Confessions of a Wanna be Runner

Note: I am taking a break from continuing my “Year of Change” series to fill you in on a secret I’ve been keeping. I didn’t want to share about my experience because in a way it was a failure…but that is exactly why I need to share so that I (as well as others) can “see” the success in not succeeding the way I intended to .  So here goes….(and this is a long one, sorry)

I can’t believe I just said that…yep I was boarding my flight home from Florida and I actually told the guy in line behind me that I had run the Disney World Princess Half Marathon. I wasn’t intending to not be truthful, but trying to explain that I flew to Florida to run a race…and didn’t finish just doesn’t fall off the tongue as easily as one might think.  And in all honesty, I did run (well walked really fast) most of it.

Lets start at the beginning. I am NOT a runner. I want to be, I dream of being…I need one of those visualization dream boards with running girls and cute running shoes all over it…but deep down it is in my heart to get there.  But back to, “I am not a runner”….last January my friend Christine started talking about doing the Disney World Princess Half Marathon together.

We had a plan; do Couch to 5k until Fall, then start the Disney Half Marathon Training Plan. Easy Peasy….eeeh not so much. I did pretty well for the first few weeks, despite all the craziness of the “move” starting. It all fell short when in March I slipped on the rocks outside my house and sprained my ankle, not just a little sprain but a sprain that would not heal for months.  So…well, I focused on the move and not only didn’t try running, To be honest , I was barely walking.

Fast forward to the end of summer. The move was complete and honestly, this would have been the perfect time to get started again. But I was not really doing well with the adjustment of the move and well the race was still several months away. I had “time”.   I kept saying, “I will start in November”, “I’ll go when its not raining”, “Ill go this weekend”….then it became “I’ll start in December”….I think you get the picture. Before I knew it, it was January. I had a few helpless little walks in but nothing “train-worthy”.

So, I attempted to get motivated. I really did work hard despite struggling with mis-fitting shoes and terrible shin splints. I did a fairly good job of getting a speed walk in 3-4 times a week. I was working up to longer distances but on most days didn’t go past 2 miles. My longest to workouts prior to the actual race were only a 3.2 mile and a 4 mile walk. I was coming to a new realization…no matter how hard I tried, running wasn’t happening and my walk was slower than Disney’s 16 minute per mile requirement. On average, I was 16.5 to 17.5 minutes per mile and on bad shin splint days in was more in the 18’s & 19’s.

I spent some time crying-deciding I was a failure. I literally went through every emotion possible with every workout. I would start out gung hoe, then after the shin splints came I filled with doubt, then I would hit a second wind and speed up only to be so exhausted that I wasn’t sure how I would make it home. By the time we got home each time, I was elated….”I’ve got this” swirled in my head.  Then we would start the whole process over again. My husband was SOOOOOO supportive. I don’t know how I would have gotten as much training in as I did without him. He kept me going on most days, rubbed my feet when they were sore and let me be lazy after a hard workout. I love that man….but that’s a whole other blog!  There was a few times in the beginning when he said maybe I should defer my race a year. I heavily considered it, but became determined to finish what I started….what ever that meant for me. 

I decided to set a new goal. And more importantly, prepare my mind for what I was going to do(and capable of). I spent some time reading blogs on past #rundisney races and particularly the #princesshalf. I found several helpful tips from these and decided to set new goals.
#1-I was going to show up to that start line…no matter what!!!  
#2- I was going to aim to finish and would not quit the race unless the race quit me (more on that later)
#3-I really really really wanted to make it to the castle! The epitome of the Princess Half Marathon, but that was 6 miles…..remember I had never trained past 4. To say I was a little skeptical is putting it lightly.
#4-quite possibly the most important, I was going to believe in myself. A hard feat for sure.

Ignorance was bliss all day at the
expo

So I headed off to Florida a few days before the race and made a huge mistake….we went to Magic Kingdom ALL day on the day after I arrived. Then on Thursday, we went to the expo. More walking.  Friday we went to St. Augustine to explore…again, more walking. My feet almost always swell when flying and when walking a lot in heat. So guess what…..I had really fat feet. My shoes didn’t fit. I couldn’t even squeeze them on. I was panicked; I didn’t know what to do. I was resolved to go purchase some new ones. Then on Saturday morning, I had the crazy idea to wear Evan’s shoes (my 14 year old). He wears a men’s 8 so that is like a women’s 9. (which I have now discovered that I need that size in a running shoe). I felt hopeful. I still had swollen feet but the shoes felt good and I was strangely excited about the race.

I will gloss over the boring details of the fact that we carb-loaded for the couple days prior to the race. (definitely read up on this if you are doing a long race)We tried to go to bed early the night before the race. I hydrated well on Saturday so that I didn’t drink too much the morning of the race.  I ate a half of a Cliff Bar, a banana and a package of Cliff Bloks for breakfast.  Then off to the race….

I was more excited that I imagined. I was cute…all mermaided up! Little did I know that tutu’s just might be a runners evil. I don’t think I will ever run in a tutu again. The running wasn’t so bad., it was the bathroom visits that about killed me. (try going in a port-a-potty with said tutu!)  I was in corral M, one corral ahead of Christine and her mom. I was focused and determined and ready to finish this thing. Then I started. I was in a daze. I kept going even when the shin splints hit. Runners and walkers were passing me alike but since I had messed up my timing on Map My Run…I was honestly not sure of how I was doing. The mile marker signs had the time from the beginning of corral A, so I couldn’t really tell how long I had been out there. I stopped once for the bathroom. I made myself get PowerAde at every station but I tried to avoid the bathrooms again. It was a tutu disaster that I didn’t want to revisit!

Around mile 4 we passed the parking tollbooths for Magic Kingdom.
If I was going to quit before that, I found new drive when I realized that I was that close to the castle. I also started wondering where Christine and Vickie were. I was surprised they hadn’t caught me because they could do a much faster pace than me. I texted them around mile 4.5 only to learn that they were right behind me.  I needed to see my friend. I was waning and there was a hill!!!!! She took my hand and literally drug me through the Magic Kingdom. It was amazing when we entered main street and could see the castle. I felt happy and relieved and out of breath!  After we passed through the castle, I knew my pace was slowing and I was pretty sure the balloon ladies were on our tail. I begged Christine to leave me, I was afraid for the first time that I really was going to get swept (where they pick you up on a bus because your pace is too slow). She finally agreed and took off. I kept prodding along, still having not seen the balloon ladies, (The Balloon Ladies are the official 16 minute pace setters-if they pass your, your race may be over)

They are right behind me...eek!

I passed the 10K timing marker! Yay! I did a 10K…that in itself was an accomplishment.  As I rounded the corner to the next drink station, the workers started yelling  “keep going, the balloon ladies are right behind you!” then I heard one say “we aren’t kidding, they are right there!”. I got nervous, but my foot was hurting so bad at this point that all I could do is keep going, at my NOT 16 minute pace. I looked behind me around the 7 mile marker and could see the balloon ladies a few people behind me. I keep going but within the quarter mile they passed me. And before I knew it they were so far ahead that I couldn’t see them. The medics rode up and let us know that there was a hard sweep ahead and we had better "GO" if we could to get ahead of the balloon ladies. I couldn’t…I could keep going at my pace….but not at theirs. So I did the next best thing. At this point I knew that I was getting picked up by a bus so I enjoyed my last half mile the best I could.

I had not stopped for any of the character photos because I didn’t want to get behind pace. So since I knew it was over for me, I stopped at every one I saw from that point on. Unfortunately, there was only two but I enjoyed it and by the time I saw the bus across the road, I was surprisingly contented with my 8 mile END.

Do YOU SEE the bus literally parked across the road!!!
My time was 8 miles in 2.5 hours

Making the best of the end...."We got swept Selfies"

I held it together until I talked to Jimmy and then I started crying. He said all the right things but I still was disappointed in myself.   I cried again when Christine and Vickie got back to the hotel. But after reflection, this is what I have decided are things to be proud of:

#1- I showed up on race day

#2-While my training lacked….all that exercise was/is good for me

#3-I didn’t quit. I couldn’t keep up but I didn’t take myself out.

#4-I went double the distance that I had previously done (8miles) EVER!!!

#5-I made it through the castle!!!!!

#6-Lastly, I am determined to learn from my training mistakes and conquer this race again-I am currently aiming for 2018.

That said, here is my advice for anyone wanting to do a Run Disney race. First of all, they are so fun. I love Disney so it is a natural fit for me.  But ladies (or men) they are a race. I was in lala land believing that my little 6 weeks of couch to 4 miles was going to get me to the end in the allotted time, so……

#1-Train

#2-Train

#3-Train

#4-Get properly fitted at an actual running store for shoes (I cannot tell you how much that has changed my life)

You really do need to set yourself up for success. This isn’t a cheap race. I heard people content with quitting before I even hit 3 miles….I didn’t fly all the way across the country, wear my sons goofy shoes and get up at 3 am to “be ok” quitting and you shouldn’t either.   My best advice would be to actually be able to run below a 16 minute pace for 8 or more miles before even signing up. That way, you know that you have the ability.  Am I still disappointed in myself? Yes, I will always regret that I didn’t take it as seriously as I could have until it was too late. I didn’t set out to not finish and I am pound of what I DID accomplish but the simple fact is, I didn’t finish the half and I will always remember that. 

So I am going to keep training, keep racing…I am already signed up for 2 -5K’s an 8k….cutting the distance down a bit til I get the pace UP!! Then in 2018…I plan to RUN PRINCESS RUN and finish the race! Who's with me?

~Red