Tinkerbell 1/2 Marathon (and DL Half)

Originally Posted By Kidz-n-k9s

<<it will be interesting to see how popular this is>>

Very popular this will be.

 

Originally Posted By sunNrainfall

Everyone ready (who's running) for the race(s) this weekend?! I just got excited today, not sure why it took so long. DL 1/2 was my first half marathon, and I'm excited to be a 10yr legacy runner! Weather should be decent, compared to a lot of the previous year's races. Good luck!

 

Originally Posted By Kidz-n-k9s

Good luck everyone!

This will likely be my worst 1/2 marathon yet. I wrecked my back on Sunday and I'm still in a little bit of pain today when I move it in certain ways. I'm so sad because I am not looking forward to this at all. With my Achilles issue, I was already planning on run/walking, but now I might be walk/walking. I have walked 1/2 marathons before due to injury and I know some people enjoy it, but I don't like how long it takes. I get bored.

If you see a gal in a Mike Wazowski costume looking rather irritated on the course, that will be me.

I'm hitting the expo tomorrow afternoon and hoping for a pin, magnet, and C2C shirt to still be available. I couldn't believe how fast everything went at Tink. I was there 4 hours after it opened on Thursday and they were already running out of merchandise. I heard just about everything was gone by the end of the first expo day at Tink.

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

I'm also just starting to get excited for the races, since I've had a rough week at work. I fly out early tomorrow morning, and will probably hit the expo around lunch time

This will be my 5th time doing this race (it was my first Half, back in 2011), but I just never particularly liked it. I'm excited to see everybody and hang out in the parks, but I'm less excited for the actual race

 

Originally Posted By sunNrainfall

Kidz-I agree about being out on the course so long. A coworker walked the LA marathon. It took her 8 hours. That's just an insane amount of time to be out there. Just be careful, you don't want a serious injury from pushing too hard. I ran Tink one year with a broken pinkie toe, I had broken that week. It was uncomfortable but ok. I ended up screwing up my hip because I was favoring the toe without realizing it.

Just home from the expo. RunDisney included a bag and a shirt for legacy runners-light blue with a 10 on the back and says legacy runner (and yelled out legacy runner and people/volunteers cheered when I got my bib. Haha) Nice!

Gotta get to sleep early for day#1 tomorrow

 

Originally Posted By monorailblue

I'd have returned to run after my 2007 run if the event were not on Sunday. Le sigh. 10Ks and 5Ks are it for me, it seems.

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

I hope everybody had a good race! I didn't really go in with a time goal, but I'm very pleased with how I did. It's certainly a good sign for my fall races! Although it got hot on Sunday, I was done before it got too bad, so I'm sure that helped with my performance

My calves are still pretty tight, and having a direct flight home (with no time to get up and walk around, like during a connecting flight) yesterday probably didn't help. It seems like they're getting better, so I should be on track to bump up my training by the weekend

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

>>I'd have returned to run after my 2007 run if the event were not on Sunday. Le sigh. 10Ks and 5Ks are it for me, it seems.<<

For the most part, the namesake race of any race weekend in the country is on Sunday. The big exception seems to be in the South and some parts of the Midwest, where they tend to be on Saturday. Especially with Disney's insistence that each runner must pick up their own packet at the expo (rather than having a friend or family member get it for them), Sunday races are much easier to accommodate people travelling from out of town

If you're interested in doing another longer Disney race, you might want to consider some of the WDW ones. The Half during Marathon Weekend in January is on Saturday (since the Marathon is Sunday), and Wine & Dine in November is in the late hours of Saturday night, bleeding over into early Sunday morning

 

Originally Posted By monorailblue

The WDW events really aren't within reason due at this point in my life to travel and accommodations costs. DLR events feature much easier travel and the pleasure of staying with my mom at my childhood home. Le sigh, again.

 

Originally Posted By Kidz-n-k9s

My race went better than expected! I averaged just under a 14 minute mile doing walk/jog. I never jogged more than 1/4 mile at a time and it went just fine. I'm happy with how it went considering my injuries.

But what was with the first mile of the course being backstage with the cones in the middle of the lane?? I was in Corral C and we were crunched. Several people were tripping on them. I noticed the same cones in the middle of the lane backstage at DL after we left the train tracks.

I haven't run this course since 2011 and I like the improvement of the car show! Last time I ran, no cars, just a cheer squad right before the river. We slowed WAAAY down and I couldn't believe it went on for over a mile. LOVED IT!

And I have decided to sign up again for PDC in May. But I don't have a good proof of time anymore as my PR is from 1/2014, and all my other races have been runDisney so my times are terrible since I stop so much for photos. I won't likely get a half marathon in before the cut-off, so I'll look for a 10k.

Ferrot - I assume you have this answer. How does a 10k time equate to a Half in the eyes of runDisney? I have two 10ks in the right timeframe, but I need to know if they are good enough for a decent corral placement (C or better). TIA.

 

Originally Posted By sunNrainfall

I didn't have much of time goal either, and did pretty much exactly what I expected and still managed to squeak by in the top 10% of runners. Legacy status still intact!
Now it's time to get down to business with race season now underway. This one is always my slowest of the year. Had a nice long break, now it's time to ramp up my weekly mileage. I'll be in Europe 2 weeks in October, which might screw me up a little. Anyone know where to run in Barcelona? Park, track, beach path? anything (thanks in advance)?

 

Originally Posted By Kidz-n-k9s

Have a great time in Europe!! Sorry I can't help you with where to run there. Have never been.

Signed up for PDC today since the price goes up tomorrow. So much for my vow to take time off from runDisney. I know we don't know if they'll do legacy for the challenges, but at least now I have a shot.

Based on an internet search, looks like they have used the McMillan calculator in the past. My most recent 10k time would put me in Corral B based on last year's placements. I'm fine with that. Was in Corral A this year, but I certainly don't mind being in Corral B.

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

Glad to hear that you had good races too! Overall, it seemed like a pretty good day for everybody I talked to

>>I haven't run this course since 2011 and I like the improvement of the car show!<<

2011 was my first year doing the race, and the cars are definitely the biggest improvement since then. It took what had been the bleakest part of the course (both for scenery, spectators, and mental fatigue) and turned it into a steady stream of fun stuff. I'm always impressed by how many cars are out there (it's what, 2 miles of them?), and their owners are always such gracious spectators

>>DLR events feature much easier travel and the pleasure of staying with my mom at my childhood home.<<

Travel concerns are always a huge factor in any race decision for me, so that makes perfect sense. Although she's too far away to use as a homebase, my grandma lives in soCal and visiting her is a big reason why I do so many of the DLR races. On the bright side, there are plenty of other great non-Disney races in the area (presumably that take place on Saturday) if you're interested

 

Originally Posted By FerretAfros

>>Based on an internet search, looks like they have used the McMillan calculator in the past.<<

That's what they've used in the past, but their current formula seems to be a little bit different. If nothing else, it will put you in the right ballpark for what their calculated time would be

That said, the cut-off times for the corrals vary from one race to another. The breakpoints between corrals is determined by the pre-set capacity of each corral, and then they just see what times that year's runners submit; depending on the field of runners, you could be in a vastly different corral. For example, a 2:00 Half time would have put you in Corral E for this year's WDW Half, but Corral C for this year's Princess Half, even though it's the exact same course and corral sizes

 

Originally Posted By VickiHD

Back home from race weekend. This was my 9th DL 1/2 and did it without being sick. For the last 4 yrs I've been ill during this race so it was nice to be feeling well and ready to go.

I noticed a lot of gridlock spots throughout the course. Seriously, we could not move and it seemed like people were out for a stroll instead of a race. It was a little frustrating at times. Not sure if there were less corrals this year or maybe just more people in them. Even in the stadium people were walking SLOW.
Crossed the finish line same time as a legacy runner and the confetti canon went off which was very cool. I thought it was a nice touch for them to do that for them.

Loved the medal this year !!!!

 

Originally Posted By sunNrainfall

Vicki> That's too bad about the gridlock, I'd be annoyed, too. I actually found it to be less crowded than usual. There were times I turned around and I didn't see anyone for 2 blocks behind me.
I'm a legacy runner and crossed with my friend, also a legacy runner and we didn't get a confetti canon. They said our names and that we were legacy, but no confetti canyon. BOOOOO.

 

Originally Posted By darcy-becker

Can anyone tell me how hilly the course is likely to be?

 

Originally Posted By Kidz-n-k9s

The only hills on any of the courses is the freeway overpass on Ball and for Tinkerbell, we went in and out of a tunnel going into the park. Very flat.

 

Originally Posted By darcy-becker

Thanks. That's what I thought but most of my experience with Anaheim is right around the park so I wasn't sure.

 

Originally Posted By sunNrainfall

I think Star Wars Half is probably the flattest of the 4 DL races.

Have fun everyone! Weather should be perfect the next two days!