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First Ever Half Marathon race report!
- Thread starter Erin_Akey
- Start date
Awww! You are too sweet! The kind words motivate me more than you know! All I can say is do NOT get down on yourself! Just make it a plan to take one walk around the block. Then go two and so on and so on. Each step will lead to the next and before you know it, you will be right back where you want to be! All of the people on this forum were such an inspiration to me and never got ugly when i whined about sweepers and such. Just stick with this awesome group and it will motivate you!
Maybe I will see you during the Wine and Dine!
My Facebook status today- "CROSSING THAT FINISH LINE FELT WAY BETTER THAN ANY OF THE CRAPPY FOOD I EVER ATE TASTED!"
If Erin Akey can do this, ANYONE can! you have the head start of being a former runner. i was a serious couch potato!
Thanks everyone for all of the really kind words. I can tell you that the encouragement i got on this board really helped me during the training and during the weeks when i couldn't train!
YOU GUYS ALL ROCK!!!!!:sohappy:
I WANT TO DEFINITELY GET TO MEET SOME OF YOU AT THE WINE AND DINE!!!!
YOU GUYS ALL ROCK!!!!!:sohappy:
I WANT TO DEFINITELY GET TO MEET SOME OF YOU AT THE WINE AND DINE!!!!
Main Street USA
Well-Known Member
Congrats, Erin! Glad to hear you did so well. It seems you were more than prepared to take on this challenge. I love the before and after photo, too. You look fantastic!
MickeyBen
New Member
First of all I want to say that I totally agree with all the things my wife said in her race report. We had a blast!! I had so much fun training along side my wife and can tell you for a fact that without her I would not have had the determination to stick with it and actually do the half!! My wife is a very special lady and we have come a long way in our effort to get healthy and happy! Running has become our healthy together activity. When we found that we could combine our enjoyment of running with our thrill of Disney we jumped at the chance to run the half marathon! I have no complaints of the Saturday race! I had a blast and it was so very special to cross the finish line hand in hand with my wife! Ohhh and I have my bling!! The full marathon is on the schedule for next year! I can't wait!!!!!!!! Oh..... Baby, I Love you so much and it was a joy and pleasure to train and run with you!! You are my bestest buddy and I am looking forward to continuing our journey, hand in hand!!
Main Street USA
Well-Known Member
Yeah, that was basically it. It was very tough to get through the crowd right after the finish. Then the one drink and one food coupon coupled with only two attractions being open was a little weak for an after party.
After the ToT 13k after party that included RnRC, ToT, GMR TSM, etc., it just didn't compare.
Main Street USA
Well-Known Member
You guys are great. It's refreshing to see two people so happy with one another, and working towards such a great goal together!
Fievel
RunDisney Addict
Congrats Erin!
Much like you, I was really worried about getting swept. I guess I never took into consideration how much your adrenaline pumps on race day.
You look fantastic, and are a testament to what a living healthy can be all about.
As far as being cheesy and wearing your medals goes - I told another runner I talked to on a bus this - You earned that medal...wear it like a badge of honor. It was great wearing it and hearing the cast members congratulate me on my run, and I'm sure you felt just the same.
Now, use this as inspiration to keep going...keep pushing....You have a taste...now use that to your advantage
Much like you, I was really worried about getting swept. I guess I never took into consideration how much your adrenaline pumps on race day.
You look fantastic, and are a testament to what a living healthy can be all about.
As far as being cheesy and wearing your medals goes - I told another runner I talked to on a bus this - You earned that medal...wear it like a badge of honor. It was great wearing it and hearing the cast members congratulate me on my run, and I'm sure you felt just the same.
Now, use this as inspiration to keep going...keep pushing....You have a taste...now use that to your advantage
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
Great job Erin, all that worrying for nothing
The party at the Wine & Dine was not good. I had two friends who paid for the tickets to go, and they both wrote very long emails to Disney about how disappointed they were.
There were some musical acts. The Malestrom was open. The Grande Fiesta Tour was open, and a lot of the food stands. That was it.
You got one 'free' food and one free 'drink' for your admission. The event was crazy crowded - and it was not sold out. Lines at the food stands were longer than during a normal weekday during F&W. Then the cut off alcohol 20 minutes before closing without telling anyone. We did not get to even use our free drink tickets. We were in line for drinks and they cut the line off 3 people in front of us. Remember too, that it is a late night event, people are tired. I may also be jaded by the fact that they lost my bag at bag check, and I walked around soaking wet for over an hour till they found it. It was to the point where I was starting to shake (i.e onset of hypothermia) - no mylar blankets, no towels, they lost my dry clothes, and am walking around in running shorts and a sleeveless shirt, soaked to the skin in sweat. It was not a fun night.
Oh, and the drainage ditch along the side of the marathon start became an unofficial group urinal.
-dave
Ouch Dave, that doesn't sound good at all! Hopefully they have everything worked out by this year's race!Great job Erin, all that worrying for nothing
The party at the Wine & Dine was not good. I had two friends who paid for the tickets to go, and they both wrote very long emails to Disney about how disappointed they were.
There were some musical acts. The Malestrom was open. The Grande Fiesta Tour was open, and a lot of the food stands. That was it.
You got one 'free' food and one free 'drink' for your admission. The event was crazy crowded - and it was not sold out. Lines at the food stands were longer than during a normal weekday during F&W. Then the cut off alcohol 20 minutes before closing without telling anyone. We did not get to even use our free drink tickets. We were in line for drinks and they cut the line off 3 people in front of us. Remember too, that it is a late night event, people are tired. I may also be jaded by the fact that they lost my bag at bag check, and I walked around soaking wet for over an hour till they found it. It was to the point where I was starting to shake (i.e onset of hypothermia) - no mylar blankets, no towels, they lost my dry clothes, and am walking around in running shorts and a sleeveless shirt, soaked to the skin in sweat. It was not a fun night.
Oh, and the drainage ditch along the side of the marathon start became an unofficial group urinal.
-dave
JillC LI
Well-Known Member
Oh, and the drainage ditch along the side of the marathon start became an unofficial group urinal.
The Verrazzanno Bridge was the unofficial men's urinal at the start of the NYC Marathon. Thankfully my start location was on the upper level. I wouldn't have been too happy on the lower level on a windy day!
JillC LI
Well-Known Member
What a touching post. It truly brought a tear to my eye. What a lucky couple you are to be able to share this experience together. Hats off to both of you. :wave:
I am definitely one dang lucky woman. And for the record, Ben COULD run much faster than me, but he always runs WITH me. He has been there during every step of my weight loss and during all of my running etc. I keep telling him one day I want him to run his pace in a 5k and see what he can really do!
Our little cheesy tradition in every race we do together is to cross the finish line hand in hand. Yeah we are mushy, but that's ok!
I am definitely one dang lucky woman. And for the record, Ben COULD run much faster than me, but he always runs WITH me. He has been there during every step of my weight loss and during all of my running etc. I keep telling him one day I want him to run his pace in a 5k and see what he can really do!
Our little cheesy tradition in every race we do together is to cross the finish line hand in hand. Yeah we are mushy, but that's ok!
That's so sweet!
Figment82
Well-Known Member
Our little cheesy tradition in every race we do together is to cross the finish line hand in hand. Yeah we are mushy, but that's ok!
My boyfriend and I do that too! He started it during the first race we did together, and all I could think was, "Ew! Sweaty hands!" But now I think it's sweet of him.
DisneyRunner
Active Member
Erin, that would make my day too, if my kids showed up at the finish line on their own. At their ages, that was a big under taking. I appreciate the story.
JillC LI
Well-Known Member
Our little cheesy tradition in every race we do together is to cross the finish line hand in hand. Yeah we are mushy, but that's ok!
That's not cheesy - it's fantastic! When my son (age 11) ran his first 5K with me last fall, we crossed the line holding hands as well. Of course I had expected that I'd have to slow down to his pace, but the opposite turned out to be true! (very humbling experience, lol) It meant alot to me that he still wanted to hold my hand across the Finish Line. I just wish my hubby had been able to catch a photo of it. Oh well. We got a post-rae photo together.
dreamfinder
Well-Known Member
First, off congrats on finishing, we told you you could do it.
The W&D party was really more a chance for Epcot to sell more food and booze than anything for the runners. As mentioned before, the finish area was a bit lacking in size. I finished early enough to not have it be an issue, but they had everyone funneling into what looked like a single file line to get your bag. Normally you have a bit of an area for cool down, stretching, whatnot. But there was really no space and they made you keep moving forward. Once you got into Epcot it was a bit chaotic. No one really seemed to know what was going on, or where stuff was. And in all honesty, most of the food/drinks in the F&W fest aren't really meant for post race. Yeah, I had a beer and an empenada, but thats a far cry from my normal smoothie. And the food was the main event at the party. I don't recall any food in the corral, just water and powerade. They did have entertainment pretty much in each country, but not really what I would look for after a race. And the complete lack of mylar blankets was a shock.
Similar priced tickets for the ToT13k post race parties let you onto 5 D/E ticket rides. I mean come on, doing TSM 6 times in a row with no wait was worth the cost of a ticket alone. Yeah no food vouchers, but they had more food in the finish area for those races. Admittedly, they probably needed to sell a certain number of tickets to justify all the staff that was in Epcot. (And there was a lot. They even had roaming waiters trying to sell drinks that way) And having a race based around the F&W fest not involve the fest in any way would be foolish. But still.....
The race itself was awesome. Very well done. But the pre race gathering and the post race party need some rethink. I imagine that once they get their act together it will be a solid race.
Great job Erin, all that worrying for nothing
The party at the Wine & Dine was not good. I had two friends who paid for the tickets to go, and they both wrote very long emails to Disney about how disappointed they were.
There were some musical acts. The Malestrom was open. The Grande Fiesta Tour was open, and a lot of the food stands. That was it.
You got one 'free' food and one free 'drink' for your admission. The event was crazy crowded - and it was not sold out. Lines at the food stands were longer than during a normal weekday during F&W. Then the cut off alcohol 20 minutes before closing without telling anyone. We did not get to even use our free drink tickets. We were in line for drinks and they cut the line off 3 people in front of us. Remember too, that it is a late night event, people are tired. I may also be jaded by the fact that they lost my bag at bag check, and I walked around soaking wet for over an hour till they found it. It was to the point where I was starting to shake (i.e onset of hypothermia) - no mylar blankets, no towels, they lost my dry clothes, and am walking around in running shorts and a sleeveless shirt, soaked to the skin in sweat. It was not a fun night.
Oh, and the drainage ditch along the side of the marathon start became an unofficial group urinal.
-dave
The W&D party was really more a chance for Epcot to sell more food and booze than anything for the runners. As mentioned before, the finish area was a bit lacking in size. I finished early enough to not have it be an issue, but they had everyone funneling into what looked like a single file line to get your bag. Normally you have a bit of an area for cool down, stretching, whatnot. But there was really no space and they made you keep moving forward. Once you got into Epcot it was a bit chaotic. No one really seemed to know what was going on, or where stuff was. And in all honesty, most of the food/drinks in the F&W fest aren't really meant for post race. Yeah, I had a beer and an empenada, but thats a far cry from my normal smoothie. And the food was the main event at the party. I don't recall any food in the corral, just water and powerade. They did have entertainment pretty much in each country, but not really what I would look for after a race. And the complete lack of mylar blankets was a shock.
Similar priced tickets for the ToT13k post race parties let you onto 5 D/E ticket rides. I mean come on, doing TSM 6 times in a row with no wait was worth the cost of a ticket alone. Yeah no food vouchers, but they had more food in the finish area for those races. Admittedly, they probably needed to sell a certain number of tickets to justify all the staff that was in Epcot. (And there was a lot. They even had roaming waiters trying to sell drinks that way) And having a race based around the F&W fest not involve the fest in any way would be foolish. But still.....
The race itself was awesome. Very well done. But the pre race gathering and the post race party need some rethink. I imagine that once they get their act together it will be a solid race.
Phonedave
Well-Known Member
It was in a bag.
You finished. Then took your picture. Then got a water. Then get a bag with a muffin and a banana in it. Then you entered bag check hell. Thats it.
I missed it initialy too. I had to back track to get the bag. They almost didn't let me back, till I told the lady I never got a bag because I had no idea they were there. They were over on the right hand side as you came through. If you were over to the left, it was VERY easy to walk right by them.
-dave