Disney Marathon 2010

When my wife and I started making plans to run the Disney Marathon in May 2009, I had projected lofty goals for myself: 3:10 BQ at Hartford 2009, 3:00-3:05 at Disney 2010, and whatever I could gut out for Boston 2010. When weather, inexperience, and the possibility that I wasn't ready for a 3:10 at Hartford all ganged up on me, I was forced to change my plans. I didn't BQ at Hartford (3:21:06), and I didn't need to qualify for Boston at Disney, because it was already full. With the cold weather, I wasn't able to get a good feel for how well I was running my long runs, so I was constantly negotiating with myself. Should I still go out for a 3 hour marathon, and hang on as long as I can? Should I hang out with the 3:10 pace team and make sure I get a BQ? Should I run with the 3:10 pace team and ditch them at the half way? Finally I settled on a goal that every marathoner should probably go into the race with: I will race how I feel, and see how it goes.

We kept a close watch on the weather reports for Orlando, and went into a slight panic when we realized that it was likely to be below freezing for the entire 26.2 miles. Neither of us had raced at this temperature for more than a 10k, so we were scrambling to get info for marathon racing in the cold. One advantage that we did have, is that we had been training in New England, and some of the weather we had experienced was much worse than what was predicted for the race. I knew that I liked to run races colder, as I tend to sweat a lot if I am warm. Sweating profusely was part of my problem with Hartford, so I opted to run cold if I had to.

This neat little tool really helped me decide: What Should I Wear?

I plugged in the most recent weather prediction, and it suggested I wear a hat, long sleeve shirt, vest, shorts, gloves, and sunglasses... I had two wicking long sleeve shirts, one heavy and one lighter (from Hartford), but no vest. I decided to wear a wicking short sleeve shirt underneath my lighter long sleeve shirt to take the edge off the possible wind (predictions were saying 14mph winds on race day). We picked up some $5.50 sweats at Walmart to wear to the corral, and eventually "donate" them to charity by discarding them during the race. Once I had my gear ready, there wasn't much else to worry about. While packing my bag, I intentionally left all my running pants at home. I didn't want to panic on race morning, and put them on. I knew I could warm up enough with what I had, especially if I decided to have the 3:10 pace team cut the wind for me.

Fri, Jan 8th:

We arrived on Disney property around noon, and our room at Port Orleans Riverside wasn't going to be ready before 3pm. We handed our bags in at the baggage service, and headed over to the Expo to pick up our race packets. It was a bit confusing at first, where we were supposed to go to get our bibs. There was a large winding line of people waiting outside

the Milk House (which was where we were supposed to go first), but the line wasn't for bib pickup. It was for the Expo floor, where we picked up the goody bag and shirt. Bib pickup was actually very efficient, barely any waiting, and you were able to test out your D-Tag chip when you exited. I was very pleased to be placed in Corral A.

The Expo floor was very crowded, as you would probably expect, but the packet pickup was smooth. This was the first time we'd really had a chance to walk around an expo specifically for running, so we wandered around a bit. Deb bought a nice short sleeve Disney Marathon tech shirt, and I found a nice deal on a shorts/tech shirt combo. Transportation to and from our hotel was provided by Disney, and for the most part there wasn't a lot of waiting.

After getting into our room and taking a short nap, I decided to go for my scheduled 3mi run. It was about 55 degrees, and the sun had already gone down, but I couldn't pass up the warmest day we would probably experience. I decided to run a short tempo run instead of an easy 3. I warmed up for about a mile, gradually increased it to about a 5:30 pace, held for 3 minutes, and cooled down. My goal was to dip into heart rate zone 5 for a short time, to entice my body to

store more glycogen for the race. I managed to get my heart rate up to 192 (my max is around 210). It felt great!

Sat, Jan 9th:

We made sure to sleep late on this day, as we didn't sleep all that well for most of the week, and we needed to get up at 3:00am on race day. I also decided to skip my 2mi easy run for the day, as I had run so late the night before, it would only be about 34 hours between my tempo run and the race. The weather for this day was pretty bad, so we decided to just go see a movie in the afternoon: Avatar in 3D. Great movie! After the movie, we ordered pizza using the delivery service to our hotel room. Oddly enough, pizza has turned out to be the best pre-race food for the both of us. The pizza was much tastier than I expected, and it had a nice thick crust loaded with carbs. We ate as much as we could handle around 8pm (a little later that I'd like, but we probably benefited from it), and got all of our race gear ready. All that was left was to make sure we stayed hydrated, and take a 4-5 hour nap before the race :)

Sun, Jan 10th:

We got up at about 3:10am, showered (race morning ritual to warm up the legs), got dressed, and headed to the buses for 3:45am. I also checked wunderground.com on my phone, to see what the temp would be at race start: 27F! When we got to the bus line, it was already very long, one bus had just left, and two pulled in. We were supposed to get on by 4am to get to the corrals in time, so when nobody in front of us wanted to stand up, we walked right onto the front bus. The bus left almost exactly at 4am, and to be honest, standing up for the 10 minute ride to the staging area wasn't bad at all. My suggestion to all: just get on the bus.

When we arrived at the staging area, the buses did not bring us right up to the gate, we had to walk about 5 minutes to get in. I remember some people complaining about this, as they were about to run (or walk) another 26.2 today. This didn't bother us any, as we've always had to walk for 5-10 minutes (from the car) at the Hartford Marathon. While walking, we had an interesting conversation with a young woman who planned on taking 6 Advil before the race. We warned her that we'd read about possible kidney failure with ibuprofen and dehydration. I also told her that I don't usually take any Advil until after my runs, and after I've made sure I'm hydrated. We hoped she would take our advice.

There were long lines at the baggage drop off locations, which were grouped by last name. This meant Deb and I had to split up to drop off our bags. Surprisingly, these lines moved fairly quickly. Once you handed them your bag, they zip-tied your baggage bib number in a way that ensured that the bag was securely closed. My only concern was if stuff fell out of the bag, as I knew that it wasn't "locked up" secure. Some people had pinned the baggage tag to the bag, which slowed the lines down a bit. The final race instructions gave no instructions on what to do with the bag tag. They may want to mention it in the booklet next time.

Once our bags were dropped, we had to walk another half mile or so to the starting corrals. Disney had a huge number of portalets at the beginning of this walk. So many that I only had to wait in a line with 4 people in front of me. I was very happy with this, since I lost almost a whole hour waiting for the portalets at the Hartford Marathon. Walking to the starting corrals was an experience in itself. Not many people were talking, it was dark, and you heard tons of footsteps. Some of the light generators has swarms of runners attempting to warm up in the exhaust. We weren't that desperate! To my surprise, there was another group of portalets at the start of the corrals. I didn't need to use them, but I thought this was a great idea.

We took a couple pictures before we separated for

different corrals, and wished each other good

luck. When I walked through the corrals, they checked my bib before I went into each sub area. Some people had to dig for their bibs, and this may have led to some relaxed bib checking as the crowds started to overwhelm the bib checkers. Corral A was empty enough to do some light jogging and stretching. While sitting on the pavement and stretching my IT bands, I overheard someone near me say "These guys sitting on the ground are stupid, the ground is cold!". I politely pointed out to him that the ground was in fact warmer than the air, since it was almost 60 degrees, less than 2 days ago. A bunch of people then proceeded to sit down and stretch.

With about 10 minutes to the 5:40am start, I found my way over to the starting line, right behind the 3:10 pace group leader. It started to get really tight after that, and I didn't have much room to move. The national anthem played, which started the countdown to send off the wheelchair racers. I had about 3 minutes left to drop my throw aways. I took off the sweats I bought, and put a little Udderly Smooth over my knees to protect them from the wind. My knees are the only part of my legs that never really warm up in the cold. As I waited for the gun (and fireworks), I thought that I might be a little under dressed for this.

I really enjoyed the starting fireworks, as simple as they were... it was something I've never started running by. It took me a whopping 9 seconds to get over the starting line from where I was. Starting here was so much more relaxing... no catching up or weaving to do. I decided to stay with the 3:10 pace team and see how I felt before I went off on my own. I was surprised by the number of spectators at the start, especially since it was 27 degrees, and 5:40am.

For those of you who don't need a mile by mile description of my experience, and just want to skip to the splits, the link is at the bottom of the post. Enjoy! :)

We started out along the blue marathon start (left side of the roadway) and settled into a comfortable pace as we ran around the outside of Epcot. Since I was worried about the cold, I stayed in a well boxed in area right behind the pace group. It looked like there were about 35-40 of us in the group. As we approached the first mile marker, I looked at my watch, and noticed we were nowhere near the 7:15 I had expected. The pace leader (or someone around him) reminded us all that he was going to pick up the pace after warming up a bit, and he reassured us that we would pass the half way point at pace.
First mile split: 7:49.

The second mile was still all outside the park, and I remained in the middle of the pace group pack. I jokingly thanked everyone for cutting the wind for me, as I was wearing racing shorts, and got a few chuckles back. One runner commented that I looked serious with the sunglasses on at night. I reassured him that it was just a comfort thing, they kept the wind out of my eyes, and didn't bounce around like my regular glasses did. They were prescription amber lenses, which would take the edge off the sun when it came up. I could see fairly well with them. About 10 minutes after the start, we could hear the fireworks going off for the second wave. I glanced at my heart rate a couple times, and realized that even at this slower pace, I was not running between 165-170bpm.
Second mile: 7:29.

On the third mile we entered Epcot, winding through a west entrance, and took some really sharp turns. This caused us all to bunch up and panic stop a couple times. The patches of ice on the roadway in this section were not helping either. At first, I found it entertaining to listen and talk with everyone while following the pace group. Through this section though, the sudden changes in speed and the inability to see where the course went in front of us was frustrating. (I was shorter than most of the pace group runners) Another set of fireworks went off as we were rounding the countries. I have a vivid memory of this point as I began to sweat, and took off my hat and gloves. I moved to the right side of the group to minimize tripping risk, as I found a spot to secure my hat and gloves. I looked up and got a real sense of how big this event was, and paused (mentally) to take everything in. I was very happy to be racing in this event.
Third mile split: 7:25.

After three consecutive off pace miles, I started to get antsy. I was running slower than I had on my last long run, and I was supposed to be racing. I was feeling great, and I wanted to run my own race. I made my way around the left side of the group, then settled into my own comfortable pace. I watched my heart rate closely, and once it started going above 180, I started to back off slightly until it leveled out. I didn't want to run at the same heart rate I have in previous marathons, as they have all ended in discomfort. Running through the starting area again allowed me to get a good look at the start wave 3 runners on the red marathon course. It was surreal to see so many people filling the highway to our right. After I put some distance on the pace team I moved over to the right side of the road to get away from the smoking spectators on the left side.
Fourth mile split: 7:05.

Miles 5 through 9, I joined a couple of nice guys (who were brothers) that had run the half marathon the day before. One was from Miami, the other from a state up north, and I think their names were Pat and George. They told me the pace they wanted to run, and I warned them of the huge pace group behind us. It was clear that the pace group had picked up the pace, as they had nearly caught up to us by the end of mile 5. We picked it up to stay in front of them, and conversed about previous marathons. I asked them what they thought of the weather, and the guy from Miami said he brought salt tablets, and probably wouldn't need that many. He offered to give me some after I said that I finish all marathons with a salt covered face. At about mile 7, I had nearly forgotten that I needed to take gels, as I had been training without them since October. Cold fingers and running in the dark made it difficult to open. We all had a laugh as I realized it was frozen, and had to chew it. Through the next fluid station, I stopped to walk a couple steps, and wash it all down with a full cup of sports drink. Pat and George started calling out my name, so I could find them and catch up. When we ran through a dark stretch of road, I commented that I couldn't see the road, and one of them pulled me off the shoulder to guide me. I've only experienced this kind of sportsmanship during marathons... it's refreshing. As we started getting closer to Magic Kingdom, I ran through one of the water stops that the two guys stopped at, and I maintained my pace. They continued to run behind me, but never caught back up. I felt bad for leaving them, but I needed to press on at my own pace.
Splits for miles 5-9: 7:05, 7:04, 7:02, 7:09, 7:03.

While approaching the Contemporary Resort, I experienced my first "hill" of the race. It was a tunnel underpass that had a nice decline into an incline of the same grade. I believe this tunnel went under a body of water, so it wasn't all that short. I took this opportunity to open up my stride and use the downhill to bank a few seconds for the upcoming hill. I made sure to keep my heart rate in check on the way up, and slowed down a bit so I didn't over exert myself. Entering Magic Kingdom, the two guys yelled my name, and I waved back at them. I turned the corner, and I was on my own. If Pat or George end up reading this, Thank You! I hope you had a great race after we split up.
Mile 10 split: 7:06.

Running through Magic Kingdom, I got goosebumps running by cheering crowds... picking up the pace without realizing it. The course through the park was fairly easy to navigate, and wasn't as winding as Epcot. I don't remember much of the park scenery, since it was still dark. I do remember running through Tomorrowland (my favorite theme in Magic Kingdom) and Cinderella's Castle.
Magic Kingdom mile (11) split: 6:48.

For the next five miles to Animal Kingdom, we ran through the protected wetlands of the Disney property... there wasn't much scenery. In races, I have a tendency to focus on the runner in front of me. The few that I could see as the sun started to come up had clouds of water vapor rising above them. This part of the run was very serene, except for the occasional Disney character(s) on the course. I passed the half way point at 1:34:04, well under the pace I needed for a BQ, but I wasn't about to start celebrating yet. At Hartford 2009 I started feeling sluggish at mile 17, and mile 20 in 2007. I chewed on another gel pack just after the half, and grabbed a water at the next fluid station. It was more like slush, and I had to chew some of the ice to get it down. Once I was finished I squeezed the cup with my right hand and attempted to throw it in one of the trash bins, only to have my fingers lock in position. My right hand was too cold to let go! I pried it out with my other hand, and put my gloves back on. I was happy I didn't discard them.
Splits for miles 12-16: 7:08, 7:02, 7:02, 7:02, 6:58.

I missed the 16 mile marker, and thought it was probably at the water station where I had experienced technical difficulties. Animal Kingdom had some good twists and turns, but the course was wide enough to accommodate. I enjoyed the change in scenery and maintained a sub 7 pace. This is where I started to pick off a few runners here and there. As I passed the 18 mile marker, I reflected on my Hartford 09 crash. I grabbed a Clif shot at the next food station, and held onto it... at least this one wasn't frozen as much!
Splits for Animal Kingdom: (17-18) 6:58, 6:58.

The next part of the course was the out and back portion that I remembered so many people had complained about when they reviewed the course. I personally love out and back sections, except for the sharp turn. This is where I get to see runners far in front of me, and behind me without too much effort. As I approached the 20 mile marker still feeling good, I looked at the clock and saw 2:22:22 tick by. I got a little teary eyed as an overwhelming sense of accomplishment came over me. I've made it past every other marathon crash I've had. Time to bring it in. I took one of my caffeinated Gu Roctane gels during mile 22, and followed it up with a short walk break through the fluid station.
Splits 19-22: 7:06, 7:02, 6:54, 7:17.

Through Hollywood Studios, I passed even more runners that were slowing down or walking by now. I couldn't help but smile, and think... I've been there before. Running down "Main St" toward the painted city scape was great. There were more spectators out here too, which made it go by that much quicker.
Splits 23-24: 7:03, 7:11.

As I came up on the boardwalks, I glanced to my right as I passed a runner and noticed my tell tale dehydration sign: my eyes took 2-3 seconds to focus. I usually can run two more good miles after I see this sign, before I will crash hard. Luckily, there are only 2.2 left. On the cold boardwalks, I could feel my feet slipping on the tiny ice crystals that had formed on the wood. It wasn't enough to make you fall down, but traction wasn't all there. Some of the tight turns through this area forced you to slow down, especially with the traction problems. Combine that with tired runners, lamp posts, benches, and cones, and you get the most difficult area to navigate.
Mile 25 split: 7:26.

Running around the countries of Epcot to finish was familiar, but I was on my last legs. I was pushing hard without going anywhere. I heard spectator after spectator cheer "Go David", "Go Hartford", "You're almost there!" and it was still the toughest mile in the whole race for me. I know I had an angry looking grimace plastered on my salty face for most of this mile. I spent most of my time searching for that 26 mile marker. Once I found the mile marker I watched the clock hit 3:06:00. Only .22mi left to go!!

26th mile split: 7:33

Passing Spaceship Earth, I picked up the pace as much as my legs would let me, and attempted to close the gap on the few runners I saw in front of me just before the turn. There were lines of spectators now, and only a few runners. I remember only seeing two in front of me, and nobody behind me. As I rounded the last turn into the finishing area, I heard the announcer comment on one of the runners in front of me. He just finished the Goofy Challenge! I raised up my arm in triumph as I crossed the line, running my first marathon without a crash.

Net finish time: 3:07:33

Garmin results

Everything about this race was very well planned. The medical tents were right outside the finish, and the medical staff questioned me as I walked to get my medal. Medal distribution was well spaced, I could imagine lots of people going through without trouble. The food tent personnel were very helpful (my hands were full so they stuffed everything in a baggie for me). Massages were offered right before the baggage claim, which emptied back into the staging area where we started everything earlier. In the staging area, I got to watch Deb finish her first marathon on the big screen.

We had such a great time, and we will be back to run it again.