Our journey to the Dark Side- DW race report 5/6/18

DH
Last long run before Dark Side for me today. 12 miles, my longest since the ill-fated half in September 2017. I guess the one advantage to cold weather is being able to run blind, as my Garmin was under my gloves, 1/4 zip, and jacket. #fakespring 10:09/mile average pace for the run. Same pace as the 2016 Wine and Dine half, and I didn't feel like I was pushing things. Fastest-slowest difference was larger than some other runs at 53 seconds, but mile 1 was the slowest mile. And, due to the delay (cancellation???) of spring, the trees don't have leaves, and I was able to clearly see the bald eagle nest around mile 4. I was able to get all the way down to where the northern part of the trail ends today, about 1.5 miles farther south than I've gone before.

Looking at today's pace and distance, I am feeling a bit better about the challenge. I did have the goal to PR the half (it can be done at Disney, trust me), but I think I might just take it easy and find a nice mid-May half locally. Spring might arrive Thursday of this week, but I think I will not be acclimated at all to warmth and potential humidity. Today's run started below 30, with a wind chill in the mid-20's. Ending temperature was about 38, with a wind chill of 31, due to 15-20 mph winds that kicked up.
 
Max
Decided that the people were not allowed to sleep in today, as they both had long distances planned. So, 0530 wakeup snout it was!

DW and I celebrated a discovery I made about an hour ago: stuffy sheep (the best friend in the whole world) migrated from one end of the house to the other! This is the first time stuffy sheep (or fuzzy frog) has travelled in months. Must be feeling better with those bad teeth gone.
 
DW
Walked 10 miles today, as planned. Tried to run a little, but it felt awkward, since the last time she ran was January. The knee is slightly swollen, but otherwise ok. She made the 1 mile lap around the park twice to start, and had to wear her winter coat to do it. Then she swapped down to a slightly lighter weight jacket. She didn't get far enough south to see the nest, but feels she did see some eagles today.

Yoda- much learning today by this one, there was. Adjust her race goal, she will.
 


Catching up on training journals. Can't believe it's almost Dark Side time!

Glad to hear that Max is doing so much better after the tooth removal. I worked with a vet many years ago and I remember him telling people how much better their dogs would feel after having bad teeth removed.

Regarding hydration backpacks, my husband runs with an Orange Mud double quiver. He really likes it, so I ordered one to try, but I just couldn't get used to it, so I returned it.
 
My achiness from Sunday has dissipated due to biking/light yoga Monday AM, walk 1 mile in the afternoon, Pilates class Monday PM, walk 1.5 miles Tuesday then more during GOTR. I will probably continue today with a brief walk.

We're getting excited for Dark Side!

Mrs. PADC
 


I just found out that my sports medicine doctor was at the Swan/Dolphin April 24-28 for a conference. I told him we were at the Beach Club until the 25th, wish I knew you were there, we could have met up.
I'm sure that's the last thing a doctor wants - to see their patient in Disney post-Half Marathon. :rotfl:

Mrs. PADC
 
We're hoping to get our race reports posted soon. After we got home, we had Greyhounds in Gettysburg. Yesterday, things finally returned to normal (unfortunately).
 
Mrs. PaDC Race Report:
Training:
At the beginning of Feburary, I found out I tore my right meniscus AGAIN. This was not a surprise. Despite diligently doing physical therapy, and only running 3x/week (1 mile each time), my knee was getting more and more swollen. The surgeon said I needed surgery again. We decided it would be best to wait until after the April WDW vacation, based on my unusually long recovery from the surgery in September. I gave up on the idea of doing the half marathon. I just wanted to be able to walk around WDW and enjoy vacation. I kept active by doing non-weight bearing activities like stationary bike, swimming, deep water exercise, and Pilates reformer. At the end of February, I tried to walk again, but the fastest I could walk was a 20-minute per mile pace, and the swelling returned.

In March, I was able to see a sports-medicine doctor I'd seen in the past. He ordered an unloader brace, and when I got it, I was able to start weight-bearing exercises (walking) again. At this point, I decided that I might be able to participate in the race, though not necessarily finish. I started to look forward to it, and planned my race outfit. I had 2 weekday walks per week of 1-1.5 miles. My weekend walks were: 3 miles on 3/25, 5 miles on 3/31, 10 miles on 4/8, and 6 miles on 4/14. Three of the 6 miles were run/walk at a 16-minute per mile pace. I also continued Pilates reformer 2x/week and stationary bike 1-2x/week. After I completed the 10 mile walk, my goal became to finish 10 of the 13.1 miles in the half marathon. After I did the run/walk, I decided I could do some run/walk during the half marathon.

WDW:
We went to Epcot on Saturday, the day before the race. We both agreed that, in hindsight, it might not have been a good idea. My legs were already feeling heavy/tired. What WAS a good idea was going to the DIS meet at Hurricane Hannah's (thanks @Keels ). It was nice to meet the other runners we'd been communicating with on the DIS. @BikeFan told me he'd be in the same corral as me (E), to run with his daughter and brother.

The Race:
DH and I got the bus from the Beach Club shortly after 3am. Once we got near the MK parking lot, our bus sat in a long line of buses, waiting to park. We made our way through the unsecured area, past the stage, and talked to some friendly DISers we met the day before. We checked our bags, entered the runners only area, and hit the porta-potties. We hung out, stretched, and then headed to our respective corrals. I was in the corral for just a few minutes when @BikeFan found me. He said that he, his daughter, and brother were a few feet away, and motioned for me to join them. I talked to them during the pre-race activities, and the time flew by.

When the race started, I felt confident, and ran the first 0.5 mile at an easy pace. Then, I decided to run/walk. Unfortunately, I'd checked my timer in my gear check bag. No problem, I'll find someone else doing run/walk, and pace off them. I spotted a lady ahead of me to pace off of. Her running pace was faster than mine, but my walking pace was faster than hers. This enabled me to catch up to her occasionally. However, her overall pace was faster than I was capable of, so when I hit 2 miles, I let her go and decided to walk until backstage AK. This was approximately 2 miles. I came to regret this decision. When I decided to run again, my feet were momentarily "tingly". I knew that if I wanted to run/walk, I would not be able to take any more extended walk breaks. For the rest of the race, I did run/walk as tolerated. Around mile 8, I decided to listen to some podcasts. I had some from ZdoggMD. The second one was Doc Vader, which got me through DHS and to YC. Not only was it amusing, it very race appropriate.

As I passed the BC, I thought to myself, "I can just stop now, and head to our room." Then I realized that I wouldn't get my medal if I did that. At Japan, I stopped so a CM could take a photo of me with SSE in the background. In Future World, I stopped at the restroom. I figured, I'm not worried about my time, so better to use a restroom than another porta-potty.

I can't remember when it was in the race that my calves started to ache, but this didn't come as a surprise. Three years ago, when I first injured my knee, I switched to a midfoot/forefoot strike because it felt much better for my knee. Unfortunately, due to training less than I normally would, my calves were not prepared for what I asked of them. By the end of the race, my feet and calves were hurting. My knee felt fine. I crossed the finish the line in 3 hours and 28 minutes. I had told DH that, if I finished the race, I was going to get a character picture. We chose Kylo Ren, because he had the shortest line. It was around 10 minutes, though posted as a 20 minute wait.

We planned to enter Epcot afterwards, get breakfast at Sunshine Seasons, use our FP, and then head back to BC. However, we decided to take the bus back to the BC. I felt spent, and felt like I just wanted to go back to the hotel to shower and change. Ultimately, the deciding factor was the distance to the front gate of Epcot versus the distance to the bus. Of course, the bus won.

Needless to say, my calves hurt for the rest of the vacation; especially when getting out of the bed in the morning. I did some yoga each day after getting out of bed, and I made sure to use the pool to help my recovery. We got home 4/25, and I was able to get a massage on 4/27, which alleviated all of my muscle pain.

Conclusion:
I am not a Star Wars fan, but I very much enjoyed this race. I saw only 1 shirt at the expo that I liked, but they didn't have my size, so I only bought a race headband. I enjoyed HH, and it was nice to put faces to DIS names. I would have liked to have run a faster race, but in the beginning of February, I was unable to walk a mile without excessive swelling. I'm very happy that I not only participated, but finished!!! I can definitely see doing this race again, if we're able.
Thank you to everyone on the DIS for your support and encouragement. Reading the race reports of others motivated me to set a goal and keep working towards it.
 
Last edited:
Mrs. PaDC Race Report:
Training:
At the beginning of Feburary, I found out I tore my right meniscus AGAIN. This was not a surprise. Despite diligently doing physical therapy, and only running 3x/week, my knee was getting more and more swollen. The surgeon said I needed surgery again. We decided it would be best to wait until after the April WDW vacation, based on my unusually long recovery from the surgery in September. I gave up on the idea of doing the half marathon. I just wanted to be able to walk around WDW and enjoy vacation. I kept active by doing non-weight bearing activities like stationary bike, swimming, deep water exercise, and Pilates reformer. At the end of February, I tried to walk again, but the fastest I could walk was a 20-minute per mile pace, and the swelling returned.

In March, I was able to see a sports-medicine doctor I'd seen in the past. He ordered an unloader brace, and when I got it, I was able to start weight-bearing exercises (walking) again. At this point, I decided that I might be able to participate in the race, though not necessarily finish. I started to look forward to it, and planned my race outfit. I had 2 weekday walks per week of 1-1.5 miles. My weekend walks were: 3 miles on 3/25, 5 miles on 3/31, 10 miles on 4/8, and 6 miles on 4/14. Three of the 6 miles were run/walk at a 16-minute per mile pace. I also continued Pilates reformer 2x/week and stationary bike 1-2x/week. After I completed the 10 mile walk, my goal became to finish 10 of the 13.1 miles in the half marathon. After I did the run/walk, I decided I could do some run/walk during the half marathon.

WDW:
We went to Epcot on Saturday, the day before the race. We both agreed that, in hindsight, it might not have been a good idea. My legs were already feeling heavy/tired. What WAS a good idea was going to the DIS meet at Hurricane Hannah's (thanks @Keels ). It was nice to meet the other runners we'd been communicating with on the DIS. @BikeFan told me he'd be in the same corral as me (E), to run with his daughter and brother.

DH and I got the bus from the Beach Club shortly after 3am. Once we got near the MK parking lot, our bus sat in a long line of buses, waiting to park. We made our way through the unsecured area, past the stage, and talked to some friendly DISers we met the day before. We checked our bags, entered the runners only area, and hit the porta-potties. We hung out, stretched, and then headed to our respective corrals. I was in the corral for just a few minutes when @BikeFan found me. He said that he, his daughter, and brother were a few feet away, and motioned for me to join them. I talked to them during the pre-race activities, and the time flew by.

The Race:
When the race started, I felt confident, and ran the first 0.5 mile at an easy pace. Then, I decided to run/walk. Unfortunately, I'd checked my timer in my gear check bag. No problem, I'll find someone else doing run/walk, and pace off them. I spotted a lady ahead of me to pace off of. Her running pace was faster than mine, but my walking pace was faster than hers. This enabled me to catch up to her occasionally. However, her overall pace was faster than I was capable of, so when I hit 2 miles, I let her go and decided to walk until backstage AK. I came to regret this decision. When I decided to run again, my feet were momentarily "tingly". I knew that if I wanted to run/walk, I would not be able to take any more extended walk breaks. For the rest of the race, I did run/walk as tolerated. Around mile 8, I decided to listen to some podcasts. I had some from ZdoggMD. The second one was Doc Vader, which got me through DHS and to YC. Not only was it amusing, it very race appropriate.

As I passed the BC, I thought to myself, "I can just stop now, and head to our room." Then I realized that I wouldn't get my medal if I did that. At Japan, I stopped so a CM could take a photo of me with SSE in the background. In Future World, I stopped at the restroom. I figured, I'm going to PR today, so better to use a restroom than another porta-potty.

I can't remember when it was in the race that my calves started to ache, but this didn't come as a surprise. Three years ago, when I first injured my knee, I switched to a midfoot/forefoot strike because it felt much better for my knee. Unfortunately, due to training less than I normally would, my calves were not prepared for what I asked of them. By the end of the race, my feet and calves were hurting. My knee felt fine. I crossed the finish the line in 3 hours and 28 minutes. I had told DH that, if I finished the race, I was going to get a character picture. We chose Kylo Ren, because he had the shortest line. It was around 10 minutes, though posted as a 20 minute wait.

We planned to enter Epcot afterwards, get breakfast at Sunshine Seasons, use our FP, and then head back to BC. However, we decided to take the bus back to the BC. I felt spent, and felt like I just wanted to go back to the hotel to shower and change. Ultimately, the deciding factor was the distance to the front gate of Epcot versus the distance to the bus. Of course, the bus won.

Needless to say, my calves hurt for the rest of the vacation; especially when getting out of the bed in the morning. I did some yoga each day after getting out of bed, and I made sure to use the pool to help my recovery. We got home 4/25, and I was able to get a massage on 4/27, which alleviated all of my muscle pain.

Conclusion:
I am not a Star Wars fan, but I very much enjoyed this race. I saw only 1 shirt at the expo that I liked, but they didn't have my size, so I only bought a race headband. I enjoyed HH, and it was nice to put faces to DIS names. I would have liked to have run a faster race, but in the beginning of February, I was unable to walk a mile without excessive swelling. I'm very happy that I not only participated, but finished!!! I can definitely see doing this race again, if we're able.
Thank you to everyone on the DIS for your support and encouragement. Reading the race reports of others motivated me to set a goal and keep working towards it.

Yay, Christine!!! I'm so proud of you!!
 
Great job! So glad you finished after all the past adversity. In running, persistence is eventually rewarded. Well done.
 
Congratulations on finishing that race after such a difficult training season!
 
DH here. I've been making a list of lessons learned from our Dark Side weekend. They're based on our experiences and opinions. YMMV.

Split Stay: wasted time the day of transfer, even though it was our planned expo day (Friday). We weren't really "on vacation" until we checked in at the Beach Club. Our AKL nights were spent living out of our suitcases.

Expo 2nd day: first time in 3 rD weekends we did this. Win. Speedy and less crowded, though our DIS friends like @Keels had very positive expo day 1 experiences.

When planning the packing list, accounting for the race shirts = good. Fewer extra things packed.

ESPN Club at the Boardwalk was a good pre-race dinner both Friday and Saturday.

Don't fret about dinner attire. Theme park clothes dominate.

Ale and Compass breakfast was good. We got the last ADR slot (or so) at 10:45

Ale and Compass Marketplace is superior to the Beach Club Marketplace. Cleaner, brighter, places to sit there and eat, and it felt like more food options.

Going to Epcot after the 10k = not such a good idea. Another 8 miles on the legs after the race. Legs felt really good post-race. Not so much by lunch time.

DIS friends meet = fun!

Carrying a plastic bag from the grocery store in the zipper pocket of my shorts during each race (folded up really small) = WINNING! Finished the races, pulled out the bag and unfurled it. I had SO MANY volunteers commenting on the genius of it. "Here's someone who's done this before!" was heard. Next time, though, bring a fresh bag for each day, as they get beat up pretty quickly.

DW's purchase of an 8-pack of 12 ounce water bottles at the Beach Club marketplace (and AKL store) = GENIUS! We each took a bottle to the park daily, and refilled them every chance we got. WDW trips are when I do better staying hydrated during the heat and humidity because of things like this. For the half, we brought one bottle each, and a 500mL bottle to share pre-race. I'd planned on ditching mine shortly into the race, but kept it until about mile 12.5. It worked out great! I was worried I'd drop the screw cap, but I didn't. Then, at the water stops, I'd grab a cup, pinch it, and pour as much liquid into the bottle as I could. Often times I'd grab water and PowerAde both to top off with. The narrow neck of the bottle did present a challenge, and I could see where our Amphipod bottles and their wide openings would have worked even better.
 
Carrying a plastic bag from the grocery store in the zipper pocket of my shorts during each race (folded up really small) = WINNING! Finished the races, pulled out the bag and unfurled it. I had SO MANY volunteers commenting on the genius of it. "Here's someone who's done this before!" was heard. Next time, though, bring a fresh bag for each day, as they get beat up pretty quickly.

So much YES to this. I read the tip here somewhere to do that and it is such a huge help when they are shoving things into your hands as you go through the finishers chute!!
 
The Girls on the Run 5k was this past Saturday. I did not do it because my doctor forbid me from running and walking (can start walking in about 2 weeks). It rained the entire time, sometimes heavy, sometimes just steady. Our pre-race activities were moved inside and we were all crowded into a hallway. One of our girls showed up and her mom said she forgot to wear her GOTR shirt. I told her I would find out if there are any extras. No extras. Since I was not doing the race I loaned her my shirt. Her mom at first declined, but then accepted. I wanted her to BE a GOTR. Same shirt but it says COACH on the back. Her long hair covered COACH, but even if people saw it, nobody was going to mistake her for a coach, she's one of our smallest girls (good thing I wear a size adult small). It was great to be at the finish line to see all of the girls complete the race. They would come around the final curve and then break into a sprint to the finish, all soaked and smiling! The other coaches from my team and I waiting until our last girl finished. She was actually the last of all the GOTR teams. But she was not the last finisher. We have a "caboose", a group of adults that walk behind the last girl so she is not last. About half of our team waited for her also and there was a great feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction all around. Nobody complained about being soaking wet! I'm really hoping I can do the 5k in the fall but I have to admit, it was great to be able to see all of our girls finish (I would have finished after 75% of my team). Afterwards, my team's head coach said she is taking a year off from coaching because she can, implying that myself and the other coaches are very capable of leading the team. Ut-oh.. the pressure in on now! :eek:

Mrs PADC
 

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