It's the "It's about #@!Q@'n time!" Race Report!

The words for the morning: "Hot & Humid"


Here we are!  My SECOND Walt Disney World Half Marathon!

January 12th, 2013: Forecast "Unseasonably Warm"

I didn't take my toss away gear, due to the consistent weather forecasts that were going to put our start time at 5:30-6:00 am to be in the neighborhood of the low 60's.  

This year I did manage to get some more sleep before the EARLY morning wake up call.  I MAY have gotten in the neighborhood of 5-6 hours of actual sleep!  So when the alarm on my iPhone started banging out it's annoying tune, I was up at at 'em!

I ate one of my Apple Cinnamon nutrition bars and headed in for my shower.  I took care  of business (if you know what I mean) and was dressed in my gear in no time at all.  I was ready!  It's not yet  3 AM!  Our group had decided to meet at 3:15.  Well, I'll just have to be early.  I grabbed my water & 2nd Apple Cinnamon nutrition bar and headed down to the bus area at Pop Century.

I was first of our group to be down at the bus area, but I think some of the others were milling about the food court area, picking up last minute items of this and that.  I sat down and watched people lining up for the buses.  It was warm already.  I check the Weather Channel App and it's like 62 out already!

Our group gathers and gets into the queue for the bus.  I'm pretty excited.  I'm really confident that this is going to be my best half marathon.  I'm not one for cold weather, so I'm feeling pretty good about the current weather.  After all, I was one of the crazy ones running around Indy when the heat was in the high 90's!  I can do this.

We make it over to the pre-corral area at Epcot in short order.  My little camera that I've borrowed from Mom doesn't do too well in low light, but the camera is tiny and water resistant.

Spaceship Earth as seen at about 3:30 am

Our group sticks together and we start chatting about stuff.  

My WiSH Hakuna Matata Teammates! (Sean, Robbie, Me, Kim, Rebecca, Vicky and Rick)

Rebecca, Vicky and Rick all dressed up for this race.  They're doing the Goofy Challenge, so they're not out to make PR's for the half.  They've got a full Marathon to run the next day!  So we have Belle, Vanellope von Schweetz (from Wreck-it Ralph!), and Woody!

They begin to encourage the racers to begin making their way through the package tents and into our next corral area.  We make it over as a group and remain chatting together until they FINALLY release us to go to our corrals!

Now, I had expected to be in MUCH better shape coming into this race and had estimated my time to be a little under 3 hours when I signed up.  Anything 2:45 and less, you have to have proof of time.  This managed to land me in Corral C! Even though their timing chart had Corral C at 2:50 and less.  We have some speedier folk in our group and some were in A & B.  We got seperated in the crowds over to the corral, but some of us were still together.  I bid farewell to Rick, Vicky and Rebecca as they headed up to B as I made my way into C.

I chatted with some of the people in the middle/back area of the corral, where I decided to stick to.  I made sure my GPS watch was all set.  I made sure my iPhone App, RunKeeper, was all set.  I took a look at the time and saw that it was about time to take my first GU!  Groups are starting to head out, fireworks are going!  I'm getting really excited!

Wheelchairs are on their way!  Elites are on their way!  Corral A is on their way!  Corral B is on their way!

My best attempt at the start line.  Missed all the Fireworks!  :(

BOOM!   Corral C!  We're on our way!  

Beep... beep... beep!  Is that my watch?  It's not been 4 minutes!  Nope!  Oh lord!  With 20,000 other people with beeping watches, I cannot detect when it's MY watch going! (okay... I'm taking up funds for a new Garmin Watch that vibrates... only $350!  JK... well.. sort of.)

I know how I feel, I can judge it pretty good.  I keep looking at my watch and I'm doing okay!

CRAP!  I gotta pee, and it's the damn first port-a-potties again!  ARRRGH!  Next time, no water before the race.  

Okay, it's quick in and out.  Not bad.  Runkeeper is telling me I'm only 2 minutes behind where I wanted to be.  Not bad.

I start back up and things are working well, almost right out of the gate!  We're up onto World Drive in what seems like no time at all to me!  I feel good!  I feel GREAT!  Look, the Magic Kingdom parking entrance already!  ARRRRGH!  NOOOOO!  I gotta go!!!

15 minutes in line at these port-a-potties.  I'm now WAYYYY off my intended pace.  I'm a bit angry with myself.  I'm still not sure what it was, but I don't think I'll eat the same thing I had for dinner next time.  That has been the common item between the 2 races, with the same results.  It was just a bit further into the race this year.

Okay.  I'm shaking that off.. so to speak.  I'm on my way again, and things still feel good.  Lighter even.  After the Magic Kingdom parking gate... there are a TON more port-a-potties with almost no line :(  

We make our way down to Contemporary Resort area, getting ready to make our turn into the back area of Magic Kingdom!

We're getting close to entering the Magic Kingdom!

RunKeeper is telling me I'm behind, but I'm only 8 minutes off, not nearly as bad as I thought!  I've MADE UP TIME!  It's time to enter the Magic Kingdom!

It's getting lighter, and WARMER!

Running to the Castle

They've done Main Street a little different this year!  We're funneled tightly to the right side, as to not have anyone run on the tracks down the middle of the street.  I had heard a few people had turned an ankle on them last year.  Problem is, it's very TIGHT and walking pace ONLY.  Even though I've walked down this street many times now, there's something about doing this during a race that just still chokes me up a bit!

Coming into the back side of the Castle!

Coming through the castle!

This is the view coming out of  the Castle!

I see the Marathonphoto.com people!  I think I got a picture in front of the Castle!!  (I in fact do, but haven't plopped the $$ down to purchase it yet...)

It's packed coming the rest of the way through Magic Kingdom.  I'm worried that it's going to be like this on the service road leaving the Magic Kingdom like it was last year!

Leaving the Castle and headed into Liberty Square & Frontierland!

At this point is where the red battery of doom pops up on my little camera!  I didn't bring a spare battery along, because I thought it would last!  :(

We come out onto the service road and I'm actually able to start making some headway.  People are thinning out a bit and some of them actually look to be mainly be keeping to the right!

Then, the sun starts beating down on me.  I quit sweating and start heating up.  I quickly realize this and slow down.  I'm starting to dehydrate.  I take my 3rd Gu and grab 2 waters.  The energy and cool water charge me back up.  I make some progress.  I THINK it was at this point that I came across some of our WiSH cheer squad!  I LOVE Twizzlers!  Umm... but it wasn't so great right after that Chocolate extreme GU I just had Right before I got the Twizzlers.  Oh well!

Next water station cannot come quick enough!  I grab a Poweraide and 2 waters.  I drink the poweraide and wear the water!  That's MUCH, MUCH better!  I THINK I'm making some more progress.

Then I hear my RunKeeper App chime in.  I'm 18 minutes off my pace!  WHAT!??!  I do a quick check, and I'm slow.  VERY slow.  I've pretty much slowed down to 1 minute Jog and 4 minute walk due to the heat.  I'm putting in 18 minute miles!  ARRGH!

I look at the time on my GPS watch and I'm definately NOT going to hit anywhere near 3 hours.  I'm looking like I'm headed for a time worse than last year.  We've got the turnoff of doom coming up too.  UGH!  I keep going forward.  I keep my arms going.  People are complimenting me on my WiSH Shirt and that is helping motivate me tons!

DLF >DNF>>DNS

Dead Last Finish

Is Greater than

Did Not Finish

Which Greatly Trumps

Did Not Start

I cannot say how many people commented that they loved the shirt.  I had one person pass me saying "Go WiSH!  You guys are EVERYWHERE!"  Coming into Epcot, I see Lou Mongello and his WDW Radio Show cheer squad and I give a shout out to him.  He cheers me on.  

At the point of entering Epcot, I'm seriously feeling the effects of the heat.  I'm getting a bit woozy, so I'm pretty much in walk only mode for the last portion of the race.  I manage to muster up the last remains of strengh and push on through Epcot.  I hit the final approach to the finish line and I'm bound and determined to make it across a faster pace than a walk!  I make my way over to the right side and give a high five to Mickey this year... I think.  It was a character giving high fives.  I make it across the finish line and head up to get my medal.  I stop all my devices and notice that my time is almost exactly 4 hours.  I'm disappointed, but right at that moment, I'm just glad I survived it.  

After picking up a water I run into Andy Jackson, who I had met previously at a Yeeha Bob meet with Trace and Lisa when they were planning their Disney Wedding a couple of years back!  He sees me and gives me a great big hug!  I was about ready to cry.  He asks me how I am... I tell him "HOT".  To bump into someone I knew after going through that was just so great of a coincidence.  I later found out that Andy proposed to his girlfriend at the end of the Full Marathon the next day!!  YEA!!!

I get my finish photo taken and make my way to the "box lunch" line and I grab another water.  I make my way to the port-a-potties again and Dad manages to call me while I'm busy!  I finally get to meet up with Dad and we make our way to the bus lines.  There is a queue for Pop century that is over 40 MINUTES long!  In full sun with NO shade.  I'm NOT a happy camper and Dad goes to get me a cool diet Coke.  I feel at that point that if I had more water I was going to burst.

We make it back to the resort and I take a coooool bath to sooth my knees.  I follow it up with a warm shower and I'm in decent shape!  I get ready to go meet up with Lou Mongello for his meet of the month at Magic Kingdom!

The word at the end of the race: "Brutal"

Best quote to me: "Every time we saw you, you had such a great smile on your face the whole race!"  Me: "That wasn't a smile."

Although, every picture I've seen of me in the race, I look to have a nice big smile on my face.  Go Me!

1st half of the race - my split times were between 14:30 and 15:40, Right where I was training for!

2nd half of the race - my split times were between 16:45 and 22:00!  :(

Official time: 4:00:29  :(

1/2 Marathon Finishers:  23125
My official placement: 23003

More to follow, I promise!  I have my 1st 5K race to go over and also all of the fun things I did with our race team members!



Thanks for Reading!  Regards,
~Kipp

Lighter, Stronger & Faster for 2013! Walt Disney World 1/2 Marathon January 7, 2012-  FINISHED 3:48:49 January 12, 2013 - FINISHED 4:00:29 Indianapolis Monumental 1/2 Marathon November 3, 2012-  FINISHED 3:37:29