Tags
disney, disney world, goofy challenge, goofy challenge recap, half marathon, race recap, race review, run disney, rundisney, running, walt disney world half marathon 2015 race recap, wdwhalf
Ahh, that 2:30am alarm on a runDisney morning. I quickly silenced my phone, trying not to disturb Tim and got out of bed to get ready for my first leg of The Goofy Race and a Half Challenge – The Walt Disney World Half Marathon. I checked to make sure my KT Tape I put on my knee the night before was secure, popped a Nuun tablet in my water bottle and put on my Woody costume. I was ready to take on my ninth half marathon in less than a year.
I headed out the door and made the quick walk across the street to the buses at the All Star Music Resort. They had buses lined up waiting for runners which made getting to the race start stress free and easy. When we got to the Epcot parking lot, I got off the bus and made the chilly walk to the reunion area and found myself a spot on the bleachers to eat my bagel and wrap myself up in my NYC Marathon heat sheet. It was pretty cold out. Not northeast cold, but cold enough when you’re only wearing running clothes. I had been a bit worried that adding the vest and bandanna to my Woody costume would be too much for running in Florida, but I was glad to have them now.
While I was sitting on the bleachers the girl next to me asked me if I was waiting for someone. I said no, and then she asked me if it was my first half marathon. I blurted out that it was my ninth and she told me it was her first and that she was nervous about being swept. I told her she would be fine and that I did my first half marathon in Disney less than a year ago. She seemed to want to keep chatting, but I’m kind of a zombie in the mornings. I feel a little bad about it now that I think back on it, but my brain just wasn’t functioning. I did see her later on during the race (at least I’m pretty sure I did) around mile 11, so I’m pretty sure she finished.
Eventually it was time to make the journey back to the corrals, but first, a potty stop! My stomach was feeling off. It wasn’t nerves and it wasn’t fun. After that I started the walk back to corral M. The walk was much much longer than I remembered it being before the Princess Half. I must have been so nervous that day, since it was my first half that I didn’t notice how long we were walking to the corrals for. Once I got back to the corral area, my stomach demanded another bathroom break, and lucky for me, I found one that hadn’t been used yet! Just like before the NYC Marathon, I thought about hiding out in the port-a-potty until the start of the race since it was warmer in there, but again, I deemed it too weird, and made my way back outside.
When I settled into my corral it was just after 4:45 so it would be another 45 minutes until the race started and then ANOTHER 50 minutes until my corral went off. Let the boredom and chills set in. I was very close to the front of my corral and started listening in on other people’s conversations, because that’s what I do. I heard a lot of people talking about being walkers, and how their best half marathons were over 3:30 so they were worried about being swept. And that’s fine, everyone is out there doing it, and that’s well and good, but how is someone with a half marathon time over 3:30 placed in the same corral as me when I submitted at 2:48 time? I know I was placed there based on my marathon finish time, but they should use the same system that is used for the Glass Slipper Challenge and Dumbo Double Dare and put two corral letters on your bib, one for each race. I realized that it was going to be a crowded and slow race from way back in corral M, so it was then that I decided I would take it easy and stop for pictures as often as I pleased. My only goal for this half marathon was to keep it under 3:30 and have fun.
Eventually it was 6:19am and corral M was off with some fireworks. Within the first few minutes I realized I had to go to the bathroom AGAIN! What the heck? So just before mile marker 1, I pulled off to the side and got in line for the bathrooms. This cost me about eight minutes, and I was now mixed in with runners from corrals N and O. I spent the next four miles weaving in and out of people trying to get myself back under the 16 minute mile pace.
On the road to the Magic Kingdom, we of course ran through the the toll booth.
We made our way through the Ticketing and Transportation Center and there were spectators out in full force cheering. I heard a few people yelling “Go Jessie” which annoyed the crap out of me, because once again, Tim was right and I hate that.
Soon we passed Wreck it Ralph and Jack Skellington but I didn’t want to stop until I got my pace back under the requirements, so I pressed on. Besides, the lines were crazy long.
Finally we entered the Magic Kingdom from the side gate and saw the Christmas Tree!
We rounded the corner and there was the castle! My pace was back under the requirement so I told myself I could stop for a couple pictures.
I took a selfie with the castle, and apparently a lady holding a sign that said “Smile if you aren’t wearing any underwear.” Oops. Well, I was wearing underwear!
Then we rounded the corner and made our way into TommorowLand where I saw Buzz Lightyear. The line wasn’t too long, and I was dressed as Woody, I had to stop right?
It only took about four minutes, and when I was getting my picture taken, I heard someone in line say “That’s so cute, Buzz and his girlfriend! And look! Her name is Jessica!” and then Buzz made a horrifying kissy sound in my ear. CREEPY! I AM WOODY!! You just made a pass at your best friend bro.
I didn’t see any other characters that I wanted to take pictures with as we wound our way through the Magic Kingdom, but we did come to a nice standstill when we hit the castle, and Anna and Elsa were there too.
As we exited the Magic Kingdom and I had skillfully avoided tripping on all of the trolley and train tracks, I decided it was time to take a GU before we got onto the narrow road past the resorts and back to Epcot.
As we shuffled down the road it was nearly impossible to run. Sometime just after mile 7, someone stepped on the back of my shoe and it came right off my foot. I was nearly trampled trying to retrieve it and scoot off to the side of the road to put it back on. By now I was just annoyed with the entire crowding situation and getting a little grumpy. I was starting to get worried that it would be more of the same the next day during the marathon.
I continued on, and soon saw Genie and Abu off to the left, but I was all the way to the right and couldn’t get over to hop in line without risking my life again, so I pressed on. Goofy was out with his golf cart as well, but the line was too ridiculous.
Eventually I saw the Epcot ball and I knew the race was almost done.
I stopped for a picture with the ball once I was in the park, but there was no cast member with my line to take my picture with my phone, womp womp.
I made my way out of Epcot, passed the gospel choir and headed for the finish line. I collected my medal, had my picture taken on the back drop, and gathered my food box. There was no check after the half marathon with the picture I had taken at the expo, so I wasn’t quite sure what that was all about. Couldn’t I have just handed off my bib to someone else to run the first leg of the Goofy Challenge for me then? I feel like this system needs to be re-evaluated.
I had made a deal with Tim that as long as he made it to the finish line of the Marathon, he was allowed to sleep in on half marathon day and hang out at the hotel, so I had no one to meet up with after the race, so I just hopped right on a bus back to the hotel.
My legs were feeling fine, no soreness at all, most likely because I spent more time trying to navigate crowds than running, which was just fine since I had to run a full marathon the next day.
When I got back to the hotel I hopped in the shower and got ready for a day in the parks. We headed over to Downtown Disney for a little browsing through the shops and lunch at Paradiso 37. Next we headed over to Epcot since all of our fast passes for the day were there. We took a journey on Spaceship Earth, visited our friend Figment, joined Lt Dan for an intense ride on Mission Space. We took a lap around the Test Track and had dinner in China. Before we knew it, it was almost 9, my feet were starting to get blisters, and it was time to head back to the room to get ready for the marathon the next day!