Getting "Extra" Time to Finish a RunDisney Race

I remember the first time I realized Disneyland has races.  I was thumbing through a magazine at the doctors office and there was an ad.  It was not just any ad.  It was an add with a runner dressed in costume and running through the Disney castle!  My heart stopped.  What is this great experience I have been missing? 

A typical RunDisney ad

 
Now, I do not call myself at runner.  At the time I saw the ad, I had not ran since high school and I was 412 years old.  I was overweight, out of shape, and had tried many times to get in shape but, for various reasons, I had not succeeded.  Then I saw this ad for the Tinkerbell Half Marthon and I wanted to know more.  Run through the castle, in costume, before the park opens?!  Hello, someone take my money!!  A quick internet search came up with the RunDisney site.  As I devoured the information on the races, my heart sank.  RunDisney half marathons have a pacing requirement of 16 minutes per mile.  I could not even run around the block much less run the half marathon.  Sound familiar?  Well, this post will put your fears to rest and provide some guidelines as to how to give yourself a little buffer, especially if you were a beginning runner like me.



What is "Sweeping" and Who Are the "Balloon Ladies"?
The official policy of RunDisney is that you must maintain a 16 minute per mile pace.  If you are unable to maintain that pacing requirement, you are placed on a bus and driven to the finish line. This is what is referred to as "being swept".  What Disney does not tell you is how they know whether or not you are maintaining the required pace. 

The sweeper clock does not begin UNTIL the last person crosses the start line.  The pacers (for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon and Princess Half Marathon it was two ladies) for the 16 minute miles start right after the last person.  They maintain a 16 minute pace throughout the race.  So, how do you know which of the 25,000 participants are the pacers?  The two pacers have a helium balloon and the sweeping brigade made up of the bicyclists and sweeper buses remain behind them.  Because the pacers have balloons and are ladies, they are referred to as the "Balloon Ladies". 

I had the opportunity to talk to these wonderful ladies after the Princess Half Marathon as well as a few of the runners who kept pace with them.  The balloon ladies are very nice and the runners said they were very supportive and motivational. It looked they had a party going on the entire race!

How Do I Know If I Will Be Swept?
The balloon ladies let you know if they are passing you.  The bike riders and balloon ladies also let you know if you are behind pace and how much time you have to reach the next stop.  I am told by people who were swept that you are given ample warning before you are swept.

How Do I Give Myself Extra Time?
There are thousands of people who are running the race at RunDisney events so Disney uses corrals so everyone does not start at the same time (I'm sure this would be chaotic).  For example, at Tinkerbell Half Marathon for 2013, there were corrals A through G (7 corrals) and the corral start times were 5 minutes apart from each other.  If corral A started at 5:00 a.m., corral B started at 5:05 am and so forth.  This means that the higher corrals had an extra buffer of time (remember, the pacers do not begin until the last person crosses the start line). 

So, how do you get assigned to a corral?  Disney assigns corrals based on timed, verifiable race that are submitted by you.  Under each race under "Registration" there is a header for "Proof of Time".  For the Tinkerbell Half Marathon for 2014, it states:

If proof of time is not provided by November 1, 2013, data provided is incomplete or cannot be verified, you will be placed in the last start corral. To provide or update your proof of time, you must email all proof of time data requested above to disneysports@trackshack.com. No corral changes will be made after November 1, 2013.

It is important you do a 10k and submit the time by the deadline to Rundisney.  This will boost your chances of getting assigned a higher corral.  Disney assigns corrals based on your proof of time and estimates your finish time.  The faster runners/walkers are assigned the higher corrals. 

Also, move towards the front of the corral.  This will prevent you from being blocked in when your corral starts.  If you are worried about blocking faster runners, then stay on the right so others can pass you easily.  The further you are away from the back of the pack, the less likely you are to be swept.

The biggest tip I can give you is to train.  If you have trained, you should be fine.  I love the Galloway Method where you do run/walk intervals.  Below is one of the training videos for his method. 

The most important tip of all: have fun!  It's an incredible feeling when the volunteer places the medal on your neck and you realize what you have accomplished!  What Disney race are you training for?

To Retreat or Not Retreat - Princess Half Marathon

There are a lot of add-ons for RunDisney events.  When you register for a RunDisney event, you can add pins, purses, necklaces, meals, kid races and for some races you can even add a race retreat.  Of course, in the immortal words of Mr. Gold from Once Upon A Time, all of these magical items have a price. 

For the Princess Half Marathon, there is a magical event called Race Retreat.  In 2013, it was a mere $99 per person.  This is not cheap especially considering it will be tacked onto other expenses such as race registration, airfare, hotel, meals, and other race costs (costumes, souvenirs, park tickets, etc.).  These all can add up quickly.  The question I hear a lot is "Is Race Retreat worth the price?"

My hubby and I treated ourselves to the Race Retreat in 2013 as part of our Princess Half Marathon experience.  I will share my experience and let you decide.

What is Race Retreat?
Race Retreat is a separate tent set up in the area referred to as "Family Reunion" area.  The tent is exclusively for individuals who have purchased the Race Retreat add on package. 

How Do I enter the Magical Race Retreat?
When you pick up your packet at the expo, there is a magical wristband.  The wristband is checked to obtain access to the Retreat tent. 

Give me the down and dirty~What is Included?
According to the RunDisney website, the following is included:

Pre-Race Amenities

• Pre-race bagels, fruit, coffee, water and PowerAde
• Temperature-controlled tent with lounges
• Private restrooms and bag check
• Padded stretching area

Post-Race Amenities

• Internet access to check live results
• Breakfast with hot and cold beverages
• Changing tents
• Self-treatment station
• 10-minute massage for only $10 (subject to availability)
• Designated location to meet friends and family to celebrate your accomplishment!* 

Other Amenities:

• 2014 Disney Princess Half Marathon commemorative item
• Disney Character greetings
• Live video feed from the Finish Line
• Information Station

 In 2013, for participants the Race Retreat tent opened at 3:00 am and remained opened until 10:30 am.  In 2013, the price was $99 per person (the price has been increased for the 2014 race year).  Some levels of ChEAR Squad can enter the Race Retreat after 5:30 am.

The tent is full of small, round tables.  In 2013, there were issues with transportation so the time which I spent pre-race in the tent was very limited.  There was coffee, tea, powerade, and water available as well as fruit and bagels.  If you had a bag, there is a bag check in the Retreat Tent that is separate from the regular bag check.  The Race Retreat Tent has its own separate port-o-potties.  It was nice not to have to wait in line!  We were only in the tent about 5 minutes before we began the long trek to the corrals.

The Tent is climate controlled.  In 2013, it was very warm outside and it was much more comfortable in the tent.  After running the half marathon, it was refreshing to come inside.

After the race, when you entered the tent you were handed lotion, a wet towel, and flip flops (our complimentary Disney Half Marathon commemorative item).  There was also an abundant amount of food that was available including eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, fruit, bagels, water, coffee, tea and powerade.  There was also champagne for those who wanted to celebrate.

There is a medical area inside the tent that includes a self-help area and to seek medical attention.   Also, there is a lounge area that has a live feed to the finish line on a large screen television.  The line for the massage was ridiculously long so, while it was available, my hubby and I both passed.    There is also an area to take pictures with characters.  I saw the mice from Cinderella and the three fairies from Sleeping Beauty rotate in/out.  They were available for pictures before the half marathon and after.

The tent was crowded but manageable.  We sat at a table with another nice couple and had a lovely chat with them. I did enjoy sitting comfortably, chatting to other participants and relaxing in a comfortable atmosphere.  While we ate, I watched participants cross the finish line in a comfortable manner.  I absolutely loved that!

So~the million dollar question~Is It Worth the Price?
Ultimately, it will depend upon what you would like from your race experience.  I liked having a comfortable place to relax, not worrying about the weather outside and not having long lines for the port-o-potties.  It was great being pampered for a year!

For me, I did not feel like it was worth the $99 per person that I paid (2013 prices).  I drive my car to the race so we can leave at any time and I would rather go to the hotel, clean up and have breakfast where it can be made to my specifications.  I have made the decision that I would rather spend the money this year on souvenirs, park tickets and at the expo rather than the Retreat. 




 

Pinterest RunDisney Costume Ideas

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard to keep all of your ideas

I am addicted to Pinterest!  I love the recipes, workouts, and home decorating ideas.  But every now and then, I come across a Pinterest Board which is spectacular.   I love looking at costumes for races and follow a few creative people just for that purpose.  My latest obsession is Nicole Buompseniero's Disney 5k and Half Marathon Costume Ideas.

While I have never met Ms. Buompseniero, I admire her creativity and her ability to come up with creative costume ideas for her pinboard.  I am definitely going to be referring to her board as I come up with costumes for my upcoming races! 

Jeff Galloway Method: Run, Walk, Run

 

In 2012, I decided that I wanted to do RunDisney's Princess and Tinkerbell Half Marathon.  I had not ran since high school so I knew it would be a challenge.  I signed up and immediately joined the ranks in becoming "Disney Poor" after the mouse took the registration fee from my bank account.  

Feeling exhilerated, I laced up my sneakers purchased at least 6 months previously at Walmart and decided to head out for a "quick jog".  Well, what was in my head and what my body can do were two different things!  I made it to the end of the block (I don't think it was more than 1/4 mile) and knew I was in trouble.  I was already huffing and puffing, my lungs were trying to escape this new form of torture by beating out of my chest, my legs and feet were already hurting and my head finally was saying "Whoa!  What did we just do?!"  

Feeling utterly defeated, I walked back home to look at training programs.  I searched "half marathon training programs" on google and came up with more than two dozen programs.  I had no idea what made one program better than the other, if they were realistic or anything about them.  Somewhere in my research, I found a golden nugget.  I was happier than a kid finding free gum on the underside of a table!  I learned about the Galloway Method.  The basic premise is to take walking breaks before you need them and incorporate walking and running intervals.  The reviews sounded wonderful.  "Finished in an upright position", "made it all the way to the finish line" and "finished injury-free" were some of the phrases tossed around.  Jeff Galloway, a professional runner and Olympian, creates running programs for Run Disney for each of their races.  I took a closer look.  It looked feasible.  Start walking/running and increase distance and speed.  I knew I could walk.  I could run for about 30 seconds.  That's a good place to start.

Over the next several months, I increased my distances and went from a 30 second run/walk interval to a 1 minute run/walk interval.  When it was time to do the half marathon, I continued with the Galloway Method.  I actually finished!  It was wonderful!  Are there programs that train you to run the whole event?  Yes.  Will I use them? Probably not.  I get a wonderful workout with the run/walk intervals, never out of breath, have energy at the end and it works well for my body. 

 

At the Tinkerbell Half feeling great!