Throwback Thursday: Dumbo Double Dare - Half Marathon

Link to Part 1 of the trip

Link to 10k race recap

Set your time machines for: September 1, 2013

Supplies! (Not sure why there are two pairs of earbuds in this photo...)

My goal for this race was a PR. Some background on this very elusive PR: After three-and-a-half years of running/walking/racing, my half marathon PR (2:40) was still from my very first race. My knee pain was always my limiting factor. My leg muscles weren't ever overly tired, my breathing was okay, but at some distance between 6 and 10 miles my knee pain would get too severe to run through. In 2012, I went through several months of physical therapy for stability, piriformis issues, and IT band-related knee pain. No noticeable results for my fall race that year or in my marathon training. I followed up with a sports med doctor. I honestly just wanted advice to be able to get through the marathon. After an MRI, she recommended surgery to clean up the meniscus tears and remove the hardware (aka screws) that were still in there from my knee surgery as a teen. But on the plus side, she said there was no reason to stop running. It might hurt, but I wasn't doing any damage. So January 2013, I completed my first full marathon and then had knee surgery. That was followed by 7 months of physical therapy and building up my running again to get me to the starting line of the Disneyland Half Marathon.

I had a lot of factors that would seem to be at odds with achieving a PR: high temperatures, record humidity, extreme lack of sleep, and completing a 10k the day before. But I had put in the training and had a solid plan to try for the PR. I studied the course map to memorize where the turns were so that I could "run the tangents" and attempt to take the shortest route possible, minimizing any extra tenths of a mile. I also knew that after mile 4, we were done with the parks. I planned to stop for a few photos in that beginning part of the race, but just motor through the rest. 

Here's one of my favorites (with no editing or filters!):

A beautiful morning in California Adventure

Woody on a Woody 

Serious sun at Angels Stadium 

Up until miles 7, 8, and maybe even 9, I was feeling really good. I had no trouble keeping up my Run 1/Walk 1 minute intervals. Then the heat started getting to me. I was surviving the run sections, but the walk sections were slower than my usual. My head started getting chills from being so sweaty - it was a weird sensation. I was continually checking in with my mind and body to make sure I wasn't feeling crappy enough to be at risk for heat stroke or over-exertion or anything. 

Favorite sign of the day

In the last 2 miles, I also made a friend. A petite young woman in a Snow White costume asked what paces I was doing and if she could tag along with me. We ended up finishing together. :)

I got my PR! I finished in 2:36.  

Inaugural Dumbo Double Dare complete!

Throwback Thursday: Dumbo Double Dare 2013 - 10k Day

Since I'm writing this more than a year after the race, I don't have much to write in the recap. But I can say I would love to do these races again. :) I love running through the Florida parks, but Disneyland has some kind of extra special magic for me. 

In the slow lane through Radiator Springs

I love the Red Car Trolley!

These guys had the longest line - at least 10 minutes.

I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!

I really was running late. Despite doing a good speed of run/walk intervals, my character photo stops put me over the official pace of a 16 minute per mile average. This was my first Disney 10k, so I hadn't really thought in advance about how it's difficult to make up the waiting-in-line time over just 6 miles, as compared to the Disney half marathons I've done. Luckily I was never close to being swept, so finishing 3 minutes below pace wasn't an issue.

After finishing, I joined my family for breakfast at Storytellers Cafe. We enjoyed spending most of the day in California Adventure. Princess A spent a lot of time at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Later in the afternoon we visited Disneyland. Dinner was at Steakhouse 55 - delicious! It was a fun filled and exhausting day - Princess A even fell asleep before dessert!

#TBT Fall 2012 Overview

Here is a Throwback Thursday post!

Plagued with lots of little injuries on most long runs, I still kept on going with my training plan.

The highlight was the 2012 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon in November (Link to this year's event page: Run Disney Wine and Dine). It was also the first solo trip J and I have taken since Princess A was born (not counting work trips). We stayed at the All Star Music, which was great for what we need it for: inexpensive, Disney-provided transportation, and food court. The bonus was how pretty the outdoor areas were; I really liked that the landscaping was themed to the different types of music. We stayed in the Broadway section, and I enjoyed sitting on a bench in the mini imitation of Central Park, reading my book, resting up for the race.

This may have been the most relaxing race trip we have had. Being kid-free may have had something to do with it... ;) My parents have been great watching Princess A during other races, but juggling park time, meltdowns, and different sleeping schedules all add little bits of stress. Our schedule ended up like this:

• FRIDAY - Fly to Orlando, check in to the hotel, go to the Expo, eat dinner
• SATURDAY - Sleep in a little, visit a park, spend the afternoon at the hotel resting, RACE!
• SUNDAY - Sleep in, enjoy the Epcot Food and Wine Festival *noms*
• MONDAY - Fly home

I was conscious of my fueling during the race day, but I hadn't had any problems the year before, so I wasn't too concerned. I enjoyed a cider at lunch - I really wasn't planning on it, but Strongbow is hard to resist!

Getting ready was relaxing - this was the first race I haven't been really nervous. I was trained and knew my knee's limits. I bought some stickers at the Expo from One More Mile - I love their sayings. I stuck one with my race motto on the back of my shirt:

I felt really content in Corral C for this race (J was up in A, if I'm remembering correctly). I didn't lose too much ground on my walking intervals, and I was usually able to find some space to pass people on my running ones. I specifically took a picture of the Mile 7 marker because I was making good time AND no injuries were flaring up. Looking at my Garmin, I thought I had a chance at a PR (may have been bad math); I increased my speed on my run segments and decreased my photo stops. And that hope came crashing down just after the 10 mile mark. I remember another runner saying, "There's just a 5k left." And I thought, "Heck yeah! I got this! Put on the speed!" And my knee and ankle/calf/shin/foot decided very quickly, "Heck no!" The last section was challenging, but my high pain tolerance served me well enough to keep from slowing to a stroll. I finished in 2:49 - exactly halfway between my PR and my slowest half (2:40 and 2:59).

After finishing, I changed tops and stopped by an aid tent to get some ice strapped to my shin/ankle issue. It was a shifting pain, so it was hard to tell where it originated or what to do for it. I used my drink ticket for a sangria in a pouch that looked kind of like a Capri Sun. I entered the front gate of Epcot to get started on the after party. Since the last few tenths of the race went through Future World, there was a traffic jam of people who couldn't cross the course. The Disney cast members had a system, but there was still confusion until you got to the front of the mob. I decided to just go with the flow and cheer on the runners while I waited for them to allow crossovers. Maybe 5-10 minutes later I met up with J and we started our walk around the world for some snacky food. I wasn't feeling stellar - a wee bit queasy (though it didn't stop me from a few snacks and a drink!) and my feet/shins/somethings were ready to be done. We did one slow lap and went to find our bus back to the resort.

The next day, I was having a hard time at walking around the park due to the ankle/foot pain - sometimes it would get better and sometimes I just wanted to cry. The crazy thing is that about 2 days later, I was fine. I think I had inflamed everything by wearing my new Altras for the race. They are a zero drop shoe (not a barefoot-style shoe) and have an adjustment period. I followed the guidelines, but never wore them longer than 6 miles. Oops. I think I angered tendons and tiny muscles I didn't even know existed! I've since enjoyed my Altras on many training runs, but it was a tough lesson to learn about breaking them in.

All in all, a sweet race weekend, and we're signed up for the 2013 Wine & Dine!