If you haven't noticed, I'm kind of a planner. I make my Disney dining reservations exactly 180 days out when they open, I plan my park days according to crowd calendars, and I'm generally neurotic about planning all things Disney. Since we are nearing 100 days until the Princess Half Marathon, my mind has started racing (haha, see what I did there?) with the "what-ifs" and planning details of the race! This isn't really a blog post at all, it's really just questions I have about race details.
I've pretty much got my costume figured out, I know it will be Cinderella and probably this top (ahem...possibly, unless the holidays make it tighter, then it's not going to work. LOL)
On to the questions! I've done a lot of reading and know some of the answers to these, but I want the actual opinion of some of my blogger friends.
What time did you head down to the buses to get to the race? I'm thinking 3-3:30am? Are any of you staying at Pop? I have a friend who may or may not be running the race and I think I'm most nervous about being ALONE for 2 hours before the race starts. I know I'm not "alone" with 25,000 other women around, but I'm not normally the type that just walks up and talks to people I don't know. Race retreat? Have you done it? Again, I know I will be meeting up with some of you and taking pictures or whatever, but I also don't want to be a third wheel or following anyone around like a crazy-stalker-blogger-chick. ;) Is the race retreat something I should consider so I'm not sitting there alone? I'm laughing a bit because here I thought I had lots of questions, but looking at it, it's really just that I'm nervous about being alone before the race starts. I'm good once we start running, but it seems that 2 hours surrounded by people in groups that know each other is what makes me most nervous...not actually running 13.1 miles! LOL! Help a girl out here, can you think of anything I need to plan for or think about? A friend will be bringing Savannah & Eleanor to the finish, how long do you think it will take them to drive (she'll have a car) from Pop to Epcot to the finish? I know there will be a lot of traffic. I'm drawing a blank now on anything else. Gah! How's that for blogging?!! Genius.
What time did you head down to the buses to get to the race? I'm thinking 3-3:30am? - I got to the bus stop about 15 minutes before the first bus started (3am?) because I wanted to get on the first bus and there were already a lot of Princesses on the bus. I'd heard horror stories about bus drivers getting lost because of road closures.
ReplyDeleteAre any of you staying at Pop? - We're staying at the Fort Wilderness Cabins, but I'd love to meet up with you before the race start!
Race retreat? Have you done it? - I did it and I liked it but it is very pricey. I'll say that it didn't make me feel any less alone because most of the people in the race retreat seemed to be there with friends and/or family... I still love my flip flops I got there though :) After the race, I didn't really feel like I could spend time in there having breakfast and celebrating because I didn't want to leave my husband standing outside too long (I didn't buy him access to it), so consider whether you'd want to buy your spectators entry too... On the other hand, if it's 40 degrees and raining, race retreat is worth its weight in gold. And since I'm not getting it this year, it probably will be 40 degrees and sleeting instead! :)
I'm laughing a bit because here I thought I had lots of questions, but looking at it, it's really just that I'm nervous about being alone before the race starts. - I feel the same way, I'm always feeling awkward. For W&D, I participated in the pre-race dance party which was fun and burned off some of my nerves. If we're in the same corral I'd love to hang out (see now I'm the crazy stalker blogger chick!) in the corrals and if we're not, we can hang out in the staging area until it's time to head to the corrals (maybe with Meg too!).
Help a girl out here, can you think of anything I need to plan for or think about? - Well if you're like me, a million things! But they'll all sort themselves out by the time February gets here... I devoured race recaps before PHM last year, so that's my best recommendation. I also re-read the Princess board posts on the DISboards.com from the prior year (yes I have no life) to get a lot of answers to questions I didn't even know I had (like the fact that you need to prepay for medal engraving at the expo so you don't have to wait in a huge line after the finish).
A friend will be bringing Savannah & Eleanor to the finish, how long do you think it will take them to drive (she'll have a car) from Pop to Epcot to the finish? I know there will be a lot of traffic. - Hmm this I can't answer. I think my family took the resort buses because there are road closures and detours due to the race. Hopefully someone who has had spectators do the drive can help out here.
You'll do awesome! I'm kind of a runDisney nut (like you didn't know) and have done a ton of research so feel free to ask me anything! It is going to be so much fun!!! I'm going as Cinderella too, I'm doing Cinderella in rags for the 10k and in her ballgown (with the discontinued Cinderella sparkletech) for the half. Yay, it's getting close!!!
OH.MY.GAWD. So we're going to be TWINKIES for the race too?!?!? LOL! I'm rolling here. Ok, you really eased my mind, I'm going to hold you to the hanging out with me thing. I remember reading your PHM recap (ok, I admit I've read it a few times) and thinking that being alone would be the hardest thing for me. I have been reading recaps for a few YEARS now, since I have been wanting to run this race, and I have learned a ton (the medal engraving tip is one that I was excited about!) but I feel like no matter what I read and plan, it doesn't seem to settle my nerves! I think I may need to just accept that no amount of planning is going to make me less nervous! LOL.
DeleteStill laughing about the Cindy-twinkies. LOL. Maybe we should both do Cinderella with pigtails. Then we'll really be unique twinkies! ;)
What is your 10K time that you submitted to RD? Just curious if we'll be in the same corral!
I think Cinderellas in pigtails would be awesome! My 10k time was 1:01. It's possible that I could get a better time at the Space Coast Half in a few weeks (!!) but it's unlikely since it would have to be under 2:20 and I don't think that's gonna happen!
Delete1:01 and 1:04 are a bit of a difference, especially with the smaller corrals, so who knows I guess! Either way I think even if we aren't in the same corral, we'll be in corrals right next to each other, so we can walk out together! I am still working on a bun and getting it to stay, it seems to depend on the hair ties that I use. I will totally do pigtails if you do them though! LOL.
DeleteI absolutely love your detailed answers you're getting! So fun to start to think about these things! I'm doing the Race Retreat because I'm also going to be alone (or as alone as one can be in the midst of thousands of women, which as an introvert can be pretty alone). Also, after the race my husband and son will be joining me there. We got them the Platinum ChEAR package mostly because my son is only two so having somewhere sheltered that he and my husband can hang out (with snacks and entertainment) while they're waiting for me to finish was key). Plus, I like the idea of having breakfast before there in the tent so I don't have to worry about putting together something to eat in my hotel room at 3 am while trying not to wake my family! The beauty of the internet is that there are already so many people we get to know, so even if you feel alone, know that there are others out there like me who "know" you and will be looking forward to meeting you! (And you are definitely not the only compulsive planner to soothe your nerves - my husband laughs at the Google spreadsheets I've had going since we booked the trip, to keep track of what we need to do and when and what we're going to need to bring and all of the tips I've gleaned online - there lots to know!) - Jess
DeleteEeek! Princess...oh my goodness costumes. Haven't gotten that far yet. Uhoh. I'm a bit of an obsessive planner as well so I understand where you are coming from!
ReplyDeleteBus time - I try to board the buses no later than 3:45 a.m. My wake up call for Disney races is 3 a.m.
I'm not staying at POP, I'll be at Port Orleans...but I'd be glad to meet up with you once we get to the start area. We should plan on meeting up sometime during the weekend anyway!
Never done race retreat before but I have friends who have and they really liked it, especially if it's a cold morning.
As a spectator, my husband always takes the bus to parking lot area, then takes the monorail to the TTC. After spotting me at the TTC, he walks across the path to the Polynesian and stands outside the Polynesian to wait for me to run by. After I pass the Poly, he takes the monorail back to EPCOT to stand near the finish line (before the grandstands). Geeze, after reading all of that, he's a pretty good sport! Haha! Sorry I can't answer your question about driving, he hasn't done that in the past.
Princess will be here before we know it!! I'm so excited! Let me know if you have any questions...hope I helped answer some of yours!
Thanks Karen!! Yes, yes, we must meetup! I know I won't end up doing the official RunDisney meetup in 2014 because I will have Savannah & her friend with me and we have big parktime plans, but I want to see if I can find a way to meetup with some people Saturday afternoon. I know many of you will be running the 10K in the morning (while I'm rope dropping MK, btw! LOL) but in the afternoon I planned to go back to pop and swim/relax/have dinner and I was thinking I could meet some people then if they had time too. I'm nervous about meeting people, even though I feel like I know a lot of you already. :)
DeleteWhat time did you head down to the buses to get to the race?
ReplyDelete-Definitely get there by 3 AM. You'll either get on the 1st or 2nd bus - worth it! You will want that extra time to stretch/fuel/hydrate and there are always photo ops with princesses as well as a DJ dance party that is a fantastic warm-up!
Race retreat?
-With all the stuff to do outside the race retreat, I would say no. The only reason I would say yes is if the weather is going to be cold. Waiting 2 hrs in the cold would not be fun! However, last Feb it was hot and humid so waiting outside was not an issue at all.
A friend will be bringing Savannah & Eleanor to the finish, how long do you think it will take them to drive (she'll have a car) from Pop to Epcot to the finish? I know there will be a lot of traffic.
-I have heard so many complaints about the traffic. There will be thousands and thousands of people. If you can manage it, see if they can maybe take the buses or even the monorail. I have a feeling it may be faster? That is not definite though since I haven't had first hand experience with driving in PHM traffic lol!
I hope this helps!! Planning is very important :0)
I may have them take the bus, but I was being selfish and thinking it would be better for me b/c I could just hop in her car to go back to the resort instead of waiting for a bus. ;) I am an early riser and early to everything, so I suspect I'll be out there ready to go at 3am!
DeleteI LOVE your costume you have planned for the race. Just one tip. Go ahead and run a few miles in that tutu before you decide to wear it at wdw. I have heard stories of girls who thought they could run in a tutu, but than it ended up that their arms would rub up against the side of it as they ran and really cause some chaffing.
ReplyDeleteMy sister and I have both done the "being alone thing" in the corrals. people are generally friendly and you'll pick up conversation with people.
No matter what, it IS a long wait. Disney makes it entertaining though. There is a DJ, and there will be several photo ops set up. These lines for photos get VERY LONG, so gettting there early will be a good thing if you want to do one. Also, the line for port o potties will be very long.
Race re treat is a personal choice. I agree wth April, if you are traveling with others, it's probably not worth it if they don't come in too, and you'll want to make sure you are able to utilize it long enough to get your monies worth.
I don't know what corral I'll be in, but PLEASE come see me!
~M
I know you'll be in a corral ahead of me, you are speedy Meranda! :) I have run two 5K's in tutus. I definitely will test run this one though if I don't get a Sparkleskirt b/c the first tutu I ran in was perfect, no slipping, stayed right on my hips. The following race I wore the EXACT SAME BRAND tutu and it kept riding up. No issues with my arms, but I was annoyed to keep pushing it down on my hips. PR'd though, so couldn't be THAT bad! LOL!
Deletesee when pop has the shuttles coming for you then plan to be at the shuttle busses about 15 minutes before they arrive. that is the only thing i can really suggest in terms of that.
ReplyDeleteand in terms of being on your own for the 2 hours prior to the race starting... you wont be alone. you will find me and you can stay with us.
Yay Amy! Can't wait to meet you! I'm trying to figure out what time to get up if I'm going to be down at the bus stop at 2:45! LOL. Good thing I wake up superearly already, this won't be a big deal for me, I don't think!
Deleteps I would not want to run a half marathon in a tutu. the tulle might get itchy and hurt your arms. just a thought.
DeleteI guess it's because I'm tall, but the tulle never hits my arms. I do worry it will ride up off my hips though, so probably a Sparkleskirt for me! :)
DeleteWhen I ran this, it was in 2005 and I distinctly remember having to get up at 1am, because the dumb group I was with wanted to do a group photo at 2am... Anyhow, we got to the buses around 3am.. I personally thought it was a little early and I got there with way too much time on my hands. But if you like a lot of standing around prep time or need it, then yes go 3am... Not so much I'd go closer to 3:30... But if you have to visit the port-o-potties, maybe earlier is better because there were long lines.
ReplyDeleteThe year I did it, was when they still ran the full marathon and this half the same time. So probably someone else's opinion is better:)
But I do know that the monorail is the best option for spectators, but you'll probably want to tell them the earlier the better because it does get crowded!
Love the Tutu and the tank! But ya, run in it first and check for chafing:) It looks short enough though, that it might not cause any problems.
How fun, planning is probably half the fun for a princess race like this!
Thanks Kristy! Wow, 1am, that's early! I definitely think planning is half the fun, I cannot tell you how many miles I have put in dreaming about these little details! :)
DeleteEveryone has pretty much answered these questions! I woke up at 3 am and then headed down to the monorail (we stayed at the Contemporary, but I will not be staying there for this year). Can't wait to meet you!!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to meet you too Rachel!!! Ah, the monorail would be so nice to stay on! Looks like the consensus is 3am!
DeleteI made my reservation for dinner at Magic Kingdom about a month ago.. You're not the only one!
ReplyDeleteHave you looked at Rock City Skirts? http://rockcityskirts.com/shop/cinderella-running-skirt/
I know the gal who makes them and she's awesome. She'll do custom skirts, too!
I will probably get on a bus around 3:15 or 3:30... When I did the Princess race before, I waited around in the race area for SO long because I got there so early. I was FREEZING! (So dress warm)
I haven't heard of the race retreat... but sounds like something I may need to look into?
Also, I am a solo runner too so would love to meet up :)
Yes, we have to meetup! I have a Rock City skirt and like it, but what I really want is a Sparkleskirt that will work b/c I ADORE the pockets in the shorts and cannot run without them now. I do have a pair of their shorts with no skirt, but I must have a funny shape, lots of skirts ride up. The Sparkleskirts don't b/c they are attached to the skirt.
DeleteHey! I saw you won the medal rack from Meranda & Lacey, right? Congrats!
We are having dinner in the castle (something we've yet to do) the night after the race! LOVE me some ADR's!
For Goofy this year, we were in the line for buses around 4, which was cutting it a little close. We got on the bus really quickly the day of the he half, but seemed to wait around FOREVER on the day of the full. It always seems like there's no real pattern or prediction as to when buses will arrive!
ReplyDeleteThere's also a pretty good hike to the start line, so you won't be sitting around forever. I'll be there, so maybe we should meet up before the race!
I would love to Jaime! LOL...looks like I won't be alone after all with all these people I'm meeting! I have no idea how people find each other though, I will probably be walking around lost and looking for people I know. ;)
DeleteI don't know if you read Abby's blog, but I met her in person for the first time the morning of the WDW full and we ran the whole thing together. Ended up being a great experience and we ended up doing the DL 10K together with other people, too. I know people worry about meeting strangers off the web, but I've met several now and I've never had a bad experience. I usually just end up texting to keep in touch. (I promise, I'm not a crazy stalker, lol!!)
DeleteThat is awesome! I hope to make some long lasting runner friends through my blog and at races. I don't think I read her blog (can you give me the link?!?) I have met some really good friends on the web, not any runners, but I'm really looking forward to it.
DeleteThe only thing I worry about is seeming to eager. It's hard to read how people feel about you online when you first meet them and I just don't want to be super-overly-excited (wanna be BFF's?!?! LOL) and seem like a stalker chick! LOL.
Hahaha! I felt the same way. Don't worry about it. I've made great friends through blogging, etc, so I'm glad I reached out.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Abby's blog- she's the bomb!
http://abbysroadtoamazingness.blogspot.com/?m=1
Haha! Ok, I don't follow her blog, but I follow her on twitter and Instagram! LOL! Small bloggingWorld! ;)
DeleteThe earlier you are waiting for the bus the better. Royal Family 5k I had a bus TO MYSELF (awesome!) Princess Half I had about 10 women in front of me in line and we left 10 minutes early, gives you plenty of time to relax before the race.
ReplyDeleteNot sure where I'm staying yet.
FIND ME AND YOU WONT BE ALONE!!!!!! <3 <3 <3
Haven't done Race Retreat, I'm kinda on the fence about it. I could be spending that money elsewhere is my thought.
The hours before the race actually go by really fast.
I would recommend them get to the finish line by 5am, my parents left on transportation and got stuck in a lot of traffic. There is food to eat at the finish line and a place to sit. I might recommend them getting the ChEAR package.
I'M SO EXCITED!
Squeee!!!!! I'm so excited too and excited to meet you!! I'm not going to get them the chEAR package b/c I just cannot shell out the $300 for all three of them, so I'm hoping it works out ok. I'm pretty sure I won't do the race retreat now that I know for sure I'll have people to hang around while waiting. LOL
DeleteHello Karen,
ReplyDeleteI am staying at Pop. Would love to meet-up with you and go over to the race together.
Cool! I think there will be a few of us that can meetup and ride together! What is your name?
DeleteHello Karen,
DeleteMy Name is Yvonne Talley
and Mommy2E on the disboards
DeleteI KNEW that username looked familiar!!!
DeleteHi Karen! I'm a fairly new runner. I'm registered for the Glass Slipper Challenge as well, which will be my 2nd 10k and first half. I'm so nervous! My 13-yr-old daughter is registered for the 10k as well, but it's looking like we'll have to defer her entry. I think my biggest concern is feeling alone. I'll be traveling alone & staying alone. I'm worried about not having anyone to talk to while we're waiting for the race to start. I'll be running alone & won't have anyone at the finish line to cheer for me or say congratulations, I'm proud of you. How silly is that that those are the things I think about? My husband isn't supportive of my running & no one else understands how much I put into this. I just want someone to share it with. So I'll be the crazy-stalker-blogger-chick that weekend. I'd be happy to have the company if we happen to run into each other!
ReplyDeleteHello! I'm glad you replied. I'm sorry your daughter won't be able to run, but so cool that she runs at all! I can't get mine interested. LOL. I'm sorry to hear you won't have anyone at the finish, but you will have YOU and that is going to be such a major accomplishment! Think about how great you are going to feel! I hope we can meetup at some point, we'll be crazy-stalker-blogger-chicks together. :)
DeleteWhere is your tank from?! In love! I'm running with my sister in February too!
ReplyDeleteThe tank is from Runningskirts.com! Just 7 weeks from tomorrow we run! WOOT!
Delete