concoction. Ive never seen one before, and the consistency is very strange. Its somewhere between peanut butter and frosting on the spectrum of things that stick to the roof of your mouth.

They were offering a few flavors at the station giving them out; we got Mocha. Morgan says its the best flavor. It wasnt the best thing Ive ever had, but it wasnt bad. This is from the description on amazon.com:

CLIF SHOT is a fast-acting, easy-to-digest energy gel with 25 grams of carbohydrates your body's preferred source of fuel during exercise.
Three steps to energy:
1. Tear off the top.
2. Squeeze gel into your mouth.
3. Wash down with a few mouthfuls of water.
Within five to ten minutes, SHOT's carbohydrates (both simple & complex) and electrolytes are assimilated into your body, working to sustain your overall endurance and coordination. One little packet packs a punch.
The Inside Scoop:
Each packet of Sonic Strawberry, Mocha Mocha, and Cola Buzzzz CLIF SHOT contains 40 mg of caffeine, which is equal to about 1/2 cup of coffee or one can of soda.
Over 85% of all studies focusing on the use of caffeine among athletes demonstrate that caffeine offers significant advantages. In controlled amounts, caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, increases the release of adrenaline, and aids in the use of body fat as fuel.

This thing really helped me. It really did help to boost my energy, and I felt better about making it to the finish line! It also provided an intriguing distraction and something to contemplate other than "just keep moving, just keep moving..."

I saw this picture on the side of the Hess Station that is at the Car Care Center, which is near the Magic Kingdom Toll Plaza, but on the way out. Remember seeing the Toll Plaza a few miles back on the way in?

I like this picture because it shows a map of Florida, which is warm and sunny all the time! Well, most of the time anyways& The "warm" bit was a little lost on us that morning...

Also at the Hess Station/Car Care Center, we found this:

Nine miles down! That is a little more than two thirds done!

And yes, it is a little peculiar to willingly sign up for something that you are so excited to just FINISH! Although, I suspect anyone who has ever gone to college can relate!

 

[mommyof2Pirates]

I am really enjoying reading your report. The clif shots sound interesting. I havent tried one yet but Im not sure I want to either. The consistency sounds like it will make me gag. I am hoping to run the princess this year, I should know better in august once the 2011 prices come out. I cant wait to read more.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I am really enjoying reading your report. The clif shots sound interesting. I havent tried one yet but Im not sure I want to either. The consistency sounds like it will make me gag. I am hoping to run the princess this year, I should know better in august once the 2011 prices come out. I cant wait to read more.

They have the prices already out for the Half Marathon, and reduced hotel rates for people participating. The park tickets also had a discount, but I can't find those prices on the site. We were able to book a package with both the discounted room and park tickets.

* Disney's All-Star Sports Resort - rates starting at $138.21*
* Disney's All-Star Music Resort – rates starting at $138.21*
* Disney's All-Star Movies Resort – rates starting at $138.21*
* Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort – rates starting at $189.38*
* Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort - rates starting at $189.38*
* Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort - rates starting at $189.38*
* Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - rates starting at $355.88*
* Disney's Polynesian Resort - rates starting at $486.38*

http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/endurance/princess-half-marathon/

Disney's Princess Half Marathon Individual
$120 by August 8
$130 August 9, 2010 to October 31, 2010
$140 November 1, 2010 to February 26, 2011

http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/endurance/princess-half-marathon/index?page=disneys-princess-half-marathon

The room prices are a bit higher this year than last. I think part of the reason is they've put the event at the 2nd weekend of the President's Day Week....and that week is a big travel week for the Northeast since their schools get it off.

As for the Clif Shots, they weren't too bad, and they were very helpful. I will say was a bit wary when I saw it at first!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

We are now back on World Drive, this time heading towards Epcot. The Dolphin looks so far away!

By this point, the traffic was picking up to go into the Magic Kingdom. I believe the park opened at 9 that day, and this picture was taken at about 8:40.

Some of the cars were honking for us or shouting nice things out the windows. That was nice. The closer we got to Epcot, some of the traffic was from people who had finished before us. I saw a few people hold up their medals and cheer us on from their cars.

We came to the Bugs Life billboard. If youre still following along on Google Maps, its shortly before we crossed over that little canal. It looks so far from Epcot still!

Somewhere during Mile 9, we passed a medical station. Among other things, they give out Tylenol. They do record your bib number on a list. I guess they can go back later in the event something happens, they have a record of who took the medicine. Morgan said to take the Tylenol because it would help prevent the aches that we werent really feeling yet, but knew were coming!

This mile must not have been particularly interesting, I dont have many pictures, because here is Mile Marker 10 already!

 

[Shannon84]

I am really enjoying the updates I'm sorry if I missed it earlier in the report...but did you carry some sort of pack to put your camera and items in?

 

[UGAFan0829]

I'm so enjoying your report!! I love how detailed you are in recounting the race. You were obviously way ahead of us though, as we missed some of what you saw. How very cool that you actually spotted Deb Wills! I can't wait for more!!

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I am really enjoying the updates I'm sorry if I missed it earlier in the report...but did you carry some sort of pack to put your camera and items in?

Thanks!

My pants had pockets, so that was a big help! Morgan had one of those little belt pouch things (NOT a fanny pack, but similar concept...I think called a Spibelt). In one pocket I (think I) had my room key, driver's license, credit card, and albuterol. In the other I had my iPhone in a snack size ziplock bag (to protect it from getting wet) and I would take it out for the few photos I did take with that for Facebook. My actual camera is quite small; it's a Canon Elph SD 1000. It has a wrist strap and I just had it hanging from my wrist pretty much the whole time.

I'm so enjoying your report!! I love how detailed you are in recounting the race. You were obviously way ahead of us though, as we missed some of what you saw. How very cool that you actually spotted Deb Wills! I can't wait for more!!

Thanks! I hope to get the next bit up today! I think that may be asking for trouble though, with the way things have been going!

Well, I've already jinxed it! My plane tickets for the Disneyland Half Marathon got changed - by several hours. With the tickets as they are now, I can't make the expo. So now, instead of writing the next installment, I have to find new plane tickets and fight with the people on the phone.

 

[UsMcWifeForever]

Loving this TR can't wait for more