Goofy Challenge Race Report: Part One - Half Marathon

Thank you for bearing with me and the delay of these posts. We spent a couple extra days at Disney World after the races, and updating the blog via Blackberry wasn't going to look pretty. But now that I'm back at a PC, I'll provide more comprehensive recaps. Pardon the picture quality, however. My phone is a pretty poor camera, especially when I snap while running.

First recap - the Half Marathon race on Saturday, Jan 10th, 2009.

It was a beautiful day for running, with the 5:50am starting time temperature hovering around 40 degrees. Mom and I got up at 3am, dressed, Body Glide-ed and headed over to EPCOT by way of monorail. All was quiet in the land of Disney except for the +15,000 runners and supporters buzzing around the parking lot.

We purchased "Race Retreat" packages ahead of time, so we were allowed to enter a heated tent. Pre-race breakfast and bathrooms were provided, and it gave us a chance to sit on comfortable seats and wait out the 90 minutes prior to entering the corrals. Definitely worth the money.

Interior of the Race Retreat Tent

Mom's breakfast

Mom was nervous the entire time, this being her first half marathon. The corrals were large and full of people. We settled into Group C, Wave 2 and waited.

Us at the start line around 5:30am

The Crowd

When the gun went off, so did a large set of fireworks. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy cheered everyone on as they ran under the start line scaffolding and out along the street.

Mickey at the Start Line

The first four miles of the race take you along the highway between EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom. The first small victory you experience is the Magic Kingdom welcome entrance between miles 3-4.

Welcome to the Magic Kingdom...at 6:30am

After that, the course winds around the Richard Petty Driving Experience and into the ticket and transportation area. Crowds of supporters gather here to cheer everyone on. The course was flat and we kept an even pace. The energy of the race picks up through the TTC and over to the Contemporary. More people, more sights.

The Contemporary Hotel before the sun came up

Just after the 5th mile, we entered the park. This is where it gets good. Characters, music and the sights of Disney World all take over. It doesn't feel like running anymore, it's totally distracting.

We enter from a side lot, go down Main Street and then through Tomorrow Land.

Entering Tomorrow Land...on the run

From Tomorrow Land, we headed through Fantasy Land.

The Teacups


From Fantasy Land we ran through Cinderella's Castle.

This moment is why you run the race

After the castle, we turned right into Frontier Land. I made Mom stop so we could get a picture with Splash Mountain in the distance.

Smile for the camera phone!

Then from Frontier Land we went out of the park and set off for the return run to EPCOT.

I felt good through the entire race. Mom was sweaty, but ran faster than she expected she could. Although the return miles to EPCOT seem long, it's only 3.5 miles from park-to-park. After two rolling hills (overpasses and on ramps) we re-entered EPCOT. I knew we would break 3 hours by this time. Mom didn't know, and didn't believe that we would. But at mile 12, we were far below the 3 hour mark, so we ran hard the last mile past the big ball, through Future World and past the Hallelujah chorus. Then it was out the back of the park and into the parking lot where the FINISH LINE greeted us. Chip Time: 2:37:38!

Finish line photo pictures, medals and space blankets - all were collected. We returned to the Race Retreat to get a real breakfast, and for me, start loading up for the marathon 22 hours later.

Post-race eggs, salsa and potatoes.

The rest of the day found us milling about Disney's Hollywood Studios on the new Toy Story 4D ride (awesome) and taking in older attractions like Star Tours and the Muppets 3D show. Dinner at the Wilderness Lodge restaurant "Artist's Point" helped fuel me up for the next day's race. After an early dinner it was right to bed. Another 3am wake up time would come all too soon...

Me and Mom with our medals.

Mom and Dumbo

(Stay tuned for Pt 2 - Full Marathon recap)

I'm Officially Goofy!

Sorry for the delayed post, I'm off line for a while.

More posting this weekend. Mean time - mission accomplished!!

Disney Half with Mom, 2:38.
Disney Full 21 hrs later, 4:15.

It's been a great trip and still a couple days to go.

It's Time for the Goofy Challenge!!

Packing? Done
Print Boarding Pass? Done
Hi Protein/Carb Diet? In Process
No Running Today and Tomorrow? Begrudgingly, yes.

It’s time for the Goofy Challenge!




Although the races don’t officially begin until Saturday morning at 6am, I have already started buzzing around with final preparations. Tonight’s red eye flight from LA to Florida leaves around 10 and gets me in just before 6am. I hope to sleep on the plane, but I’m not banking on it. From the airport, I take a shuttle to our Disney Resort where I will check in, eat breakfast and nap before my mom shows up in the later part of the morning.

We will head to the Marathon Weekend Expo to pick up our packets, bags and some final food stuff. We’ll spend the rest of tomorrow relaxing, maybe visiting the pool or a park until a 5pm dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian.

Saturday morning, 3am, we will wake up and board the monorail to the start line of the Half Marathon. Weather outlook is 56-76 degrees and sunny all day. Decent running weather. Mom will be nervous, I will be sleepy. We purchased “Race Retreat” passes so that we will get breakfast and a matted area to stretch and relax upon before the gun goes off at 6:00am. We will be in corral B for the race.

After touring the parks on foot and getting a medal for it (great deal, huh?), we’ll chill by the pool, get our nails done and hang out the rest of the day. An early dinner at 4:45pm will cap off the night. Then it’s back to bed so I can wake up at 3am and do it all over again, doubled.

I’ll hop the monorail at 3:30am, back to the same start line, for the same gun time, 6:00am. I will be in corral 2 for the marathon. Hopefully somewhere in the range of 4-5 hours later, I’ll cross the finish line, get my Goofy medal, and be ready for the rest of the vacation!

And the rest of our vacation? It’s planned around parks and food. Here’s a summary of how hard my life will be over the next week:

Reservations for Lunch or Dinner:
1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian)
Tutto Italia (EPCOT)
Todd English’s BlueZoo (Swan Resort)
Artists Point (Wilderness Lodge)
Le Chefs France (EPCOT)
Narcossee’s (Grand Floridian)
Fulton's Crab House (Downtown Disney)
California Grill (Contemporary)

Parks:
2 days at Magic Kingdom
2 Half Days at MGM/Hollywood Studios
2 Half Days at EPCOT
1 Day at Animal Kingdom


Final Pre-Race Reflection: I signed up for the Goofy Challenge at the very end of January in 2008. I have spent the year training for these 39.3 miles. In that time, a lot has changed both in the world of exercise, the world economy, and the world that is my career. For all of the tumultuousness of 2008, what has remained constant is my commitment to myself to train for the race, do my best, and push myself a bit farther than I thought I could go. I did not become a runner, per se, until a couple years ago (and after I graduated college). Here I am, now, taking on a challenge some would think crazy. And it is, I concede that. At the risk of sounding trite, I believe that what I have learned from this experience (the training) is to think in longer terms. 12 months of training for a sport that requires you simply to put one foot in front of the other…it takes a bit of concentration. I identified my limits, and then tried to exceed them. This final weekend isn’t the final test though. The test was getting through the training. These rests are the celebration that I have completed it!


RUNNING TRACKING:
Track our progress for Saturday and Sunday!
Half Marathon
Full Marathon

RUNNING RESULTS:
Will eventually be posted here: Disney Weekend Results

Back to Business

It was an impossibly long flight back west due to head winds and Southwest Airline's inability to depart on time. But I made it back. Ate and tucked in around 8pm pst. Now for the more familiar.

5:20am alarm. Cup of coffee. Half a Cliff Z Bar.

Time to rock and roll for 9 miles.

Goofy in 5 days!

Year End Round Up

As the final hours of 2008 slip away, I present you with a year in statistics, key moments in the life of a runner. Many of these statistics have been diligently tracked using Fitness Journal, and many of the memorable moments that have occurred with the West Side - Team in Training. Enjoy.

Totals for 2008:

Miles Run: 1670.65
Miles Cycled: 1326.60
Hours Exercised: 414.6
Number of Workouts: 486
Calories Burned (Approx): 609,882
Half Marathons: 3
Full Marathons: 2
Other Distance Events: 1 (An 18K Trail Race)
Personal Bests Set: 3

Memorable Moments in Exercise - 2009:

Breaking four hours in the Mayor's Marathon in Anchorage, and more generally speaking, getting to travel to Alaska and see how amazing it is up there.



Running the Disney World Full Marathon for the first time, and then getting a massage the next day! And making my Mom run the 5K in the Animal Kingdom. Little did she know that she'd be doing the Half Marathon in '09!


Buying a bike in March. One of the best investments I've ever made.

Signing up and then running the Point Mugu Trail Run, and having no idea it would be so insanely steep.

Mentoring the Spring Season of Team in Training. And getting to hang out with these folks:


Celebrating my birthday by running 24 laps around my neighborhood (12 miles) before going to work.

Setting a personal best at Santa Barbara (with Lindsey!) at the half marathon there in October.

Signing up for the American River 50. Hopefully it's completion will be celebrated on next years list.



Have a safe and healthy New Year's eve. Enjoy the festivities! See you in '09.

Story of a Faceplant

I am known for falling when I go running. A couple seasons ago, I feel on my face during two consecutive weeks, and banged up my knee each time. But I argue that, for as many miles as I log each year, I have a very low miles-to-faceplant ratio.

This is evidence to the contrary.

Friday morning. 20 degrees outside. 8:00am.

Mom and I go for her longest (and peak) run of the season - 12 miles. It's a new course in a neighboring town. It's rural (no sidewalks, narrow streets, some without lines) and woodsy. The whole day is planned. We will run, go to breakfast and then I will go back and add another 6 miles on the treadmill.

About 1.5 miles into the run, I see a sidewalk. We should run on that. "Watch out, though," I say to her as I step up on the sidewalk. "It's slippery."

And, midway through the word "slippery" I fall. Sideplant. Right on the left knee and hip. But it doesn't hurt too much. We continue to run.

Although its freezing and I'm wearing shorts, I feel like the slip helped my left leg warm up. It feels a little warmer. We continue to run some more.

At mile 2.5 we climb to the top of a hill. I turn around to cheer my mom on to get to me at the top. But as I do, her face looks at me in horror. "Em, your leg!"

I look down. My whole left leg is a waterfall of blood. My sock is totally red and my shoe is soaking up some of it. I don't have a band aid or a napkin. All I have is our map. So paper product it is. I mop up, and we decide that the bleeding isn't stopping, we have to run back and clean me up. I was bleeding all over my cool new Christmas present, the Brooks Nightlife shirt.


So I don't stop bleeding until the car ride home. We bandage me up and head out to finish the rest of the 12 miles around our town. Less fun that exploring some place new, but a good run nonetheless.

Turns out the scrapes weren't all that bad. They're very shallow, but because I was flexing my knee and had no pressure to put on it, I just kept on bleeding.

Post Script - 15 miles this morning and no knee problems. Just a bloody shoe.

Top of the Mountain

7:30am - Going to do the final peak workout before the Goofy Challenge, and before Mom's first half marathon.

12 miles outside (its 20 degrees out!) with Mom for her final big run. Then picking up some produce at Whole Foods, then back here to finish the final 6 miles of my long run (I'm not going to peak at 20 - I've got enough miles on my legs this week).


Image: littlebangtheory.wordpress.com

Baby, It's Cold Outside

It's bound to happen.

Transplant someone from 60-70 degree weather to 10-20 degree weather via a nightmarish three-flight redeye itinerary - a cold will find you.

Sinus headaches, congestion and runny nose have all befallen me over the past three days. Luckily, there is an exercising rule that has (so far) benefited me. If you are sick "above the shoulders" you are okay to exercise. So ENT stuff like sinuses don't have to hold me back. Anything below the shoulders (stomach, chest, etc) are grounds for copious amounts of rest. The only stomach problem I seem to have lately is being hungry. So onward with training.

The other setback I have experienced this week is rather junvenile. I hurt my shoulder and back playing Nintendo Wii. Yeah. I'm that person. I played all of the Wii Sports games, and I think somewhere between Tennis and Baseball, I got a little too into it. I'm still very sore. It's been two days.

Despite the grey and wet weather here in CT, I'll still get 50 miles in this week. I've got 14 thus far, with 9 more planned for tomorrow, 18 for Friday (12 outside with Mom, and 6 on the treadmill), and 9 for Sunday. Fuel won't be a problem - tomorrow night's Xmas dinner is an antipasta platter, salmon, vegetables and mashed potatos. Yum! Merry Christmas!

Image: itreviews.co.uk