48.6 is the new 40: 10K (and why we never, ever wear new things on race day)
The morning of the 10K I was feeling pretty good. We had the girls with us, so we quietly got ready and headed out. This race was in honor of my friend, Jennifer, who had lovingly trained ALL the Dopey miles with me since announcing this was a goal of mine. She and I bonded a few years ago when we worked together on a bus after I finished the Princess half--we spent that ride talking about running, faith, and music. She's a good friend and y'all should hear her sing! Girl has got some pipes!
We headed down to the buses, loaded quickly, and rode to the same starting area. I brought a cup of coffee from my room and a gel for the start of the course. We had packed some oatmeal from home, but I could not bring myself to eat anything that early. I usually run 5 miles on my weekly runs before breakfast, so 6.1 wasn't too scary. They also give you a banana and a box of food after every race, so I knew I could get something in my system before hanger struck.
We met my uncle in the same area we saw him the day before and waited again for about an hour before making our way to the starting corrals. The race energy was good and people were so excited to get going. We noticed there were less families today, but still a lot of large groups in costumes and matching shirts. The announcers shared inspiring stories and tried to get everyone to sing along to some classic songs and warm up. There was a chill in the air, but not as cold as the day before.
I was glad I had decided at the last minute to wear my new pants instead of the capris because they had pockets. I have learned that I prefer to carry hydration with me when running and I do not care for heavy belts or things around my waist because they tend to hurt my back--so my best running pants have deep side pockets in which I can stash my water bottle and my phone.
I usually wear Athleta's All In 7/8 pants (or shorts) when I'm at home. The hold everything together and everything in the pockets. I wash them immediately following a workout and they are ready for the next run. However, at Disney I didn't have immediate access to a washer and dryer, so I needed several pairs of pants and shorts (the weather forecast finally decided it was going to be really hot for the half and the full). There was not time to purchase these items and have them shipped from Athleta, so I did the next best thing and ordered similar ones from Amazon.
I had purchased and ran in the exact brand and style before, so I didn't worry too much about trying them beforehand. I knew I was breaking one of the cardinal rules of running (do not wear anything new on race day), but I really had bigger things to worry about in the week before we headed to Disney. Additionally, it had been REALLY warm in our area with temperatures in the 70s and 80s, so I was able to try out the new running shorts, just not the pants. This was a more important detail to make sure we were covered on because Chub Rub is a hard reality in my life. I am not built like your traditional long, lean, and tall runner--I'm short with extra meat in my lower half, so I can't wear light and breezy running short shorts. I needed to make sure the shorts would not allow my thighs to assault each other mid-run.
Once again we collected our medals and boarded the buses to meet my parents and the girls. It is hard to balance a race-cation and mom-guilt. I spent the rest of the afternoon with the girls in Hollywood Studios because they were geeking out over Galaxy's Edge, and then went back to the resort (and my sister and brother-in-law brought back Olivia because it was an early bedtime for the 6 year old) while the older girls enjoyed Fantasmic! and staying out late with my parents. It was awesome having my family and kids there, but it was hard feeling like my time and attention were split during this trip.
That evening before bed we once again set out our attire for the half marathon the next day. Things were starting to get real because tomorrow's race was going to be a much longer distance than the two days prior, and leading up to the marathon on the fourth day.
We headed down to the buses, loaded quickly, and rode to the same starting area. I brought a cup of coffee from my room and a gel for the start of the course. We had packed some oatmeal from home, but I could not bring myself to eat anything that early. I usually run 5 miles on my weekly runs before breakfast, so 6.1 wasn't too scary. They also give you a banana and a box of food after every race, so I knew I could get something in my system before hanger struck.
We met my uncle in the same area we saw him the day before and waited again for about an hour before making our way to the starting corrals. The race energy was good and people were so excited to get going. We noticed there were less families today, but still a lot of large groups in costumes and matching shirts. The announcers shared inspiring stories and tried to get everyone to sing along to some classic songs and warm up. There was a chill in the air, but not as cold as the day before.
I was glad I had decided at the last minute to wear my new pants instead of the capris because they had pockets. I have learned that I prefer to carry hydration with me when running and I do not care for heavy belts or things around my waist because they tend to hurt my back--so my best running pants have deep side pockets in which I can stash my water bottle and my phone.
I usually wear Athleta's All In 7/8 pants (or shorts) when I'm at home. The hold everything together and everything in the pockets. I wash them immediately following a workout and they are ready for the next run. However, at Disney I didn't have immediate access to a washer and dryer, so I needed several pairs of pants and shorts (the weather forecast finally decided it was going to be really hot for the half and the full). There was not time to purchase these items and have them shipped from Athleta, so I did the next best thing and ordered similar ones from Amazon.
I had purchased and ran in the exact brand and style before, so I didn't worry too much about trying them beforehand. I knew I was breaking one of the cardinal rules of running (do not wear anything new on race day), but I really had bigger things to worry about in the week before we headed to Disney. Additionally, it had been REALLY warm in our area with temperatures in the 70s and 80s, so I was able to try out the new running shorts, just not the pants. This was a more important detail to make sure we were covered on because Chub Rub is a hard reality in my life. I am not built like your traditional long, lean, and tall runner--I'm short with extra meat in my lower half, so I can't wear light and breezy running short shorts. I needed to make sure the shorts would not allow my thighs to assault each other mid-run.
And, I rationalized, it was 6 miles--I knew I could endure whatever it was for that distance.
We started running, and once again everyone sort of spread out in the first mile. This course was my favorite because you entered Epcot pretty quickly from the back roads, ran through the boardwalk and past all of the beautiful resorts, ran back into Epcot, and then behind for the finish line. It was a lot more to look at and less time on the highway. The Boardwalk smelled like bacon and breakfast, there was a cool breeze, and it was a pretty morning.
Unfortunately, I realized about a mile into the race that I was starting to sweat due to the increased heat and humidity, but I wasn't nervous until I felt like my pants were starting to slide down a little. I had used a porta potty prior to this race, so I wondered if perhaps everything had not been situated correctly when I tried to simultaneously hover and take care of business and get dressed again in a dark stinky box. I pulled them up again and again towards my belly button, but they kept sliding down. When I tucked my water bottle back into my pocket, I realized the weight of the bottle was pulling my pants down (and my underwear as well because compression).
I yanked as hard as I could and finally realized that I would need to hold my water bottle instead of running with it in my pockets. It is not preferred, but again, I knew six miles compared to the half and full marathon was not going to be a long run, so I just went with it.
I had set a goal of 1:30 due to slow running and maybe walking, and I was able to finish the race in 1:14. While the walkers were still really covering the course, we found that each race became a little less "fun" run and a little more hustle. However, there is nothing quite like a runDisney experience, so everything was a little over the top.Unfortunately, I realized about a mile into the race that I was starting to sweat due to the increased heat and humidity, but I wasn't nervous until I felt like my pants were starting to slide down a little. I had used a porta potty prior to this race, so I wondered if perhaps everything had not been situated correctly when I tried to simultaneously hover and take care of business and get dressed again in a dark stinky box. I pulled them up again and again towards my belly button, but they kept sliding down. When I tucked my water bottle back into my pocket, I realized the weight of the bottle was pulling my pants down (and my underwear as well because compression).
I yanked as hard as I could and finally realized that I would need to hold my water bottle instead of running with it in my pockets. It is not preferred, but again, I knew six miles compared to the half and full marathon was not going to be a long run, so I just went with it.
So, here's me running along holding my Dasani in the pants that betrayed me.
No big deal.
I completed most of this race on my own, but I was happy to find myself running into my uncle right around mile 6, so he and I crossed the finish line at the same time (still holding my bottle).
PS--he's 65 years old and recovering from knee surgery a few months ago.
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| Cute Christacular |
Once again we collected our medals and boarded the buses to meet my parents and the girls. It is hard to balance a race-cation and mom-guilt. I spent the rest of the afternoon with the girls in Hollywood Studios because they were geeking out over Galaxy's Edge, and then went back to the resort (and my sister and brother-in-law brought back Olivia because it was an early bedtime for the 6 year old) while the older girls enjoyed Fantasmic! and staying out late with my parents. It was awesome having my family and kids there, but it was hard feeling like my time and attention were split during this trip.
That evening before bed we once again set out our attire for the half marathon the next day. Things were starting to get real because tomorrow's race was going to be a much longer distance than the two days prior, and leading up to the marathon on the fourth day.
to be continued...
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