Original Post: December 5, 2013
Race Report: Wine & Dine Half Marathon 2013--Part 3: The Half Marathon...
already since we are now almost 4-weeks post race, but here's my story anyways :)
My hubby flew in that morning; my mom and I did the 5k. We spent the day at Hollywood Studios, and had a late lunch. I really, really tried to limit my time on my feet (honestly, I did), and we tried to get in a little nap before the race. I got a few minutes of sleep, but I was so excited it did no good. The alarms went off and we were up getting ready around 6:00.
We boarded the buses between 7 & 7:30. I instantly noticed a difference from the January races; people were awake, chatty, and ready to party! I was super excited because I was mid-Dopey-training and was going to set my sights on a PR. I felt great, the weather was good (slightly warm and humid, but almost perfect), and everything seemed to fit for a great run!
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| Ready to run! |
Disney had new corralling for this race; smaller (500 in each for the first few) and more frequent releases at the start. Corral C is what would have been the back of A in previous years. Truth be told, I had that moment of "whoa...I'm with the 'real runners'. I don't belong here!" I sat for about 15 minutes before the hype started up and we were getting ready to go. I was feeling a little tired, but figured that would pass as soon as we got started. Fanfare, A, B, then we were off!
I was really looking forward to this race: 3 parks, nighttime, food & wine at the end. I coasted out pretty quickly and found the course really was nicely spaced out. I never ran into the usual Disney overcrowding and there were very few run-walk-run-ers around. My race plan was to run steady, walk through water stops, grab a clif shot when they were offered, and attempt a PR. Here is what I remember of the run:
Mile 1: side stitches--ouch! Just keep running your pace; it will pass (and it did)
Mile 2: WooHoo! Feeling great, on pace for a sub-2:00 race, not breathing hard
Mile 3: Wow--look at all those people behind me...I'm really toward the front of the pack! (I think somewhere in there we were close to the Animal Kingdom)
Mile 4: I think I ate too much today; I'm not feeling well; this necklace is making me gag; I think I'm going to throw up; rip this necklace off!
Mile 5: Don't throw up
Mile 6: Don't throw up
Mile 7: Don't throw up
Mile 8: Don't throw up (oh, and don't take that gel either, that will make you throw up)
Mile 9: Don't throw up
Mile 10: Don't throw up
Mile 11: Don't throw up, but maybe drink a little water--Ooooo...Osbourne lights! They ARE amazing!
Mile 11.29: Yes, I remember looking down at my Garmin at this exact moment and thinking, "You idiot! You ran a 5k this morning, walked around all day, and now you're running a half marathon at close to midnight. I want to be done with this race!"
Those thoughts consumed me pretty much until the end. 13.1 miles, built up for years as the runDisney event that is everyone's favorite. I was miserable. I finished in 2:13; not the worst race ever, but far from the glory that I was expecting.
I
got my medal, my snacks, my drinks, my bag and headed out toward the
finish line party. My plan had been to do a wipe-down in the bathroom
to change and wait for my husband, but that didn't happen. I found some
grass and planted myself in the grass. I was wet and freezing! This
was a bad idea--I should have stuck to my original plan of changing
right away. I tried drinking little sips of PowerAde and water (I
didn't even open the wine). I tried to slowly chew some chips, thinking
it was the closest to a saltine cracker to settle my stomach. I
debated over and over whether or not to get up and get to a bathroom. I
was too afraid that the moment I stood up I'd be sick. I sat in the
grass, freezing, soaked in sweat for about 20 minutes before I decided I
had to get up and change. By that time, my hubby had finished, so I
stood to the side and waited for him. He immediately knew I did not
feel well; I could barely stand.We made our way to the Epcot bathrooms, passing many people who looked like they were in rough shape too. I changed out of my wet clothes and felt slightly better; I wish I had brought warmer clothes. I definitely underestimated how cold I would be after the race. Billy changed too, and then we sat outside the bathrooms for about an hour. I wanted to go into the party so badly, but my stomach wouldn't do it. We finally decided just to take the buses back to the hotel. Huge disappointment--I really wanted to go to the after party. I made Billy promise we could come back and do this race again in the future so we could plan better. Add insult to injury--I got the prize for the worst wife that night, when I was so consumed with my own misery that I never asked him about his race. He did really well; no PR but close and he ran the entire time (no run-walk intervals). I hate that I didn't ask. He is amazing and so supportive of me all the time; I was a big poo and didn't even acknowledge his victory :(
Now
that you know all about my miserable night, I have to say, it is not a
fault of the race itself. I loved being able to run through 3 parks.
The smaller corrals worked wonderfully (though to be fair, I was toward
the front so I have no idea about people behind me). I found little to
no crowding on the course. The Osbourne lights were literally
breathtaking. I wish I had more time to see them. I loved some of the
nighttime effects, like the disco-ball costuming area and the laser
lights. There were a few dark spots that slowed me down, but overall,
it was a very entertaining course. As always, the volunteers were
awesome, the medals were great, and the organization of the event was
spot-on. The port-o-potty lines were a bit long before the race, so I'm
not sure if they just didn't have enough or if I'm just impatient. In
summation: great race, I'm not a night runner, I should have had more
fun, and I'll be back! |
| Finally drank our finish-line wine 5 days later! |
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