Here is part one of the 2013 Walt Disney World Half Marathon.
January 12th, 2013.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Where The Rubber Meets The Road.....Mizuno Wave Rider 16's
With the Disney World Goofy Challenge in my rear view, I think the shoes (Mizuno Wave Rider 13's) I wore have seen their last rodeo. I have 440 miles on that pair. I will let you know soon what I think about the new 16's. Oh and they come in 3 delicious colors schemes.
Walt Disney World Goofy Challenge. 39.3
I will be posting soon my full race reports for these two races. Hopefully I will have video available from the half marathon.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
When Can I Call Myself A Runner?
Jan 13th I found myself standing in my corral waiting for the start of the Walt Disney World Marathon. I was excited to see 26.2 miles of Disney. As I stood there soaking up all of the adrenaline the age old runners question popped into my head. When can I call myself a runner? Certainly I can call myself a “runner” since I successfully completed 5 marathons and many half marathons as well. But, it is really not that easy a term to accept or question to answer, since it is very individual. If you are like me you stand in your corral waiting and you can't help but think about the journey that got you there to this moment. You start to think about all of the things you gave up, all of the aches and pains you endured, and the seemingly endless miles from which you emerged victorious, as you have arrived to this moment - this starting line. Before you know it, the national anthem is over, and you are crossing the starting line. You find that the initial miles are painless as the adrenaline courses though you, but as the miles stack up, your thoughts become laser focused on the most minuscule of things, usually minor discomfort issues. As the adrenaline wears off, those minor discomforts can turn into mountains, and even though the finish line gets closer, it seems so far, perhaps even out of reach. You start doing crazy things like instead of miles left you calculate in minutes how much is left, why? It does not matter 6 miles left or 60 minutes. What is the difference? It is funny how the brain works. Before you know it you are halfway there. You keep telling yourself that you need to maintain your pace. You tell yourself to stay focused and to breathe - you are pushing your body to the limits. This is the point of the race where you start to fight with yourself internally. Your mind is trying to discover some unknown excuse that will make it ok to quit. Your body is screaming at you to slow down to recover. You fight with your inner self. Every little irritant is now magnified by a thousand it seems. Now is the precise moment for which you have been training for. Is this what makes me a runner? You have not just been training just to run, you have been training to beat your own thoughts and feelings, and after all you are your own worst enemy. By now your legs feel the miles pounding away at them, chipping away at your energy. Your feet feel achy as you turn them over, one step in front of the other. You feel sluggish as each mile is a repeat of this battle. Then as you think that you cannot feel any worse, legs tired, body crumbling you look up and finally see what you have been training for.......the finish line, here is where even at your worst physical state, your mental state helps you overcome that last stretch. It’s funny how when people throw up, it’s after the finish line, and not before.
I made it to the finish line twice the weekend of January 12th, and 13th. These two races were very different for me. Because this time with 1/10th of a mile to go, for just a moment each time I thought that I really don't want to cross that finish line. Sounds crazy I know, not because I just wanted to keep going, but because that means the race over. Like with any race, each finish came with a massive relief that I completed it, and the relief that I could finally stop running. With each race I got my finishers medals, and both times headed to out of the finishers area to feel the pride. As I stood there and looked around, I could not help but think. Are we all nuts? I am sure many of those people running that weekend were thinking never again will I do this....EVER! It's quite humorous, to see people limping and stumbling around in weakness smiling and laughing. It is funny but, humbling at the same time.
For some of us the days following a finish start to feel “normal” again. You enjoy reconnecting with friends and family. You get back to all of the things you put off. And as the days go by that awesome sense of accomplishment starts to wear off, and fade into the distance. For those who said never again, we feel the emotions and the memories slipping away, almost like it were something we dreamed. The race and training become a distant memory for some, as they stay true to their word “never again….EVER!” But then there are those of us who feel like you need purpose or perhaps even feel depressed after this glory has gone.
To me this is the birth of a runner. This is where ‘runner status” begins for many. For me I can honestly say this revelation did not hit me until these last races. What I now realize is that I need running. The journey that got me to the start line of that first race never ended, and I don’t want my journey to end with each race. When I stepped over the finish line these last times and met my wife, and received my finisher’s medal, I realized something. I realized that I was not finished. I guess to me each race is a journey, and every journey is different. You meet new people along the way. You find out things about yourself you may not have known, like just how tough or weak you can be at the same time. You find out which friends will support you, and those who do not. You never know what challenges await you, physical or mental, lately for me it has been the Sunday morning blues "it's 20° out and it is nice and warm here in this bed".
When can I call myself a runner? I read it and hear it all too often. I guess it really depends on the individual, but for me it was the moment I realized my journey was not over and I was not finished. Next up……First Midwest Bank Southwest Half Marathon May 5th, 2013, then on to the Green Bay Marathon May 19th. Happy running everyone.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
First Run of the New Year.
With the Disney World "Goofy Challenge" Coming up fast, Jan 12th and 13th. I
figured I better get things in order and start learning to use my GoPro Camera.
I bought it after watching some really fun, and entertaining videos by Jeremy from the Golden Triangle Strutters. So I picked up the
camera, and asked my running buddy Jack if he wanted to go an easy mile to bring
in the new year. That said.....here it is...hope you like.
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Nike Element Shield Full Zip Jacket
The Nike Element Shield Full Zip Jacket
Retail Price: $115.00
Availability: Most major retailers and running specialty stores.
With the cold weather upon us, I have been finding it very hard to drag myself out of a warm bed on the weekends to get a run in cold, and rainy weather, especially the last few weekends. Back I. October while I was at the Chicago Marathon expo, I wanted to buy a souvenir. I wanted to purchase a jacket with the upcoming weather going to turn cold. I found one item that I really liked. The Nike Element Shield Full Zip Jacket, in Electric Green.
Upon first examination the jacket was well designed, and fit me well. What more could I ask for. I am no stranger to Nike running apparel. 90% of my shirts are Nike Dri-FIT. First reason I prefer Nike over the other brands because the way it fits me. That is most import. Second, they seem to be around $5.00 less than the competitors closest product.
This is where if you saved your money for a rainy day...........you will be happy.
Design:
The Nike Element Shield Jacket is made with Dri-FIT high-performance polyester fabric that very effectively wicks sweat away from your body and to the surface where it can evaporate and cool.
The tag on the jacket lists that it I designed to wind and water resistant in key areas to keep you dry and warm. The parts that are wind and water resistant are the entire front, the tops of the shoulders and the arms, all the way down to the hands. The undersides of the arms and the back of the jacket about 8 inches below the shoulder are the parts that are not so water resistant. Keep in mind this is not meant to be a rain coat.
The jacket has a stand collar which helps to keep in the warmth and cut the wind. It is soft and comfortable, and not restrictive in any manor.
The long raglan sleeves with thumbhole accents are a good length to keep most peoples hands warm. The full front zipper zips up to the neck, and can also then be unzipped up to the collar to dump excess heat.
The design of the lining is what I find most curious. The lining is a series of small plush thermal squares that make it light, breathable and surprisingly warm. There are reflective elements, which I will say are highly effective, made to increase visibility in low-light conditions. I feel that Nike could have put one more reflective strip across the back, like on the back of the Element Shield Vest. This on its own is not a deal breaker, since you may run during the day, or if you do run at night you can always opt for a hat with reflective properties. Just thought it would make for a nice touch since the jacket retails for $115.00.
Drop-in pockets at side for convenient storage.
Media cord loop at nape to keep cords out of the way. (Reflective)
Machine wash cold, line dry.
After a few runs in this Jacket I am able to write an objective review.
Warmth: Let me start off by saying this jacket is not made for over 40°F. I made one run when it was just over 40, and I needed to unzip as it was just too warm.
Water resistant not water proof: I have made two runs in the rain wirh this jacket. The first was 6 miles in a light drizzle, with a temp of 37 °F. I was very comfortable as I stayed acceptably and warm. So the jacket did exactly what it was supposed to do. I will say that in steady rain it is possible to get wet. The water resistant panels made the water bead up and just roll off. Not allowing it to soak in. The panels under the arms channeled the excess water and sweat, out of the jacket.
The other run was a windy, and misty 35 degrees. For that run, the jacket stated very comfortable as far as temperature. For reference I was wearing a short sleeve tech shirt. If it were colder, I would wear a compression top. I imagine that it would be good down to 20 with the right compression top, and to say you would not be out on a 20 miler. As for the mist on this run, the jacket did not even give it a second thought, handled it no problemo. It was a windy run as we had a cold damp wind of 17mph trying to cut in, the front panels do not allow the wind through, but it will transfer cold if it is cold enough and you sweated up the jacket pretty good, but to be honest, all lightweight materials would do the same.
I really felt that is jacket did an exceptional job on those runs. Below are some pictures of the features this jacket has.
I have to say that I love this jacket so much I decided to get another one on sale. $78.00 at Dicks Sporting Goods. This jacket is well worth the money. So the long and short of it is that if someone asked me should they get this.............I would say yes, if you run outside in the cold, and in the rain. If you stay in while its raining or hit the tready, I would say save the cash, unless you just wear it to look cool.
Thanks for lookin.
Dan
Retail Price: $115.00
Availability: Most major retailers and running specialty stores.
With the cold weather upon us, I have been finding it very hard to drag myself out of a warm bed on the weekends to get a run in cold, and rainy weather, especially the last few weekends. Back I. October while I was at the Chicago Marathon expo, I wanted to buy a souvenir. I wanted to purchase a jacket with the upcoming weather going to turn cold. I found one item that I really liked. The Nike Element Shield Full Zip Jacket, in Electric Green.
Upon first examination the jacket was well designed, and fit me well. What more could I ask for. I am no stranger to Nike running apparel. 90% of my shirts are Nike Dri-FIT. First reason I prefer Nike over the other brands because the way it fits me. That is most import. Second, they seem to be around $5.00 less than the competitors closest product.
This is where if you saved your money for a rainy day...........you will be happy.
Design:
The Nike Element Shield Jacket is made with Dri-FIT high-performance polyester fabric that very effectively wicks sweat away from your body and to the surface where it can evaporate and cool.
The tag on the jacket lists that it I designed to wind and water resistant in key areas to keep you dry and warm. The parts that are wind and water resistant are the entire front, the tops of the shoulders and the arms, all the way down to the hands. The undersides of the arms and the back of the jacket about 8 inches below the shoulder are the parts that are not so water resistant. Keep in mind this is not meant to be a rain coat.
The jacket has a stand collar which helps to keep in the warmth and cut the wind. It is soft and comfortable, and not restrictive in any manor.
The long raglan sleeves with thumbhole accents are a good length to keep most peoples hands warm. The full front zipper zips up to the neck, and can also then be unzipped up to the collar to dump excess heat.
The design of the lining is what I find most curious. The lining is a series of small plush thermal squares that make it light, breathable and surprisingly warm. There are reflective elements, which I will say are highly effective, made to increase visibility in low-light conditions. I feel that Nike could have put one more reflective strip across the back, like on the back of the Element Shield Vest. This on its own is not a deal breaker, since you may run during the day, or if you do run at night you can always opt for a hat with reflective properties. Just thought it would make for a nice touch since the jacket retails for $115.00.
Drop-in pockets at side for convenient storage.
Media cord loop at nape to keep cords out of the way. (Reflective)
Machine wash cold, line dry.
After a few runs in this Jacket I am able to write an objective review.
Warmth: Let me start off by saying this jacket is not made for over 40°F. I made one run when it was just over 40, and I needed to unzip as it was just too warm.
Water resistant not water proof: I have made two runs in the rain wirh this jacket. The first was 6 miles in a light drizzle, with a temp of 37 °F. I was very comfortable as I stayed acceptably and warm. So the jacket did exactly what it was supposed to do. I will say that in steady rain it is possible to get wet. The water resistant panels made the water bead up and just roll off. Not allowing it to soak in. The panels under the arms channeled the excess water and sweat, out of the jacket.
The other run was a windy, and misty 35 degrees. For that run, the jacket stated very comfortable as far as temperature. For reference I was wearing a short sleeve tech shirt. If it were colder, I would wear a compression top. I imagine that it would be good down to 20 with the right compression top, and to say you would not be out on a 20 miler. As for the mist on this run, the jacket did not even give it a second thought, handled it no problemo. It was a windy run as we had a cold damp wind of 17mph trying to cut in, the front panels do not allow the wind through, but it will transfer cold if it is cold enough and you sweated up the jacket pretty good, but to be honest, all lightweight materials would do the same.
I really felt that is jacket did an exceptional job on those runs. Below are some pictures of the features this jacket has.
 |
| Electric Green. I love it. |
 |
| As you can see your neck and chin are protected from the zipper. |
 |
| The seams are sewn well. |
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| The zipper is a YKK zipper. This is a high quality zipper. |
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| More seams. Nicely sewn. |
 |
| The outside right has a same zippered pocket to hold a key fob, gel, or ID. there is also another small pocket which could hold a gel or an inhaler. |
 |
| The inside. This fabric design helps to keep you warm, and helps to evacuate sweat. |
 |
| This is the back of the jacket. The top is water wind resistant. The bottom is what you would find in a sweat jacket. |
 |
| Reflective swoosh on front. |
 |
| This is a shot of the arm relector, the the reflective trim on the side pocket. |
 |
| Reflective trim opposite side. |
I have to say that I love this jacket so much I decided to get another one on sale. $78.00 at Dicks Sporting Goods. This jacket is well worth the money. So the long and short of it is that if someone asked me should they get this.............I would say yes, if you run outside in the cold, and in the rain. If you stay in while its raining or hit the tready, I would say save the cash, unless you just wear it to look cool.
Thanks for lookin.
Dan
Monday, November 12, 2012
2012 Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon
The Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon is a favorite in my race book. There are many things that I enjoy about this race. This race is a night race and boasts a 10 pm start time, so if you are like me and not so keen on getting up early, especially while on vacation, then this race may be for you. The W&D also has a relatively non competitive field of runners, so you can really feel good about your race results if you are not particularly speedy. I have run this race 3 years in a row now, and am hoping for a 4th in 2013.
Here is my official race report:
Race Day: Saturday night race. 10pm Start.
Weather: 61°F and clear.
Race Field: 13,000
Type of Start: Wave
What To Wear
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| My Diggs |
Getting To The Starting Line
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| The Starting Line |
The pre-race setup was highly organized. Disney has a large lighted field as a staging area. When you arrive you can check your bag, then you can get in line for one of the many probably 100 or more porta johns. Then lines seem to move along at a decent pace. They open the corals around 9:15pm.
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| Lines for "The Can" |
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| Coral A |
Miles 1-4
I got to toe the
start line. That was cool being right in the front. Run Disney had a DJ at the start line that
commenced a countdown, and then the fireworks went off, the start was great
except I dropped my iPhone right at the start.
That cost me 5-6 seconds maybe, as well as some embarrassment. After grabbing my phone off the ground I
started off on a pretty quick pace. I
got through Mile 1, with a 7:13 split. It felt fast,
and then I came back to earth and tried to slow a little and control my
breathing and get into a rhythm. Mile 2 came and went, with a 7:21 pace, and again I felt that was
too fast I wanted to be around 7:40. The
road was wide open having started in the front, it was nice not having to go
around people. This open road gave me the
advantage of relaxing into the run. Mile 3 came in at 7:26 and I thought, this could be a PR. I was trying to slow, I thought I had, and I
still felt good. I was turning in sub
7:30’s. My breathing felt a little hard,
but was good especially for a race, temps were cool, and I was just starting to
sweat between 2-3 miles. I was off to a
great run I got through the 5k mark in
22:57. I pasted the 5k mat and said
ok, just relax, slow down a bit and run sub 7:55 and I will have a PR. Just
after entering Animal Kingdom I came through the Mile 4 mark in 7:35.Miles 5-8
Just after 4 miles I started to feel side splits. I have had those before, but only on runs that were fast, and I had not taken the proper time to digest. That soon progressed into heaviness in my lower intestinal area, I was like OH NO! I knew this feeling. I started to feel some cramping, and some nausea kicking in. I thought at this point I will go as long as I can, before I hit a porta john. This way hopefully it would pass, and I would not have to try and make up for lost time. Even with all the Disney awesomeness I was having a hard time now wanting to keep a pace. The cramping was making me feel bloated and the pain was not subsiding. This was not good. I never felt this way during a run. I was feeling pretty bad. It was downright painful. I came through Mile 5 in 7:54. I was hoping to keep this pace, even with the pain. I kept on pushing through the conditions, and posted an 8:04 pace in Mile 6. I saw the mats for the 10k time split. I hit the 10k mark in 47:37. This was the point when I started the mental fight. “Your not even halfway through” “I Feel Like Shit!” “Slow down till you feel better” “A finish is a win”, all excuses. This is where I zoned. Time to blank my mind and stack up the rest of the miles and finish this mother. I really don’t remember to much for the next couple miles except certain songs on my iPod, and mile markers. Trudged through Mile 7 in an 8:09 pace. I was out on World Drive headed towards MGM Studios, just hit Mile 8 and chimed in at 8:08, I remember hearing The song “It’s Our Fight” by Steve Jablonsky, this is off the Transformers 3 Soundtrack. Here is the link if you are interested. "It's Our Fight" . This song gave me the fortitude to keep pushing through the pain, and the discomfort.
Mile 9-13.1
I thought this will be rough but I have to salvage this run, push. One mile at a time. I was now pacing with another runner, and he too was digging deep. I let him ride for a little while right on my heels as I kept a steady pace. I backed off he started to pass and I fell right in on him off his right hand side about 4 feet back. He tried to move away, but I was going to stick right there. I think it was making him uneasy forcing him to keep a pace. We hit the slow uphill to the off ramp to make the turn into MGM. We hit the Mile 9 mark and posted a 7:59 mile. There was some battling going on back and forth through MGM, cutting through on the inside of the turns and then back and forth. Mile 10 we had a split of 8:01. By now I was really starting to feel bad, really bad. I was seriously thinking of stopping, and this was rational thinking, not tired thinking. I was like you are really hurting, you are going to either shit or puke, you can deal with barfing, but if you soil yourself there is no victory, only serious embarrassment. Just then I looked up to see the Mile 11 marker then….beep….beep I looked down 8:02. 2.1 To go. You can do this. Just get through it. Keep pushing. Slow down if you have to. I kept thinking if this was mile 8 or 9 I would stop for a break. I was doing calculations in my head. I can still PR. Not big, but a PR is a PR. I knew the rest of the course from 11 thru 12.2 like the back of my hand. I was going to try and keep up. I was like I was being stabbed. Horrible. I other runner backed off coming out of MGM, and I kept looking ahead. I felt accomplished as I fended off one competitor. Mile I felt like was running a 9 min mile, then I hit the bridge between the Boardwalk and Swan and Dolphin Resort. Legs felt 80lbs each. I though this is going to kill me. My Mile 12 split fell to 8:10. I was reassessing the situations when it hit me…..wall. I was not drinking or gelling since the pain and discomfort. I was afraid to. I was going to have to finish this on pure will. I could literally feel the energy drain. One foot in front of the other, pic them up, or you will trip is what I was thinking. I tramped along the Yacht and Beach Clubs. I hit the last incline (Bridge into the Epcot). I can’t explain how I felt. Just bad. I recall back lot scenery. Mile 13 came in early at 8:14, I am going to miss a PR by seconds, is all I could think. I have nothing left. I could see the 13 mile sign coming up. It was time to see what I had left. 1/10th of a mile left and I was running on less than fumes. I felt unnatural, by body was slumping and I was clutching my stomach area. I made the turn and saw the finish. I did what I could, and came through the finish. I looked at my watch and saw 1:43:42. I missed a PR, by 2 seconds. I missed matching my previous PR by 1 second. I felt even worse now. I made it through to medical where they gave me something for my nausea and told me to lay down. Long story short. A few trips to the johns and a couple hours I felt a lot better. We ended up skipping the Finish Line Party, since it was so crowded.
Ratings
Aid Stations – They had 8 aid stations with restrooms over
the course. The volunteers were upbeat
and awesome. They provided water and
Gator-aid. They had Clif-Shots at Mile 8. 5/5 rating.
Spectators –There were a lot of spectators at the race
start, and then they all left to hit the Food and Wine Festival Finish Line
Party, where they would wait for their runners. Needless to say spectator
viewership was weak. I compare this to
the Marathon in Disney. 3/5 Rating
Traffic and Parking – They had parking available for free,
and plenty of it. It was Disney so
traffic was no issue. 5/5 rating.
Race Tees – The race apparel that came with registration was
nice. A green long sleeve tech shirt.
The design was nice looking too. 4/5
rating
Restrooms – Plenty, and well stocked. Given the large field
wait was kind of long. 3.5/5 rating.
Course – The course had great views. There is one downfall, if you can call it
that, there is quite a bit of highway travel between the parks, to me it felt
like a normal non-Disney race for those parts. They filled some of it with
music, dancers, and float. They did a
great job. They even had the green army
guy from toy story telling us to “TAKE THIS HILL RUNNERS!!!!, and MOVE IT, MOVE
IT, MOVE IT, and ON THE DOUBLE!” That was up onto a ramp that headed towards
MGM. They also had the Osbourne Festival
of Lights on in MGM, that was amazing. Lots to see on this run. 4.5/5 rating.
Awards – The finisher medal is AWESOME! Nice ribbon, and
medal. 5/5 rating.
Summary
There is a reason that I have run this course years years straight. I love this race. I like Disney of course, but they really cater to you. They want you to have a great expeirience. After all the entry is kind of pricey, but in my opinion worth the cash. This course is a relativly flat course. If you are a sub 9:00 runner, you will especially like this course.
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| Me and my Wife Post Race |
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| Finsih Line |
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| Ecpot Christmas Tree |
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