Today, we get to focus on the magical parts of the race!
(Yesterday, I talked all about the congestion and such.)
Not surprisingly, the half marathon was themed very well. Disney had songs playing that matched the moods or themes of the characters who were out for pictures.
(For instance there was an area where “Ain’t No Other Man” was playing that had a photo-op with Disney princes (such as Aladdin and Prince Eric).)
There was also this funny area of men dressed in suits who were holding out glass slippers and singing “You Are So Beautiful To Me.” One man was yelling “I love you” to every woman who went by.
Disney makes it extremely clear that this race is all about the ladies. They didn’t let men start in corrals A or B. The results page doesn’t even list any men as finishers (even though I heard that over 1,000 men ran – I was going to check that fact for you, but how can I without men in the results page?…).
Large groups of supportive spectators watched throughout the race. It was nice to see tons of families out so early in the morning, supporting their mom/daughter/etc. I saw a little girl who saw her mom run by. The girl seemed to think it was the coolest thing ever, screaming as though her mom was rockstar. It was adorable. (I bet that girl becomes a runner someday.)
Somewhere in Mile 4, a bunch of people started saying, “You’re halfway there! You’re halfway there!” I thought it was hilarious. I even heard an official person say over a loudspeaker, “You’re almost halfway there – just around that corner.” Well, that must’ve been one long corner, because unless that corner was over a mile and a half long, the halfway mark was not “just around that corner.”
I jogged most of the course today! That means nothing to real, honest-to-goodness runners, but it was an improvement for me.
Around mile 8, as I was really starting to feel as though walking would be fun, Michael Jackson suddenly came on my iPhone. Shockingly, it was the first time an MJ song played during this race. I pushed forward and kept jogging. As he sang out that he was starting with the man in the mirror, I thought, “That’s right. Me too. Sing it, Michael!”
Around mile 11, it started to rain a bit. It was nice to get a quick sprinkle of water. I finished the race in 3:18:04 – still slow, I know. But faster than I was last week. (And according to my app, I actually ran about 13.7 miles ,with all the weaving around on the course. So, I’m gonna go ahead and choose to feel even a smidgen better about it.)
After the race, Wendy, Becky, Marty, and I all hung out and enjoyed Disney World. I can’t wait to tell you more about my Orlando vacation tomorrow.
Carole again, my time was 3:21 and glad to here your app showed a little longer distance. Because last week I did it in 3:17! Either way I was thrilled!! I loved the pirate ship in the middle of the divider & Captain Jack with his music!! Mile 10 to 12.5 were ramps and road and were boring!!!
Good luck on your next race!!
Any problem with blisters on your feet because that has been my biggest problem area??
Hey Carole,
I’m glad you mentioned the pirate ships and the ramps. I always end up missing some details from my posts, so it’s nice when I get reminders from other runners. Every runner has a different race, and I love hearing about different experiences. Please feel free to comment with any other memories from your race that you want to share.
I get blisters every once in a while, but not always. I think a lot of it has to do with picking the right socks and the right shoes. I wear Kayanos by Asics. I love them.
I’ve heard of some people putting band-aids on each of their toes before they run or wearing socks that have places for each toe. I think you just kind of have to try out different things and find out what works best for you. If you find something that works great, I’d love to hear about it!
I saw that lady in the wheelchair with that sign, and I yelled back at her “I’m proud of you too!” I think I took her by surprise.
Aw, that’s so nice!