'The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend'

[joel_maxwell]

Sooo, RunDisney does NOT verify submitted times? There were a lot of people in B that did not belong there.

Try people in A, a few rows deep that started out walking. Seriously!

BTW, Doug's ToT runDisney FB post is still a heated topic. LOL

 

[Runnin'Gator]

Joel, agree with you on the walkers. It's just getting downright dangerous having to weave in and out of the walkers/slow joggers or sucking it up and running in the grass. I would like to see Disney do a better job of getting the word out that moving up in corrals is a safety issue. I was thankful to see that they had people checking corral assignments but too many people are making it up to the front.

I saw the fight going over there on the Facebook page. Want absolutely no part of that.

 

[wilkeliza]

Joel, agree with you on the walkers. It's just getting downright dangerous having to weave in and out of the walkers/slow joggers or sucking it up and running in the grass. I would like to see Disney do a better job of getting the word out that moving up in corrals is a safety issue. I was thankful to see that they had people checking corral assignments but too many people are making it up to the front.

I saw the fight going over there on the Facebook page. Want absolutely no part of that.

I'm not even fast and I still had to run in the grass. At least now I have a time to submit places even though it probably won't get me moved up any.

Just wondering if I am doing a 5K can I submit my first 5K split time from ToT for those kinds of races?

 

[a2grafix]

First of all, I hate that I didn't make the meet & greet in time. No excuse, I'm a loser.

No, you are not a loser. It was almost 9-9:15pm and I heard that runners were still at the Boardwalk and Yacht/Beach Club trying to get over to get ready for the race. Would have been nice to meet you. There is always next time.

Brad / fievel told us he was almost stripped searched by a Disney cast member security guard after he went a back way to get to our little meet and greet. He had to take off his running belt and empty his pockets.

So I tried to make up time and was able to end up with a 2:10 according to my Garmin. I haven't looked at the official yet. I thought I was going to pass out myself at mile 7. My phone was in my pocket and it almost got destroyed by sweat. It was pouring off of me. I have the phone sitting in a cup of rice right now to get rid of the remaining moisture. The display looks like puffy clouds. But it works! The rice is doing the job.

Yup. My Droid was in my shorts entire time and it got wet. Never ran with a wet phone. I was quite soaked. surprising the phone still works.

 

[a2grafix]

There was a lot of announcements about "take fluids, it is 80 degrees and super high humidity, take fluids".

People around me were dropping like flies. I really crack up at those runners who start too fast (I have before) and then I catch them a ile or so ahead walking, then they try and blow past me again. Repeat this scenario for 10 miles. Around the 8 or 9 mile mark, somewhere on the entrance 270 degree ramp with a killer grad degree, there were some people really struggling. I think around this point, I felt like I wasnt sweating anymore and a few cold chills took me by surprise. I run in heat liek this all the time and I just cant explain why I reacted like this other than I traveled that day and the odds were against me being under hydrated or over hydrated.

Never ran in 80-82 degree heat at 10-11pm with 80-90 percent humidity before but thought that after training 3 miles several times out and not drinking, I could wait until Mile 3 to consume water. I did successfully do that, but afterward at each water break I downed 1 powerade and 1 water. I was surprised that I really didn't go to the bathroom on course or during the afterparty, but did so when I reached Shades of Green after 4am.

 

[dreamfinder]

They ran out of powerade cups at WWoS and when we passed (Corral D) and they refused to put it in a water cup so there was only water. I know it is a sponsorship thing but seriously sponsorships should not override us getting the fluid we prefer. That was one of the miles I should have done powerade over water but I was stuck with just water.

They also were running out of cups as we got closer to the end so they would take down the tables and only use 1 set of people giving out water/powerade so the backups just got worse and worse at the hydration stations as we got further on.

The Powerade cup thing isn't just a brand thing, it's a way to ensure that runners know what they are getting. Without a cup differentiation, people could end up grabbing Powerade instead of water, or vice versa. And for some people that is enough to cause serious issues. Not everyone pays attention to the volunteers shouting Water or Powerade. Pretty much every race I have run has 2 different cups, or uses clear cups so you can see what you are getting.

However, running out of cups at a race is just poor show. It's not like they don't have another race in a month they could use any extras in.

And I agree with taking my own fluids so I can either hydrate at a set interval of time (every 45 minutes) or when I feel thirsty, and not rely on the water stops. For runners in the second half of the pack, I have actually seen races where they run out of water or cups!

Always, always bring your own stuff. Even if you consume what the race provides, having your own as a backup is the best plan. That way you can consume more frequently if needed, at your own pace, and have a backup if they do happen to run out.

 

[LindsayLoves]

This was soooooo driving me crazy at our last half marathon! We run through the start and then a whole group of people just start walking 5 wide across the road! Grrrrrr! I am not fast by any means but I do better than the required pace and I don't lie when I fill in my anticipated finish time. I was passing people that clearly should have been way behind me in corrals. For the Rock'n'Roll half, we were in Corral 19. In my finish pictures, I am finishing with people who were in Corrals 5-9. I know I did not make up that much time! I guess MAYBE it could be their first race and they signed up way ahead of time and didn't know how fast they could run or I know that sometimes things happen and you can run your best but......ugh. There seem to be too many for that to be the case all the time.

The more races I run the more I encounter these sames issues. New York Road Runners never require proof of time, they simply ask you what pace you run so when I put myself in with a group with runners who should be at my pace I get stuck behind the people walking at the starting line or a few hundred yards up which means they were in a higher starting group than me.

I really thought Disney stuck with the "proof of time" thing, can I just say I ran the Queens Fall 10k (which doesn't exist) at an 8:00/mile and call it good so I can be one of the annoying folks that lied about their time.

@DisneyRunner - Super adorable picture. Love the sparkle skirts!

 

[joel_maxwell]

In the end, I should only blame myself. I usually give the first 10-15 rows of a start line for elite runners and anyone going 8 and under on pace. Since people arent following and playing by those rules, I guess Ill just have to start getting in front of these people and not playing nice.

 

[GoofyRacer11]

In the end, I should only blame myself. I usually give the first 10-15 rows of a start line for elite runners and anyone going 8 and under on pace. Since people arent following and playing by those rules, I guess Ill just have to start getting in front of these people and not playing nice.

I like your thinking! You can run with me and we can form a chain block people.

 

[melflip8]

Joel, agree with you on the walkers. It's just getting downright dangerous having to weave in and out of the walkers/slow joggers or sucking it up and running in the grass. I would like to see Disney do a better job of getting the word out that moving up in corrals is a safety issue. I was thankful to see that they had people checking corral assignments but too many people are making it up to the front.

I saw the fight going over there on the Facebook page. Want absolutely no part of that.

I almost fell into one of those GIANT oversized road gutters when trying to dodge one. Where were you at the meetup?!!!

 

[Fievel]

I don't have a problem with people walking during a race. To me, it' s part of it...you'll pass some, and if I walk, I expect to be passed. However, my major issue was people walking in the middle of the road, or just slowing up out of nowhere. Anytime we decided to take a walk break, we got out of traffic, and got as far right as we could....why right? Because we always run on the right side of the pack...always something we've done....the point is that people have to get out of the way.

 

[Fievel]

Ok...here is my report.

I'm a midwestern guy. I don't mind the cold...but I have problems with the heat. I don't sweat a lot when running, but as soon as the temp gets above 80, I start pouring sweat like a faucet. I had run a half marathon the day before we left, and then I was in Orlando dealing with the above average temperatures for a week before this race. I felt like I was running on fumes most of the time the first few days I was there.

Fast forward to the night of the event....we had dinner at La Hacienda, where once again, I was dealing with losing more water than I was putting in. I had a nice dinner, and drank as much water as my body could handle. I felt a TON better in the hours before the event. We got on a bus about 7:00, and made it to the studios, where they made us sit on a bus for 25 minutes, so they could drive forward 30 feet, and let us off.

We made it to the M&G where I met many of you fine people It was great to see all of your faces in person. I wish I could have been there earlier so that I could have chatted a bit more.

We lined up, and I still felt good. After mile 2, I really started losing steam. I had to call our first walk break about that time. I told my wife that I just didn't feel like I could get my breath, which never happens to me. After a few minutes, I felt ok, and we continued on. We trudged down Osceola (booooooring), and found a restroom by the Animal Kingdom parking lot that I made use of. I used a GU there, and we continued on - back down the other side of Osceola. We got to about Mile 5, where there was a DJ saying "You've finished the boring part of the race." Great!

We made a right hand turn off onto the trails by WWoS. For us - the pace instantly stopped. The entire pack came to a walk pace, and we could not get around them. At one point, my wife was still in run pace, but noticed I was walking next to her at the same speed. It was like we wanted to run, but couldn't. It had a nice spooky feel, but we really felt like the pack mentality where we were was really dumb. We couldn't make any time. About this time, my shirt had transitioned to totally soaked, and was starting to rub on my nipples.

Now, I have pierced nipples, but I've never had problems running with them until this race. The wet shirt rubbing repeatedly was really beginning to grate on me....literally.

We continued through the WWoS, and it suddenly felt like we were running at Disney again. The area was well lit, well supported, and was fun. We continued through Champions Stadium (In a prelude to the full marathon coming up), and started to exit the area. At this point, I couldn't stand it any more, and took off my shirt, as the friction on my nipples was turning them raw. I ran shirtless until about mile 8, where I hit a medical stand for some vaseline, which helped. I put my shirt back on, and we continued onto the super-leaning-hairpin-onramp-of-doom. We passed the start line area, and headed into the studios. Suddenly, I started to turn.....

I didn't feel good at all....but I knew we were almost done. We went through LMA, where I vaguely remember some weird guy standing by the camera screaming, blocking any other runners from getting a picture of themselves on the big screen. As we entered the Streets of America, things get a little dark.....I remember realizing my feet were slapping the ground hard, and being scared I was going to bite the ground. From what I'm told, I suddenly walked without warning (When we need a break - we always call it so we can get out of the way). Again- things are really fuzzy here, and my wife said she almost pulled me from the race, and if we hadn't been in the studios, she would have). I remember crossing the hat, and hearing the DJ saying "only a half mile to go" and saying to my wife "Then let's go" and I took off. I think I only made it a short way before I had to slow again though. Every time I'd come around, I'd attempt to make up the time I missed, then things start to get fuzzy again.

I remember crossing the finish line, and getting my medal. I felt like breaking down.....I knew my body chemistry wasn't right. I was glad to be done, and angry at myself because I thought I was a stronger runner than my finish time said (2:16). I sat down for a bit and chugged 2 bottles of powerade. We skipped the party, as my wife knew I wasn't right, and got back to the resort.

I woke up the next morning still off....and had a massive migraine to boot. I took some excedrin and felt a bit better. I had some Tonga Toast for breakfast, and that helped a bit.

I felt off the whole next day. Like my body was still swinging wildly from feeling good to bad over and over. I fell asleep on a bench at the MK at one point.

I made it out at the parks until midnight the next night (we had MNSSHP tickets), and got back to the room utterly exhausted. It wasn't until then that I looked at my running belt from the previous night and figured out I only took the one GU during the race. In whatever state I was in, I had totally missed or forgotten to take my fuel. I'm thinking that it would have made a difference in how I felt not only during the race, but after. I'm sure I was dehydrated - probably more than I realize even now.

I love the idea of this race, but didn't really like anything about the route. I feel like in an attempt to include WWoS, they had a weird boring route. I would have been happier running almost any other part of property than this boring stretch, which is already featured prominently in the W&D 1/2 Marathon.

I love the bling though....

 

[Runnin'Gator]

I almost fell into one of those GIANT oversized road gutters when trying to dodge one. Where were you at the meetup?!!!

We got there a little bit later and I had friends running that I hadn't seen in a while. I wanted to track them down and spend some time with them.

 

[joel_maxwell]

Ok...here is my report.

I'm a midwestern guy. I don't mind the cold...but I have problems with the heat. I don't sweat a lot when running, but as soon as the temp gets above 80, I start pouring sweat like a faucet. I had run a half marathon the day before we left, and then I was in Orlando dealing with the above average temperatures for a week before this race. I felt like I was running on fumes most of the time the first few days I was there.

Fast forward to the night of the event....we had dinner at La Hacienda, where once again, I was dealing with losing more water than I was putting in. I had a nice dinner, and drank as much water as my body could handle. I felt a TON better in the hours before the event. We got on a bus about 7:00, and made it to the studios, where they made us sit on a bus for 25 minutes, so they could drive forward 30 feet, and let us off.

We made it to the M&G where I met many of you fine people It was great to see all of your faces in person. I wish I could have been there earlier so that I could have chatted a bit more.

We lined up, and I still felt good. After mile 2, I really started losing steam. I had to call our first walk break about that time. I told my wife that I just didn't feel like I could get my breath, which never happens to me. After a few minutes, I felt ok, and we continued on. We trudged down Osceola (booooooring), and found a restroom by the Animal Kingdom parking lot that I made use of. I used a GU there, and we continued on - back down the other side of Osceola. We got to about Mile 5, where there was a DJ saying "You've finished the boring part of the race." Great!

We made a right hand turn off onto the trails by WWoS. For us - the pace instantly stopped. The entire pack came to a walk pace, and we could not get around them. At one point, my wife was still in run pace, but noticed I was walking next to her at the same speed. It was like we wanted to run, but couldn't. It had a nice spooky feel, but we really felt like the pack mentality where we were was really dumb. We couldn't make any time. About this time, my shirt had transitioned to totally soaked, and was starting to rub on my nipples.

Now, I have pierced nipples, but I've never had problems running with them until this race. The wet shirt rubbing repeatedly was really beginning to grate on me....literally.

We continued through the WWoS, and it suddenly felt like we were running at Disney again. The area was well lit, well supported, and was fun. We continued through Champions Stadium (In a prelude to the full marathon coming up), and started to exit the area. At this point, I couldn't stand it any more, and took off my shirt, as the friction on my nipples was turning them raw. I ran shirtless until about mile 8, where I hit a medical stand for some vaseline, which helped. I put my shirt back on, and we continued onto the super-leaning-hairpin-onramp-of-doom. We passed the start line area, and headed into the studios. Suddenly, I started to turn.....

I didn't feel good at all....but I knew we were almost done. We went through LMA, where I vaguely remember some weird guy standing by the camera screaming, blocking any other runners from getting a picture of themselves on the big screen. As we entered the Streets of America, things get a little dark.....I remember realizing my feet were slapping the ground hard, and being scared I was going to bite the ground. From what I'm told, I suddenly walked without warning (When we need a break - we always call it so we can get out of the way). Again- things are really fuzzy here, and my wife said she almost pulled me from the race, and if we hadn't been in the studios, she would have). I remember crossing the hat, and hearing the DJ saying "only a half mile to go" and saying to my wife "Then let's go" and I took off. I think I only made it a short way before I had to slow again though. Every time I'd come around, I'd attempt to make up the time I missed, then things start to get fuzzy again.

I remember crossing the finish line, and getting my medal. I felt like breaking down.....I knew my body chemistry wasn't right. I was glad to be done, and angry at myself because I thought I was a stronger runner than my finish time said (2:16). I sat down for a bit and chugged 2 bottles of powerade. We skipped the party, as my wife knew I wasn't right, and got back to the resort.

I woke up the next morning still off....and had a massive migraine to boot. I took some excedrin and felt a bit better. I had some Tonga Toast for breakfast, and that helped a bit.

I felt off the whole next day. Like my body was still swinging wildly from feeling good to bad over and over. I fell asleep on a bench at the MK at one point.

I made it out at the parks until midnight the next night (we had MNSSHP tickets), and got back to the room utterly exhausted. It wasn't until then that I looked at my running belt from the previous night and figured out I only took the one GU during the race. In whatever state I was in, I had totally missed or forgotten to take my fuel. I'm thinking that it would have made a difference in how I felt not only during the race, but after. I'm sure I was dehydrated - probably more than I realize even now.

I love the idea of this race, but didn't really like anything about the route. I feel like in an attempt to include WWoS, they had a weird boring route. I would have been happier running almost any other part of property than this boring stretch, which is already featured prominently in the W&D 1/2 Marathon.

I love the bling though....

I hate that you had a bad day when I comes to feeling bad. The heat will do it to you. Like Nick has joked about, I have experienced some interesting things when it comes to heat and running down here. It can be dangerous and in some cases be deadly. Better to shut it down then do something stupid in these temps and conditions.

Hey, at least you finished, you pushed through and you are ok. Luckily, you only had a migraine and not more symptoms of heat illness. It is bad stuff. Especially on vacation.

You know, it might have been a good thing that you didnt take that GU. You probably know this, but I know you were drinking water, but if you dont take at least 4oz's of water with nutrition, your stomach pulls fluid from your body to help digest the nutrition. It will dehydrate you more. We were all taking in plenty of fluids, but a brick in your stomach of unprocessed nutrition might have landed you in a worse spot.

I like reading other peoples routines to see what they do in comparison. Im not sure how you eat a meal at La Hacienda and then go run in that heat, but you pulled it off. I wonder if this had anything to do with it. On top of that, you were taking some nutrition. In heat like that, I try to be just full enough that my stomach isnt growling so I dont feel full or over full. Im weird, Id rather feel a little hungry then full starting a long run if I have a few Honey Stingers. I have almost 2K calories naturally stored in reserves, so I figure I can make it.

Different strokes for everybody.

 

[Fievel]

I like reading other peoples routines to see what they do in comparison. Im not sure how you eat a meal at La Hacienda and then go run in that heat, but you pulled it off. I wonder if this had anything to do with it. On top of that, you were taking some nutrition. In heat like that, I try to be just full enough that my stomach isnt growling so I dont feel full or over full. Im weird, Id rather feel a little hungry then full starting a long run if I have a few Honey Stingers. I have almost 2K calories naturally stored in reserves, so I figure I can make it.

Hacienda landed there due to the fact we were on the dining plan and when we made ADR's, we kinda forgot about the race that night. Luckily, it was an early enough time that I could still make the race. I was given a giant plate of food. I ate chicken and steak, and a ton of rice. Add to that about 5 giant glasses of water during the meal in a last minute effort to get fluids into me.

I didn't eat to the point of full, but to the point of satisfied.

On another note - my wife seems to have figured out her GI issues after races. She switched to honey stinger energy bars every 40 minutes during the race and felt great afterward.

At least one of us was good at the end of it.

 

[Fievel]

You know, it might have been a good thing that you didnt take that GU. You probably know this, but I know you were drinking water, but if you dont take at least 4oz's of water with nutrition, your stomach pulls fluid from your body to help digest the nutrition. It will dehydrate you more. We were all taking in plenty of fluids, but a brick in your stomach of unprocessed nutrition might have landed you in a worse spot.

I was doubling down at every water stop, taking both powerade and water. Although my wife now tells me I went through the last 2 without taking anything. It bothers me that parts of the race are fuzzy.

 

[joel_maxwell]

I dont recall most portions of events or long runs on the weekend because I mentally shut down the most I can. I try not to think about anything and the miles just go by quickly. Im good to remember 2 or 3 really detailed things. No music helps. I loved running to classical and musical scores, but the dependence on music ruined an event when my ishuffle went dead so I run sans music now.

I worry that people dont educate themselves about the use of supplements (GU Honey Stingers etc) vs. using your natural calories stored up and some sports drinks a little during the event. I know it isnt the most dangerous thing or topic, but as I mentioned earlier, when events hand out GU at mile 10 of a half event, and I see people hitting it without taking water with it, that is dangerous if it is hot outside. Also, they dont realize, that GU isnt going to help them until they almost reach the finish or after. It isnt an instant energy like we are aware of but I would bet they think it is. I want to tell them, "You have enough stored calories to run a half without nutrition, dont mess with that stuff if you have never tried it".

My coaches use to tell me and it is very true, It isnt what you eat the day of the event, it is the 2 days prior.

To be honest Brad, I dont know if I was over hydrated. The potties were to dark to see my urine to see if it was too clear before the event. I flew that day and drank more water than usual to compensate, but I might have over done it and that is a result of the cramps I experienced.

 

[Fievel]

Part of the mystery of running sometimes. Things aren't always going to go right, and you won't always know why. I also know I PR'd the week before, so I have nothing to hang my head about. I'll just refocus on the next task at hand....the WDW Marathon.

 

[Kristia]

I do

I dont recall most portions of events or long runs on the weekend because I mentally shut down the most I can. I try not to think about anything and the miles just go by quickly. Im good to remember 2 or 3 really detailed things. No music helps. I loved running to classical and musical scores, but the dependence on music ruined an event when my ishuffle went dead so I run sans music now.

I worry that people dont educate themselves about the use of supplements (GU Honey Stingers etc) vs. using your natural calories stored up and some sports drinks a little during the event. I know it isnt the most dangerous thing or topic, but as I mentioned earlier, when events hand out GU at mile 10 of a half event, and I see people hitting it without taking water with it, that is dangerous if it is hot outside. Also, they dont realize, that GU isnt going to help them until they almost reach the finish or after. It isnt an instant energy like we are aware of but I would bet they think it is. I want to tell them, "You have enough stored calories to run a half without nutrition, dont mess with that stuff if you have never tried it".

My coaches use to tell me and it is very true, It isnt what you eat the day of the event, it is the 2 days prior.

To be honest Brad, I dont know if I was over hydrated. The potties were to dark to see my urine to see if it was too clear before the event. I flew that day and drank more water than usual to compensate, but I might have over done it and that is a result of the cramps I experienced.

I don't know how anyone can take GUs without water! They kind of stick in my throat if I can't have some water with them. Blech! If I am running over 6 miles, I usually take one about halfway through my run. It may be pyschosomatic but sometimes it gives me a boost when I am starting to peter out.

 

[joel_maxwell]

I do

I don't know how anyone can take GUs without water! They kind of stick in my throat if I can't have some water with them. Blech! If I am running over 6 miles, I usually take one about halfway through my run. It may be pyschosomatic but sometimes it gives me a boost when I am starting to peter out.

I know. I usually see them around a water station, but that doesnt mean people know to take 4 oz's. That is usually 2 cups from the water station if they are filling them low.

When I started prepping for my first full, I read a few books on how the body works with running. How your body gets energy, how it makes energy from fat/calories and the different levels of anaerobic and aerobic exercises. It is really fascinating. I completely understand the mental aspect of taking a supplement, but for most people, it really isnt necessary. If you have eaten 2 days worth of balanced meals and stock pilled you calories, we all know that you should be able to run 18ish miles on calories alone. I typically dont take any nutrition (except a sports drink & water) on any run under 13-14 miles. You just dont need it. If you are running at a slower pace, your body has time to convert fat to fuel, and not stored calories. This is why I was wondering if Brad's unfortunate situation with feeling bad, dizzy and faint was due to his meal before the race. Your body is working hard to digest food which takes awhile, and then we go make it work harder by running in that heat, IMHO, that has recipe for a bad reaction. The good news is, if it was this, he could probably fix it easily. Im not him and I dont know, he could do this all the time and it works fine for him and this was a weird situation. I just hate when things like this happen to people during fun events and just trying to offer some problem solving words.

Who knows. I hope it was just a random occurance.