This is part four of my six-part series on the 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Part four covers the course preview, including Virtual Run feature. Part 1 (Introduction) can be found HERE. Part 2 (History of the Race & Registration Process) can be found HERE. Part 3 (Training & Planning) can be found HERE. Part 5 (Travel, Event Expo, & Pre-Race) will be posted on Race Weekend. Part 6 (Race Day & Post-Race) will be posted after Race Weekend. The event's official website can be found HERE. The event's official Disney Event Guide can be found HERE. By now, training should be in full swing for all participants in the half-marathon and greater. Part of training, though, is knowing the course, and tailoring your training to meet the demands of the route (namely, elevation profile). Luckily, for those with limited outdoor training access (it is winter-ish, after all), this course is pancake-flat. So treadmill training should be relatively adequate. OF IMPORTANT NOTE, however...treadmills are softer, and require less effort. A weekly long-ish run outdoors is HIGHLY recommended so that your joints and bones are also trained for the blacktop-and-concrete race route. Additionally, on treadmill runs, increase the incline to about 0.5%, which should require enough extra effort to mimic the demands of race day. With that, let's take a look at the race route, with Virtual Run photos (courtesy of Google Earth Street View; most of the interior shots of the Walt Disney World parks are not on Street View, and are photos I took myself, unless otherwise noted). Course Preview The Google Maps route can be found HERE. Intro For this course preview specifically, the half-marathon distance will be covered. Maps for the full marathon course, and5k/10k course can be found using the links right here, or at the marathon weekend's official website, which is linked at the top of the page. Official half-marathon map can be found HERE, or at the marathon weekend's official website. Course Basics/Metrics Here are the basics for the 2014 half-marathon route...
Climbs Not a single damned one. Although, climbing up the freeway exits provides a notable incline each time, but they aren't quite open for analysis via Google Earth. And speaking of Google Earth, the elevation shows as completely flat, which is not quite the case -- this is why I gave both a Google Earth (above) and TrainingPeaks (below) screenshots of the maps. Virtual Run Start Line through 2.5mi: The half-marathon and full marathon routes start in the same place, along Epcot Center Drive, just Northeast of Epcot's parking lots. The first several miles are wide open: no real elevation change, and very little as far as visual stimulation goes. Simply enough, you're just running on highway. Just short of mile marker 1, you see really the only "incline" of the day: a run up a highway exit, transferring from Epcot Center Drive West-bound, to World Drive North-bound. North on World Drive looks very much the same as Epcot Center Drive, save for the occasional Disney World attraction billboard. 2.5-3.5mi: It isn't until roughly 2 1/2 miles in that things start happening. At just past mile 2.5, you come to the parking lot entrance for the Magic Kingdom. Passing by the Richard Petty Driving Experience, runners will keep to the right, eventually cutting across the Southwestern-most corner of the parking lot. Even this run-in, from the parking pass booths to the actual parking lot, is...well...long. 3.5-5.0mi: Past 3.5 miles, at the North end of the lots -- closest to the ticketing counter -- you run under the bridge that normally is reserved for the parking lot trams. Beyond this bridge, you finally come to the ticketing booths and entrance in to the monorail stations -- but you're not at the actual park yet! Passing along the right-most side of the line of ticketing booths, runners continue to keep right, running past the Eastern-most edge of the actual monorail station. This section of road takes runners past a bus station, and back on to World Drive North-bound. Along the Northern trek on World Drive, things become less uneventful as previous. First, runners are hoofing it along the Eastern edge of the Seven Seas Lagoon, a pretty backdrop in its own right. Ahead the massive Disney Contemporary Resort lay on the horizon. This stretch is the final bit before reaching park gates. Magic Kingdom, 5.0mi - The final bits of World Drive come at right near mile marker 5. From here, runners will turn left in to a employee/maintenance entrance towards the park. Then, a quick quarter-mile along a maintenance lot. At roughly 5.30 miles, finally, you come to a side entrance on to Main Street, USA of the Magic Kingdom. 5.25 miles or so is when you jump on to Main Street, USA, and the first steps on actual Disney park. Runners run straight North on Main Street, USA towards the Walt Disney statue that marks the crossroads of the park. At the Disney statue, barely a tenth of a mile later, runners take a right in to the aptly-themed Tomorrowland section of the park. From here, it's a run through the Eastern and Northeastern sections of the park, first with, of course, Tomorrowland, then Fantasyland, including a bit of the former (or is it still??) Toon Town. In Tomorrowland, participants run past the Monster's, Inc. Laugh Factory before taking a left short of the central pavilion (the one with AstroOrbiter on its rooftop). From there, head along the stretch of walkway past the Tomorrowland Speedway. This runs you in to the Eastern-most section of Fantasyland, marked by the Mad Tea Party ride straight ahead. This section, from the opening of Tomorrowland to the opening of Fantsyland makes up about only 0.15mi, from 5.30 to 5.55 miles in to the race. Within Fantasyland, take a right going around the back side of the Mad Tea Party, with the newly-built Cars-themed coaster on your right. This runs you in to Fantasyland's merry-go-round. Again, keep to your left and head straight towards Cindarella's castle. This section of Fantasyland, again is short -- not even two-tenths of a mile -- and runs you up to mile 5.75. Finally, at 5.75mi, runners get to hoof it through the famed Cinderella's Castle, the dominant centerpiece for the Magic Kingdom. The run-in will be from the North end of the castle, which is really the back side heading back towards the park entrance. Like before, head towards the Disney statue and take a right just before it, heading in to Adventureland. The stretch of walkway from the Disney statue through to the Western-most edge of Adventureland makes up the final quarter-mile of the Magic Kingdom experience for runners, from miles 5.75 through to 6.10. Mile marker 6 comes right within Liberty Square. 6.0-7.0mi: The route exits out a maintenance entrance along the Western edge of the park, right next to Splash Mountain (as a matter of fact both the runner's entrance and exit from the park are where the many Magic Kingdom parades also enter and exit). Pass by the many maintenance and storage buildings against the West side of the park on Caribbean Way, and back on to regular Floridian roads. Don't worry! This boring stretch doesn't last long. 7.0-8.0mi: This stretch of road along Floridian Way becomes a little more exciting, as the route runs just to the West of the massive Grand Floridian Resort. However, most of this road is lined by trees on both sides, so many of the beautiful views from the road are obstructed. Disney execs reeeeally don't want you to enjoy the scenery unless you are guests of the hotel. 8.00-9.00mi: Now in this bit of course, there seems to be some confusion as to what is the correct route. All of the past half-marathons recorded (by the GPS watches of participants, i.e.) give it one way, yet the "official" course maps on the runDisney website have it another way. I'll give you both. Regardless of which is correct, the conditions are the same: flat. The only real difference is that the past-reported route runs to the south of the Richard Petty Driving Experience track, and the future-planned route (reported by runDisney) runs back through the parking lot and to the North of the track (basically, past mile 8, the same way out the way you came in). Additionally, near the end of this section of road -- about mile marker 9 -- is where full-marathoners break away from the half-marthoners. 8.0-9.0mi: Excuse my freehand (blue and green). The route in red represents the most oft-reported half-marathon route by past participants. The blue represents the planned half-marathon route (at least, planned for 2014) as reported by the runDisney website. The green is also via runDisney, but represents the full marathon route. 9.0-12.0: Remember that boring highway you ran at the beginning of the race? It's time to do it again. Past the Magic Kingdom parking booths -- and mile marker 9 just beyond it -- it's the same stretch of World Way, this time Southbound back towards Epcot. Again, nothing really remarkable, until the exit back on to Epcot Center Drive, which, again, gives really the only incline seen on-route. The run-in would seem the same as run-out, but luckily, for the final miles, it isn't. A quick switch-back on Epcot Center Drive puts runners in to Epcot's main lot, headed straight on in to the park. Surprisingly, from this switchback, and along the Western edge of the main lots, is nearly a mile long and more before reaching the first stretches of park. Epcot Center, 12.0mi to Finish: Mile 12 comes just as runners are exiting the car park and in to the park's main bus drop-off area. At about 12 and a quarter miles, runners finally get in to the main guts of the park, in through the back side of The Seas (with Nemo) attraction. From there, just head for the "giant golf ball" (Spaceship Earth). Once there, take a right through the main plaza around the fountain. Given that it is winter, presumably EPCOT will still have their winter season display up on the "bridge" in to the World Showcase. You won't be running through the World Showcase itself, though! (a damn shame) Instead, turn around at the first garden island as you come off the bridge (where the "Holiday tree" would be, if their winter decorations are still up) and head back towards Spaceship Earth. The run back out of EPCOT is essentially a reversal of the run in, with the exception that runners will be heading out on the opposite site of Spaceship Earth (east side instead of west side). A brief trot through an employee lot will spit you out in to the main EPCOT parking lot (southeastern-most corner). Suddenly...THE FINISH LINE! Not even a tenth of a mile after emerging through the trees form the employee lot, the finish line appears. It's as simple as that. Next stop is the actual weekend, just over a month away! I will update when possible on the trek in to Orlando, around the Expo, and for the race itself.
Until then... ...well, you know. -tds ~~__o _-/<,_ @/ @
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13.16mi @ 8:03/mi (1:45:53) (PR); 30th/77 in age-group (167th/1523 overall) The event's official site can be found HERE. Official event results can be found HERE. Official King of the Mountain results are HERE. Official Queen of the Mountain results are HERE. Photos, courtesy of KC Running Company, are HERE. All photos in this post are courtesy of KC Running Company. New for 2014 is the Longview Half-Marathon. And new for me is running a distance race in sub-freezing temperatures. Sure, I've done many a 5k in the nastiest of weather (namely, last year's Great Santa Run 5k), and even half-marathons in inclement weather (hail, wind, lightning...the Garmin Half). But never a freezing long-run. Even during my Heartland 39.3 training during the winter, my runs over 6mi were all indoors. But, alas, running is all about finding and pushing your limits. As I train for the Disney Half in January, I can safely say I no longer feel incapable of running long runs in the nasty freezing bits of winter. It's miserable, but it can be done. Yes, the Longview Half-Marathon was....cold. Pre-Race Course Preview For my in-depth race preview with course preview Virtual Run, check out my post HERE. Race Day Parking As expected, parking was quite the process. Entrance in to the park on Pittenger was coming from both north and south Raytown Road. And, given the already-miniscule entrance, combined with trickle-in one-by-one parking, I was actually surprised when it only took 30 minutes to get from the exit off of I-470 at Raytown to my parking spot. And that was having arrived an hour early as well. Many others were seemingly not so lucky. I can only assume that for those that arrived as much as only 15 minutes after I did at Raytown Road, the line to get in to the park was much longer (the parking lot to the north on Longview Road -- which is labelled on the map above -- was blocked off...not sure why). All the way up to the scheduled 8am start time, cars were still working their way in. Organizers decided to push back the start, "5 to 10 minutes" at first, eventually all the way back to 8:15, much to the chagrin of early-arrivers in the starting chute (read: actual groans of protest). As per exiting the park post-race, drivers were allowed to leave while runners were still on course, diverted on to the north-bound lanes heading south (one of the first sections of road to clear of runners). Once the southbound lanes heading south were clear, drivers were diverted there. North-bound (i.e. back to I-470 was out of the question until the last runner had finished. Race Time After parking and subsequently dressing to the nines in my running shoes, calf sleeves, running tights, running "swish" pants, synthetic/fleece base layer, long-sleeved tech-tee, wind-proof shell, fleece neck-warmer, and running beanie, I was out of the car and in to the cold ten minutes before the original 8am start time. Approaching the start line, the first 5-to-10-minute delay was announced. I decided to grab a spot in the massive port-o-john line (they provided enough of them, by the way -- I can only assume it was due to hypothermic diuresis...look it up). Halfway through the line, 8:10 approached, and organizers announced an 8:15 start time. I made it to the front with 1 minute to spare. I stepped in to the start chute at 8:15 and change, just in time for the count-down. 8:16am (give or take) and we were off. Official temp at the start was actually warmer than forecast: 26 degrees, winds out of the south and east at 5-10mph, and wind chills struggling to hit 20. As the morning progressed, the temperature would remain, winds would pick up, and snow chances would increase. I felt lucky being given an extra 5 degrees to work with, but I was still damn cold. Especially for the opening miles south on Raytown Road (wide-open roads). My plan was to ease in to the opening miles, and give a legitimate effort in for the King of the Mountains competition only 2 miles in (essentially, the 2-mile marker through just short of the 3-mile marker). I wasn't quite sure when exactly they would place the beginning timing mats for KoM, but it ended up being right at the 2-mile marker, which meant a little bit of flat-ish roads before the serious climb picked up. I was placed right behind the 1:40 pacers, and it didn't seem like too many were opting to shoot for the KoM competition, so I gunned it. The opening meters I was picking off runners one-by-one, biding my effort until the top. Halfway up, the numbers that I passed slowed -- still none seemingly shooting for KoM points around me. I passed the 1:40 group on the way up, and found an open stretch for the final push. My heart rate tipped 180-plus -- normally an enormous red flag for so early in a distance race. At the top, just short of the High Grove turnaround, I passed over the second set of timing mats. 5:58. After the race, I'd measure the KoM section at 0.79mi, putting me at a 7:29/mi pace, good enough for 30th out of 564 male KoM participants. No top-15, but still a damn good showing. At the turnaround, I, no doubt, was pretty damn tired. I coasted down High Grove, this time runner after runner picking me off. Eventually the 1:40 pacers would pass me, and that'd be the last time I'd see them. Totally fine, as that would represent a massive PR for me, and I wasn't expecting any PR's in such frigid conditions, only six days removed from another half-marathon race. And besides, my shins were beginning to hurt. I sat in and took the pain for the next few miles, shin splints eventually subsiding at mile 6, heading back north on Raytown Road. For the first time, I started to wonder if I'd over-dressed. I removed my neck warmer, took off my gloves, and opened up my shell. At a few points, I considered taking off my long-sleeve tech-tee (but didn't). What was more, also nearing the half-split, I realized I hadn't taken on any fuel. Call it the cold, or just a finicky stomach, I hadn't had any ability to take on gel at all. Eventually, I forced it, nursing a vanilla GU over the next three miles (that's one GU -- over three miles). It was just past the 8-mile marker that the turn off of Raytown Road and on to 109th street came around. My watch beeped Lap 8, and for the first time, I glanced down at it. 8:04!!!! That was PR pace, and at 8 miles. Did I actually have a shot at this? And also for the first time this race, my legs felt good, and my stomach had calmed. I gave a burst of speed as I turned on to 109th. Then, the winds hit. 109th Street borders along the north side of Longview Lake, and sits atop the Lake's dam. With no trees to shield, the chilled waters not helping, the winds picked up and became bitterly cold. My neck warmer and gloves went back on and I zipped up my shell. No longer did I think I'd over-dressed. A steep hill presented itself at the 109th Street turnaround. Rounding the corner and heading back west, the winds picked up even more, with more of them against us now instead of at our backs. With the added chill, my legs began to weaken and ache. My pace slipped a bit. This stretch all the way back to Raytown Road I would have to suffer -- and I did. Off of 109th and back to Raytown Road meant only a couple miles until the finish. Though winds were out of the south, the winds off of the lake were no more. Things warmed up. I juiced the last bits of leg I had left, and my average pace, which has since swelled to 8:07, began to fall again. On to Pittenger, I rounded the corner and saw 1:45 blink across the timing board. 1:45 would be my next target for sure, given this PR. But at the very least, I didn't want to finish past 1:46. I pushed the final meters and crossed in 1:45:53, a 8:03, and a strong PR to boot. As I crossed, I was giddy. That. Was. Insane. All the doubt leading up to whether or not I should actually start this one, and I finish it in spades. 1:45(-ish) is an awesome pace no matter who you are. Although, my pace was probably fastest after the watch had stopped -- on the run back to the car. Damn, it was cold! Race Metrics
Keep R/B/S-ing. -tds ~~__o _-/<,_ @/ @ 2014 Longview Half -- Saturday, November 15th, 8:00am This event's official webpage can be found HERE. Another new half, this year will certainly be known as the "year of halves" for me: this will be my 7th of 2014. As far as late-autumn races go, this is certainly one of the most popular, and definitely the most popular late-season half-marathon after the Kansas City Half. This event specifically is dedicated solely to the half, and no other distances are offered. I've raced out at Longivew several times, but always on the bike, and on-foot, only on the surrounding trails. It is always an interesting perspective to run along a route you have biked so many times before. Packet Pick-Up
Race-Day Parking Okay, now this one is a bit tricky. I've been to numerous events out at Longview Lake, including at the specific site for this year's start and finish. There's likely to be parking near the start-finish in the grassy area behind the start area, but the only entrance and exit is on-course, so don't expect to get out immediately after finishing if you decide to park here. Instead, I recommend parking in the park area to the North of the start finish line, just East of Raytown Road, off of Longview Road (see map below). There is ample parking here, and although it is quite the walk to the start/finish line, you are guaranteed an easy exit (barring waiting for a break in runners). Really, though, it's just a tough area for parking. And the route in relation to the start/finish sort of "traps you in." Course Preview Intro This route has changed from earlier iterations. I believe earlier in the year the route included more of the Scherer Road climb, all the way east to SW Simpson Road, and didn't include the Raytown Road extension past Scherer. This means less climbing on route, as you are only going up (part) of the High Grove climb once, and then turning around at the top. Before, you went up and down and past the Scherer Road climb, then turned around, and went back up it from the other side again.Virtual Run is featured below for this race, although the pictures may be more few-and-far between. Other than Scherer, the course is straight and flat and straightforward. But more on that later. Route Basics/Metrics Here are the basics for the 2014 route...
Climbs & King of the Mountain Though you can expect undulation throughout the course (as is so-common for KC Metro area events), there is one significant climb featured on the course. New this year, KC Running Company is featuring a King of the Mountain Competition for the climb on-route. Sitting at just short of a mile, timing mats will be placed at the bottom and top of the High Grove climb (deets below). The fastest 15 men and fastest 15 women for the king of the mountain will be awarded special King of the Mountain (or Queen of the Mountain) plaques. The climb is pretty beastly, up 183 feet at an average of 5% (12% in a few spots), so it will by no means be an easy task. I have climbed this hill several times on the bike during various races (duathlons, mostly), and it's fairly punishing on the bike even (perhaps I will post a video of it on here soon). KC Running Company claims it to be closer to a mile than I have measured and experienced in the past, but it is possible that the timing mats will show up earlier than the true start of the climb, and after the true end of the climb (probably at the turnaround). Here is the information on the climb itself (as opposed to how the timing mats will be situated, which I have no information about)...
Aid Stations Aid stations with water and sports drinks are reportedly to be featured every other mile. At mile the mile 8 aid station, GU energy gel will be available as well (perfect for me, as I've been training with GU this year). Course Description w. Virtual Run Start to 2.00mi: The start line is in the parking lot of one of the many parks that line Longview Lake. This particular park is just off Raytown Road (West side of the lake), on Pittenger Road. The opening miles head out of the park along Pittenger Road to Raytown Road, first heading Southbound. From the start line to Raytown Road is actually uphill a little bit, so be expecting that (only about 30 feet of climbing before leveling out). From there, it is nearly flat. all the way to the first and only significant climb of the day. The scenery also remains the same, with runners heading South (in the Northbound/left lane, by the way), Longview Lake on the left. 2.00mi to 4.00mi: Just before the 2-mile marker, runners take a left on to High Grove Road. Not long after the turn (and the 2-mile marker), athletes pick up the first and only climb of the day. And it is quite the climb, up nearly 180 feet in only seven-tenths of a mile. This also is the climb that features the new King/Queen of the Mountain competition. Continue on High Grove, up the hill, until the turnaround at SE Raytown Road (a different Raytown Road from the one before). Just past the turnaround, you hit 3 miles, and begin the fast descent down High Grove. 2.90mi: Though High Grove continues to climb, runners will top out at the stop sign pictured here, as they will turn back around (this time to the opposite, Eastbound lane heading West) and head back West on High Grove. The 3-mile marker is about here on the opposite side of the road (after the turnaround). On the approach back to Raytown Road from High Grove, rather than turning back right heading North, runners will turn left going South (I believe it the street changes names to Kurzwell Road, also). Mile marker 4 comes just after the turn on to Kurzwell. 4.00mi to 9.00mi: After the turn on to Southbound Kurzwell, head to the very end of the road. There will be a small cul-de-sac (sorta) that will turn runners back around heading North on Kurzwell. Just after the turn North on Kurzwell, mile marker 5 hits. Eventually, Kurzwell will turn back in to Raytown Road (at High Grove). The Northbound run on Raytown is the same as was the outbound Southern run on Raytown, with two exceptions: one, you'll be travelling in the left-side/Southbound lane, and two, instead of turning back in to the park on Pittenger, you'll continue Northward. The Northern sections of Raytown Road tend to undulate a little bit, with uphills here and there, particularly before turning right on to 109th Street at mile 8.6. 9.00mi to Finish: The scenery doesn't change much after the turn on to 109th Street. The 10-mile marker comes right at the turnaround back West on 109th Street. Again keeping in the left-side lanes, the return along 109th Street followed by Raytown road is the same as the outbound trek. The only difference is you finally get to head back in to the park (and thus, finish line) on Pittenger Road. Coming off of Raytown on to Pittenger, runners have only a tenth of a mile to go.
That's all I got for now. I'll y'all out there! Keep R/B/S-ing. -tds ~~__o _-/<,_ @/ @ This post is part two in a three-part series on the 2014 Kansas City Half Marathon. Part two covers the event expo, including packet pick-up. Other posts in this series include...
Expo & Packet Pick-Up Packet pick-up is required pre-race (aka NO race-day packet pick-up). Packet pick-up, same as last year, is located at the event expo, at the Sheraton Kansas City at Crown Center, 2323 McGee Street (Exhibit Hall A). The following are the available pick-up times...
For those that have been to the expo for Hospital Hill, this is the same location and Exhibit Hall (but bigger expo!). You can park at the Crown Center lots, but you'll incur the garage's $5 wrath. Though spots are few and far between at the Sheraton's lot, stalking expo goers for a spot is worth the $5 saved (which is $5 earned!). Just be sure to get your parking stamp validated at the expo (more on that in a second). Once parked, take the elevators or stairs to the ground level. Once there, little green arrows will show the way to the Exhibit Hall. Just follow the green arrows! In the week prior to expo time, event organizers sent out emails with confirmation emails of participants' registration. This email is needed for your actual packet pick-up. If you didn't print it off, fret-not! Just outside the exhibit hall is a row of tables with really awesome volunteers to help ease your confirmation-less woes! Just give them your name, and they'll print off a receipt with your confirmation information. Now that that jazz is taken care of, get your parking validated! Right at the opening of the exhibit hall, there's a table specifically for validation. Just give them the parking ticket from Sheraton's garage, and a quick stamp will save you your $5. For 2013 athletes, this table is in pretty much the same location as last year. Now to take care of the last bits of business, grab your packet! These are located at the very back of the exhibit hall. Presumably, this is so you're required to hit the exhibitor tables no matter what, but I like to wait for that table stroll until after my packet is in-hand. Like last year, these are organized by bib number, NOT by last name (hence the required confirmation email). If you're a late registerer, you're all the way to the right. Next from right are the kiddy runners, relayers (black signs), then half-marathoners (green signs), and finally full marathoners nearly all the way to the left of the back wall (blue signs). Upon my arrival, nearly right at 3pm on the first expo day, the half-marathon tables were packed. This is always going to be hit-or-miss, but usually the busiest times for packet pick-up are right at the start, right at the end, or during natural breaks in the day (such as around the lunch our, or at rush hour time). Plan accordingly Now you can hit the actual expo part of the expo! Various vendors showcase at the expo -- about the same as Hospital Hill (this year at HH, I picked up a Fitletic number holder on the cheap). UltraMax Sports, the Running Well Store, and KC Running Company store are just a few of the local vendors. Take your time, and appreciate the work of all the exhibitors that took their time to come on out! I believe that's about it. You got your packet, your goodies, go home and start carb-ing up!! Until then, keep R/B/S-ing. -tds ~~__o _-/<,_ @/ @ This is part three of my six-part series on the 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. Part three covers training for the race (or half-marathons in general), as well as planning for the event (including official schedule for race week/end). Part 1 (Introduction) can be found HERE. Part 2 (History of the Race & Registration Process) can be found HERE. Part 4 (Course Preview with Virtual Run) can be found HERE. Part 5 (Travel, Event Expo, & Pre-Race) will be posted on Race Weekend. Part 6 (Race Day & Post-Race) will be posted after Race Weekend. The event's official website can be found HERE. The event's official Disney Event Guide can be found HERE. Now that the registration process is all said and done, the real fun begins. Now it's time to plan out the trip, and the training, which will be starting about the time this is posted. I will only be covering half-marathon training during the training section, so if you're doing any other distances, feel free to skip ahead to the Planning section below. I've already covered half-marathon training in the past, in my post for the Heartland 39.3 half-marathon series, but that was fairly specific to the 3-halves-in-5-weeks racing that I would be doing. This time, I'll cover training specific to just a single half-marathon -- and a relatively flat one at that. For those tackling their first-ever half, be it Walt Disney World or otherwise, this will be a great resource. Though my half-marathon training falls in to the intermediate-to-advanced category, I will be taking a fairly conservative approach to this one -- I want to be able to slow down and enjoy the sights and scenery this time, so my preparation won't need to be as intense. Not to say this won't be a great resource for intermediate runners, too... I will do my best to cover the whole gamut. After a few notes on training, we'll get in to planning out the event. Specifically, we'll look at all of the resources that are provided to runners by runDisney: information about the Health & Fitness Expo, and how to get there, parking information that is provided, course maps (although, that will be covered more in-detail during my Course Preview post later coming up next), what to pack (as opposed to 'what to wear on race day,' which may change mere hours before start line -- so now's the time to think about it rather than later), etc etc etc. As far as hotel and travel accommodations go, if you've traveled before, you should know how to plan that out. My only recommendation is to do it earlier than normal -- this will be a busy week for Orlando. I'll cover what I (and my family) did for accommodations during the Travel section, but won't likely cover in-detail how we obtained them (no need). And with that... Training for the WDW Half-Marathon "Know thy route." I don't want to give a full-out course preview (here, at least), but in order to adequately train for any targeted race, you need to know at least the basics of the route (particularly elevation changes). Knowing the elevation profile helps in two respects: the first is obvious -- just knowing what to expect. The second the the focus of this post: training. Specifically, knowing what type of training will best-prepare you for the route. So, for example, for my hometown heroes conquering the KC Half-Marathon this year, some hill training is vital. The KC Marathon includes several inclines, some long and shallow, and some short and very steep. The Walt-Disney Half? Not so much. In fact, elevation change is so minimal, Google Earth doesn't quite pick up on it (although I'm sure some of it has to do with limited ability to survey the lands as well). Training Peaks gives some idea...with not even 550ft of total climbing over the entire route, that means about 40 feet of change per mile -- not exactly a mountain expedition (despite the nearby Expedition Everest). Training the Kansas City area, regardless of where it is, should be perfectly adequate. In fact, given the January race date, even some treadmill work would be fine (although, to note, setting a treadmill to 0.5 on the incline gives a more accurate simulation of a outdoor run on your joints and muscles). That said, the distance (or time) should be the only target. Training by Time versus Training by Distance While we're on the subject, I've read numerous articles talking about the benefits of training by distance rather than time, or time rather than distance. They both seem to warrant their own merits. As far as I've been able to tell in my own training, hitting your distance is great for newbies, as speed doesn't quite fluctuate as much, and the simple fact that you've hit 13 miles already (or nearly so) is a great confidence boost. Training by time, however, gives you a better simulation for your legs on how long you'll actually be on your feet. So, if you're targeting, say, a sub-2-hour half-marathon, during training target that 2-hour mark. If you go over 13 miles, righteous. If you don't hit 13, then obviously additional training is needed (or the natural boost in speed you normally get on race day will take effect). Either way, you've gotten your legs trained to run for 2 continuous hours. For me, I like the confidence boost that comes with 13 miles. Then, after reaching 13 (usually at 1:50:00 or so), I focus on extending my time out further and further, rather than distance. But at least initially, training by distance has always been my preferred method. It's psychological, for sure! Picking a Training Plan If you prefer to train by your own accord, kudos. But when it comes to endurance events -- knowing all of the possible things that could go wrong in the span of 2 hours (and beyond) -- I prefer to have everything planned out to a T. And step one is laying out a training plan (we'll get to everything else later). Picking the best training plan is highly dependent upon your current level of fitness, as well as your expertise/past experience running distance events. When I first started running distance, I liked Hal Higdon's plans (link HERE). Through Hal Higdon's massive amounts of time as a trainer (and athlete himself), he has put together five separate plans, dependent upon your level of expertise. There are two Novice plans -- Novice 1 and Novice 2 -- for individuals that can already run at least 3 miles, three to four times a week (Novice 1), or for individuals with similar or slightly better fitness that have run a half-marathon before (Novice 2). The Intermediate Plan is purposed for individuals that run 40-60 minutes (note how the focus changes from distance to time) at least 5 days a week. The Advanced Plan is meant for runners that run up to six times a week of nearing 60 minutes each time, and have advanced skills in performing speedwork -- the focus here in competing for top spots at the targeted half-marathon race. Higdon even has a half-marathon Walker's Plan (even walking 13.1 miles is no small feat, people). After last year's KC Half (my first), this March's Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half (my 1:48 PR), and this year's Heartland 39.3 Series (three half-marathons in five weeks), I have put my eggs in the Intermediate basket (although, I will say, since the high-speed focus -- including multi-sport -- of this summer, my distance fitness has suffered tremendously). By the time Disney comes around, I will also have competed in this year's KC Half and possibly even the Longview Half in November. Beyond the Intermediate plan, I also keep up on cycling and swimming fitness, so I've had to incorporate those in to my plan as well. That said, I've had to do a fair bit of revision (which is NOT recommended for newbie marathoners). Most the plans, particularly the Intermediate, are 12-week. The first week in that plan includes this year's KC Half, so that also revises it quite a bit. Also, on days with two recoveries planned, I like to swim at the very least for one of them. Like I said before, there's a good chance the Longview Half-Marathon will be included right smack-dab in the middle of this plan, so if you're interested to catch up on my progress, check out that race report. Planning Air Travel I have never done a RunDisney even before, so I came in to this knowing nothing about whether or not accommodations would be difficult. That said, as soon as ticket sales were available for flights to Orlando, I snatched them up through Southwest Airlines. It will be interesting to see the ticket prices climb (if they do). ALSO, as an added note, if you're searching for airfare, and find yourself frequenting booking sites, BEFORE YOU PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS, clear your Internet browser's cookies and history. Air travel (and hotel) websites like to access your history (via cookies) and see if you've been "in the market" for tickets. If they see you've been frequenting their site, they'll boost prices so they'll be a bit higher by the time you purchase them (the thought is that the traveler will see the small increase in price the next time s/he is on the site -- let's say Travelocity -- and say to themselves "oh my goodness prices are already going up, I should book them now!). Clearing your cookies will bring those prices back down to (near-) baseline. Hotel Accommodations & Car Rental This can get sticky for a destination run. In planning for my early-season Rock 'n' Roll Dallas half-marathon, I noticed hotel rates through the roof downtown (the location of the start line and expo). Further away, by about 40 minutes, in the sleeper town of Arlington, no so much. It was still off-season for the local Six Flags, so hotels near the park were below $100 for suite-style rooms. If you're willing to drive the extra distance, off-site stays are the way to go. In towns with more than one airport (like Dallas), often even rental car companies will drive down prices at the airports with the lower traffic. Luckily, in Arlington, that was the case for the R'n'R Dallas HM. So the price of extra travel was hugely offset by the cheaper car rental and cheaper hotel rates. For Disney, you have loads of on-site hotel accommodations, however. For an instance, we'd considered (traveling with my family) staying on the grounds to save on car rental and further travel. With enough research, we were able to find an off-site hotel that greatly offset savings. And with two-bedroom-plus-kitchen amenities, which would be perfect for day-before carb-loading (frozen pizza, anyone?). Whichever you decide, keep in mind the costs as well as the benefits of all available options. A little extra research (and Internet savvy, as it were) will pay off in dividends. Packing for a Destination Race In a day of baggage fees, it's easy to want to pack conservatively. But the added cost of a destination race doesn't end at registration check-out; packing conservatively would be extremely unwise. During my trip to Dallas in mid- to late-March, the part of the Midwest (or "South" for my Texas friends) that always sees the earliest signs of spring, the expectation was dead-set: we would be running in 50-degree weather at start time, with temperatures nearing 60 by race finish. Worse-case, we would see mid-40's in the morning. Then come race week, and the damned "Polar Vortex" hits again, sweeping sub-freezing temperatures and snow as far south as Southern Oklahoma -- not far from our Downtown Dallas route. Temperature at the start line? 39 and a strong, chilly breeze. And by the looks of many scantily-clad runners in the start chute (and the extra layers of Mylar Space Blanket snatched up in the finish chute by both runners and spectators), few were expecting such conditions. However, upon packing, I considered multiple scenarios. The resulting suitcase included four tech running shirts, three cotton t-shirts, thermal arm sleeves, thermal leg sleeves, thermal tights, a tech-fabric and fleece-lined base layer, two long-sleeve tech running shirts, a sweatband, a running skull cap, a neck warmer, running gloves, two wind-proof jackets and one rain slick. Not to mention two pair of running shoes. I know it's Florida, the Land of Sunshine. But I've been to Florida during a cold snap, much to the conditions witnessed in Dallas -- Floridian chills can be unrelenting. And January? And a likely-still-active Vortex? Better come prepared. For me, I will likely be sporting the same get-up as Dallas. Overkill? Maybe. But come January 10th and Florida is suffering their first snow in three years (I was there during their last snow), I will be laughing. Also, bring an extra (empty) bag or backpack if you're like me and hoard free goodies at race expos. :-P And about checked baggage... Another note: all said running gear, albeit somewhat unattractive, can be lived in if Murphy's Law takes hold. So don't leave said gear and $250 worth of running shoes in the oh-so-trusting hands of the TSA and your chosen carrier's baggage handlers -- this should be your carry-on. If you roll all of your clothing, you can pack a lot in a tiny space. Add a few small toiletries (not to exceed 3oz!!!), and you should be golden even if your checked bag gets lost -- for both the race AND for every-day clothes. Race Events Planning As of early October, the following reflects information posted on the RunDisney website about all of the events leading up to and including the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. runDisney Health & Fitness Expo -- Location: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Times...
For those that are merely spectating (and to many who are even participating), the Health & Fitness Expo (including packet pick-up) promises to be of the more exciting events of the race week(end). According to reports (aka reports from friends), this is one of the best expos in the country. And the most exciting part (aside from the free goodies, and Disney character meet-and-greets, and etc etc etc)? Specifically, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which takes place every January, acts as runDisney's flagship event -- so if they are any new features, it will be likely to happen here. Including, my favorite: The shoes! New Balance first introduced special-edition runDisney shoes only a couple years ago, and has found enormous success as a result. Though retailing for a shade over $100 (in 2014), the kicks are rare, and result in ebay sales topping out over twice the MSRP. For this Disney Marathon Weekend, early press has gotten a sneak peak at the 2015 editions, although they have yet to be officially released. In the past, it has been just short of the WDW Marathon Weekend that runDisney/New Balance officially press-releases their 2015 runDisney lineup. The first time they're available to the public? The Health & Fitness Expo.
New for 2014 in to the 2015 runDisney calendar year is the New Balance Virtual Queue. Just short of any given runDisney event weekent, a "pre-order" of sorts is available through the Queue to athletes only (sorry spectators). In all reality, though, it's more akin to a reservation. You sign up through the Queue, you arrive at the Health & Fitness Expo with your Queue details, and you're guaranteed shoes while non-reservers (i.e. spectators) are left in wait. The date for the 2015 WDW Marathon Weekend's shoe queue has yet to be released. If interested, be sure to sign up for email alerts so you know when it is likely to happen: usually the queue fills up within hours of opening (at the time I am writing this, the queue is open for the 2014 Tower of Terror 10-Miler Health & Fitness Expo for the 2014 editions, and it has been open since 6am -- it is just about full). If you plan on taking advantage of this wonderful resource, read the website in-detail well before sign-up. There's a few peccadilloes worth noting. Other Lead-Up Events to Race Weekend (via runDisney official website) -- Taken straight from the official website, the following are events leading up to the various races offered on race weekend... FAMILY REUNION BREAKFAST: Dates & Times:
PASTA IN THE PARK PARTY: Location: Epcot® Park Dates & Times:
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Races (up-to-date via runDisney official website) -- RUNDISNEY KIDS' RACES: Start/Finish Location: New Balance Track & Field Complex Dates & Times:
MICKEY MILE: Start/Finish Location: New Balance Track & Field Complex Dates & Times:
WALT DISNEY WORLD® 5K presented by CIGNA®: Start/Finish Location: Epcot® Park Date & Time: Thursday, January 8, 2015, 6:15am local time WALT DISNEY WORLD® 10K presented by CIGNA®: Start/Finish Location: Epcot® Park Date & Time: Friday, January 9, 2015, 5:30am local time WALT DISNEY WORLD® HALF-MARATHON presented by CIGNA®: Start Location: Epcot Center Dr., off Northeast corner of Epcot® parking lot Finish Location: Epcot® Center, East parking lot Date & Time: Saturday, January 10, 2015, 5:30am local time WALT DISNEY WORLD® MARATHON presented by CIGNA®: Start Location: Epcot Center Dr., off Northeast corner of Epcot® parking lot Finish Location: Epcot® Center, East parking lot Date & Time: Saturday, January 11, 2015, 5:30am local time Phew! That's all I got for now. Next up, in about a month or month and a half, we'll take a close-ish look at the course, including Virtual Run. Expect that beginning-of or mid-November. Until then, keep R/B/S-ing. -tds ~~__o _-/<,_ @/ @ |
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