34: Disney Half Marathon (2:50:57/13:03)

The Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon was my third half marathon, and my first big out-of-town race, and not at all what I expected. I'm used to New Yorkers on my heels - fast out of the gate, fit and serious. Not so much at Disney!

When I finally got to the holding area last night it was 8PM. They require you to be there by 7:30PM for a 10PM start because organizing 10,000 people with cars and bags is a bit complicated. By the time I got through traffic, alteratively driving 80pm in 30mph zones and sitting still in traffic for patches, the corals were in full party mode. I sat on the sidelines with my eyes shut, rubbing my foot, and trying to lower my heartrate and focus, but it was hard.

Roughly a quarter of the participants around me were dressed up in costumes - some with twinkle lights blinking in their hair and clothing. There were teams of Incredibles, Tinkerbells with wings, packs in Princess skirts, brides and grooms running together, and an array of Mickey and Minnie Mouse ear headbands.

Fuel belts were overflowing with things to eat and drink along the way. People carried cameras, iPhones, big over-the-head earphones, and I saw a lot of the highest end Garmins. The girls who weren't in costume were totally matchy-matchy with running skirts, brightly colored knee socks, and the Sweaty Bands grosgrain ribbon headbands they were selling at the Expo. It all reminded me of... well, me... 10 months ago.

I also noticed, there was a lot of tape on knees; and I wondered, are these good runners? Is there going to be a massive meltdown at some point along the course when all these superheros and enthusiasts start shedding their cartoon accessories...

The first half mile wasn't so much running as it was a cattle migration along a highway. There was lots of cheering and talking. Why didn't people start running? It was very strange. I was so tired. I just wanted to get going and get it all over with.

Within about 7 minutes, I found myself jogging comfortably behind two little Asian gals who were dressed alike, and running in unison. I imagined they had trained together for a long time. They never seemed to fall out of step and shifted seamlessly in the crowd. There was a Ninja quality to their synchronization, so I tried pretending they were my bodyguards, leading the way for me in this pack of freaks! I let them pace me for four boring miles of dark highway.

Then I needed a walk break and Ninjas don't walk for nobody, so I had to drop back. There was an emptiness rising in me, a sense that there wasn't much gas left in the tank; but I still had 9 miles to go. Both of my feet were sore, and the right one was throbbing with pain, and then all of a sudden I felt a bad pinch in my calf that quickly shot up into my hamstring. Oh no! Big trouble... What was that? I ran, walked and limped through it as much as I could, hoping it would go away.

From miles 6 to 10 we ran through the Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, which provided a much needed distraction. Staff lined the way, some in full body costume, and cheered enthusiastically! I got into it doling out the high-5s, smiling, and taking water and Gatorade. Runners with their own cameras pulled off the course for photos with Disney characters who stood in front of step-and-repeats.

After mile 10, I was in desperate pain. I tried using some cooling gel from a medical station, stretching, walking. Nothing helped. I lost all hope of finishing with a respectable time, and so did what most of the rest of the crowd was doing by then and took an ungodly number of walk breaks.

The homestretch of the race was like a war zone. Many people seemed to be struggling to walk it in. The road was littered with discarded Shot Blocks, gels, cups and costume parts. I crossed the finish line running, but my time was nothing close to a PR. I took myself directly to the "self help" nursing station and had ice bound to my foot. I ignored the hamstring and calf because I didn't know whether I was supposed to ice them. The medical tent was so innundated there wasn't anyone to ask.

Eventually, I started to shiver from being wet and cold; someone gave me my first ever heat blanket (wow they totally work!) and it was only then that I started to revive enough to notice the total chaos around me. Beyond the medical station, runners were lining the sides of the finish area, lying on the ground attempting to recover enough to get to baggage. Every few minutes you'd hear a crowd scream, "Nurse!" as a runner fainted, or crumbled under the pain of a leg cramp. Everywhere people were hold ice and looking absolutely wrecked. We were a sea of amateurs.

I waited in the most disorganized baggage retreival line I've ever experienced. Strange for a place like Disney where everything runs with Germanic precision. I mean, they can tell you to the minute how long you're going to have to wait to get onto the Peter Pan ride, but a bunch of plastic bags with numbers on them is a problem? After I finally got my bag, I walked through Epcot to the tram. The half mile felt like an eternity. My eyes were shutting and my leg was in stabbing pain with every step. I stopped for a mini fondue with croutons though. I break for fondue - even at what was by then 3AM!

When I got home I sat in an ice bath for 10 minutes, followed by a hot shower, and then lay in bed for a long time with my leg elevated, trying to fall asleep. I didn't feel accomplished or elated in any way. I felt in pain. I've never run in pain like that for so long - new pain.

I slept for 5 hours and then got up and went swimming, which felt good. 24 hours later, I'm still feeling pain in my calf and hamstring, but absolutely no pain or soreness anywhere else, which is great news! I am going to rest as much as possible this week while on business in Mexico. Staten Island Half Marathon in 6 days. Oh, and Yurbuds? Absolutely amazing. Best sound quality ever and they never fell out even once. Highly recommend!

Chip Time 2:50:57 (Pace 13:03)
Overall Place 4758 / 7275
Gender Place 2681 / 4598
Division Place 521 / 817
Age Grade 39.9%
5K Split 34:57 (Pace 11:15)
10K Split 1:12:34 (Pace 11:41)
15K Split 1:56:18 (Pace 12:29)