Disney Runs for Non Running Women!

July 2, 2015By Amy BaranekLet me start out by saying that if you are a hard core runner, you may take issue with my tale of running in the Glass Slipper Challenge, a 10K race that is part of the Princess Half Marathon Weekend at the Walt Disney World Resort.For those of you who would never see themselves as runners and think 19.3 miles is beyond you — then this is for you!I am not a runner. I love Disney, though, and the race pictures always looked fun. But as the teenager in high school who thought she was truly going to pass out after running a mile, the thought of running any kind of race was never remotely a consideration. So last year after running a ‘fun 5k’ (you know the type with obstacles along the course that you crawl, climb and slide through) a great friend of mine(who is a runner) came up with the brilliant idea for us to run the Princess Half Marathon. As if a half marathon wasn’t enough, she wanted to tackle the Glass Slipper Challenge on Saturday and the half marathon on Sunday. This was in June, and registration was in July … as a non-runner, I should have said no and laughed at her, but she was very encouraging, loved Disney as much as I did and had so much faith that I could do it that I started to believe her.So I downloaded Jeff Galloway’s app for my phone. For those of you non-runners out there, Jeff Galloway is a RunDisney legend, and uses interval coaching to help non-runners get used to running and help runners increase their time. By the time July came around I could now run/walk 2 miles and not feel like I was going to die.With more encouragement from my friend, we were online to register as soon as registration for the Glass Slipper Challenge opened. Here’s a tip - use multiple computers for this. I had my iPad and multiple computer screens up as did my friend. The site crashed multiple times, and it took a good 15 to 20minutes to finally register for each of us. Don’t do anything fancy like trying to add a race time in, you can do all this once you are actually registered. The race sold out within an hour. But we were in….Yay! Um…..Yay? What did I just do — 19.3 miles I have to run….all I had run was 2 miles and a fun 5K…what was I thinking? At least I had until February…..it was a long way off.Fast forward to February after a 2 week Christmas illness that didn’t allow me to run and then a back injury which led me to hardly be able to move for 2 weeks. I had made it to 7 to 8 miles for a run before we left. It was not my ideal plan, but time was up and it was going to have to do. I was confident in my 10K ability, but a half marathon the next day after being tired from the 10K? I was hoping for some Disney magic!Day 1:  We were up early on Friday as we had a 7 a.m. flight from Detroit. We wanted to hit up the Expo early. The Expo is where each runner gets their race number, shirt and gEAR bag. The Expo had opened Thursday, but we were hopeful there would still be good merchandise left for us. Here’s my second tip: Go to the Expo on Thursday!  We arrived at the expo by 12:30 and any New Balance Disney shoes in either of our sizes — really anything we could smash our foot in — was gone. The special Dooney and Burke princess purses were completely gone. The Glass Slipper merchandise we really wanted was also gone. So overall it was a disappointing day….where I thought I’d be spending a couple hundred dollars….I spent $40. We did get to meet Jeff Galloway, who I am pretty sure I creeped out when I told him I’d been listening to his voice when running for the last 6 months.That night Disney offered a Pasta in the Park party. It was an extra ticket you bought which allowed you entry into Epcot at 6 p.m. and then entrance into a special dinner with music, dancing, characters and face painting. This was Aladdin themed so you could meet Abu, Genie, Jasmine, Aladdin and Jafar. The food was good…lots of carbs! On a side note, my friend is vegan and had contacted Disney months ago to be sure they could accommodate her dietary restrictions.  They told her to just find a staff member when she arrived and the chef would prepare her a special plate. So after my husband and I filled our plates with food, we waited with my friend for her food. When they brought it out we just stared at it. It consisted of a small roll, green beans, asparagus and a soy patty. I wish I had a picture of it, it was very sad looking, there was no pasta and no butter supplement. She asked if they had anything additional but was denied. Here’s my third tip: If you are on a restricted diet consider perhaps a nice dinner instead of a big event dinner. Disney did great for her at any restaurant we went to but I think the big event overwhelmed them as far as meeting certain dietary needs.Day 2:  The 10K.  I woke up this morning feeling pretty good, I knew I could run this distance. I had this.  We woke up slightly before 3 a.m. — we are not crazy lunatics…Disney recommends you are on the bus by 4 a.m. to make it to the race by 5:30 a.m. We dressed in our costume/race gear (I was Cinderella and my friend was Princess Leia) I had a throw away jacket and she had a throw away blanket. It was 45 degrees that morning. Here’s my fourth tip: Bring something warm you don’t mind losing; I had an old jacket, my friend a blanket. You can leave these on until it is time to race and then leave it on the side gate before you race. We got to the race with plenty of time. Before you knew it we were at our corral and starting! Mile1 went by fast. My friend the runner was being kind and staying with me although she wasn’t used to intervals. (I was confusing her and I tried to run for longer distances to keep up with her usual pace.)As Mile 2 and 3 came around I was wondering where in the world we were. I thought we were running through Epcot, we were running away from Epcot and I was lost! Mile 4-AHA! We snuck in a back way and came out around Norway and China. Now this was the motivation I needed, I can run this…so much to look at along the way! And then we were out again running the path past the hotels — Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin, Yacht and Beach Club. At least I knew where I was and you picked up some support from people staying at these hotels along the way.  Mile 5 was along here also….we were in the home stretch, and I was getting tired. I had to go back to my normal pace but my friend was pumped up and wanted to go so she started running ahead. I was able to keep up with her in sight (although she did keep trying to wait for me.) Mile 6-Yay! Just about done….it seemed like the last 0.2 miles took forever but we finished. Just think….tomorrow at this point I’m not even half way done.Day 3: Half Marathon Day I was so nervous today. I had been sore yesterday after the race, how was I going to finish a half marathon? This was 5 miles more than I had ever run. What was I thinking? I was going to get swept, the balloon ladies were going to force me away, no what if I got swept before making it to the Magic Kingdom, or get swept passed out on the side after peeing myself from exhaustion? I would look like a ridiculous peed on, snot dried on my face Anna — so much for my cute Anna costume — I was going to disgrace the movie “Frozen” in my run today. Seriously —I had to talk myself off the ledge. We were up at the same time again. Here’s my fifth tip: Half marathon day is nothing like 10K day. LEAVE EARLY! We got on the bus, left our resort and were in a parking lot of cars. My friend was panicking; she didn’t want to miss our corral time. Fortunately, we had some experienced RunDisney people ahead of us who assured us we’d get there in time. As soon as the bus stopped my friend was booking it to gear check. We checked our bags, and I was nervous. Bathroom lines were ridiculously long and I would be dead before the race started if I told my friend I needed to stop. The walk to the corrals was very long today…I think it was a 5K just to get to your corral.  My friend was walking/jogging ahead — I cannot tire myself out already, I tried to keep my pace slower. Once my friend had our corral in sight she stopped throwing me daggers as she relaxed, we were in our corral, and all was well.While she relaxed, I panicked, I would be running by myself today and there were so many people.  What was race etiquette again? Do I raise my hand, wave frantically, stay to the side — I was going to be trampled. My friend was now trying to give me a pep talk. As I became more and more quiet and terrified, she became more pumped up.  It was finally our time and after a couple minutes at the start, we separated.  It was clear race energy is much different on half marathon day there were marching bands along the way and lots of people cheering us on.The first 3 miles went by quickly. I also must interject here that yes, there are characters along the way. I was too scared to stop for any — they all had at least 10 minute lines and while I’d love to stop I wanted to finish this race — I hadn’t trained all this time to not finish.  I think it was around this time that we ran through the Magic Kingdom parking gate. Yay! I’ve arrived! Um….there is a reason they have trams to take you to your car, it was still another couple miles before getting to the actual Magic Kingdom. I could only live off that initial burst of excitement for so long. This was a long parking lot, it was the parking lot that never ended (I now started singing this to “the song that never ends” in my head)…yes, my insanity was starting to kick in.  As we drew closer to the magic Kingdom, there were more and more people cheering us on with signs and high fives. They made me laugh, some made me cry, but they all helped spur me on.Finally, I entered the Magic Kingdom — the castle was a glorious site! We ran all around the castle.  Here’s my sixth tip: Stop to take a picture in front of the castle. I wish I had, there are lots of places to stop and you’ll still finish!At this point I was now realizing there was still a whole lot of running left and I was tired. We were now on our way back to Epcot, and along theway a DJ says to us “It’s great all these people cheering you on but as they tell you that you’re almost there, do any of you want to grab them and say — you run 6 more miles and tell me you’re almost there!” It snapped me out of a funk I was in and helped the next mile or so.We have now reached the dark place in my race — also known as the last 3 miles. Everything hurt at this point. As I ran past a medical stop with lots of Biofreeze, I really wanted to slather some on, but as I foolishly had tights on, I couldn’t figure out how that would work. I thought about hoping I’d absorb it through osmosis and just putting it on top of the fleece lined tights but I figured that was a crazy bad idea. I was trying to keep my intervals but I was doing some longer walk intervals and it was so hard to run again.Then came the hills, the blasted hills, I cannot tell you the crazy thoughts and curses going through my head as I went up yet another hill! I am barely upright at this point yet you expect me to run multiple hills?! I’m done for, I’m dehydrated, exhausted and I have to run hills, I’m not going to make it. Here’s my seventh tip: Drink along the way, drink more than you think you should — I thought I was doing good, but obviously I wasn’t as I was losing it at the end. I had electrolyte chews and was taking water but it still wasn’t enough.Somewhere I developed the mantra of you didn’t go through all this to not finish. And it worked….it wasn’t pretty but I ran/shuffled across the finish line. I heard the announcer call my name shortly before I crossed. I was so happy-I did it, I didn’t pee myself and I ran a half marathon! As I crossed the line there was a strange wheezing/gasping noise which took me a minute to realize it was me! I think it was a combination of exhaustion and trying not to break down and cry. After pulling myself together I tearfully sobbed and thanked the man who handed me water and I did cry a bit when they gave me my half marathon medal. I stood in line to have my times checked for the Glass Slipper medal and received that too. I met up with my friend who was waiting for me after she rocked out her first half marathon in awesome time.A few last tips:- Get the Glass Slipper photo. It was a long line and we were exhausted so we didn’t get it….but I now wish we had.-Take advantage of the medical tents after, they will wrap your knees up with ice and have pretty much anything you may want or need.-If you can swing it, schedule a massage after. We both felt so much better after this indulgence we went from the race to our appointment and it was money well spent!So would I ever do a half marathon again? Initially I said never again, but then later that day I started thinking “well, maybe…..” and now one week later I am trying to figure out which one to do! This time my husband will join me and run his first half marathon. Ultimately if this nonrunner can run the Glass Slipper Challenge — you can too! I still don’t consider myself a runner and don’t know at what point I ever will but I do know that this was a huge personal accomplishment for me-something I never thought possible and if I can do it anyone can do it too! Be realistic with the race you can run-if you train for it you know what you are capable of and stick to it on race day….you got this!The 2016 Princess Half Marathon, a RunDisney event at the Walt Disney World Resort, is scheduled for Feb. 18-21, 2016. Registration for the event begins Aug. 4, 2015. For more information, contact your Wishes Family Travel Concierge Agent! For more information about this blogger, see Amy's Bio Page.