Enchanted 10K

Ah yes the Enchanted 10K, my first RunDisney event, one that I had been waiting patiently since July for. 

Did it live up to my expectations? 

Hum... In some ways yes, and other ways no.

The kids and I left after I got home from work on Thursday evening, arriving at Walt Disney World about 11:30 p.m. We stayed at Shades of Green, the military based resort on property. Great room, great price, we will be back. 

Friday morning we got up and got on the bus to the ticket and transportation center about the time the parks opened for the day where I got the kids settled with their passes and then went off to the expo.  

The expo was big, well staffed and not too crowded to pick up my packet, which I was thankful for. I didn't really like having to go to two separate buildings to get my bib and shirt/check bag. I felt like this was just asking for someone to loose their bib or check sticker. I did like that they had the characters out to meet and take pictures with. But I wish they would have had more than just two (more on that later.)

Cinderella loved my blue shoes... they are her favorite color. ;-) 

Saturday morning dawned really early. We had to be on the bus at 4 a.m. No big deal, that's not any different than the Rock-n-Roll races we do.  The bus was waiting right where they said it would be, and took us directly to the start line.

My Wear Blue Run to Remember Mickey outfit. I wanted blue or red white and blue Minnie ears but  could not find them at WDW. Declan wanted the Sorcerers hat on Friday, so I convinced him that I could borrow it to run in. I am proud to say that I was one of the only people in the race with that hat!   

Kristina, Stefanie and I before the race. Freezing cold, but smiling! No complaints about the cold, it could have been worse, but for Florida it was cold! ;-) 

Me, Rhonda, Stefanie and Kristina


Now it's confession time. I was not super impressed with this race (the Run Disney fanatics are flipping their lids over this comment!) There was supposed to be 12,000+ people running the race and they only had 5 corrals. That amounts to over 2,200 people in each corral. Which meant that it was impossible to run, especially since we were in the last corral. I logged over a 6.2 mile race because of all of the weaving we did to get around interval runners who would just suddenly stop running. I've been working hard on improving my times the last few months, and I could not run even if I had been willing to leave my partners in crime. I ran once out of the whole race, and that was to catch back up after making a pit stop, and trust me I weaved and dodged to make that happen.

 My other complaint is that the 16 minute per mile  time limit started as the last people in corral E (my corral) passed the starting line (balloon ladies). That meant those of us in that group had exactly 16 minutes per mile to finish, while the people in corral A had almost an hour head start, as they separated the starting times by almost 20 minutes. I don't care that I didn't get to get pictures on the route (well I do, but not enough to be mad about it, but I am really glad I didn't pay Marathon Photo for pictures in advance!). What aggravated me was the security people along the main road YELLING at people in line for the bathrooms that they had to hurry up because the balloon ladies were catching them and they were going to be swept. We were pushed into the corrals over 90 minutes before our start time, by the time we got to  the first set of portapotties it had been almost 2 hours since we had the opportunity to have gone to the rest room. The chance of being swept because you are in the last corral is stressful enough, you don't need the security people yelling at you as well. I know there were runners mad that said some mean things back to him, but if he had been polite in his choice of words and tone I think it would have been much better for everyone. Honestly the way he handled it, ruined the race for me, all I could hear the rest of the race (all 5 miles of it) was his voice saying that we were going to be swept.

I've started in the last corral more times than I can count, I'm a power walker more than a runner, and I know it! Heck I purposely start at the back of races when there isn't a corral system. Never have  worried about being swept like I did on Saturday. I know I can do a 14 minute mile steadily over a long run. I know that I can do a 12 minute mile steadily over a long run. So normally it is not a concern of mine, but Saturday I was seriously freaked out. Stressed out enough that when Stefanie just wanted to get her medal and get food we skipped the picture line. Stressed out enough that my finish line photos are awful, usually I have a look of joy when I cross that line. This time? Agony! And I wasn't in pain!  

Here we are finished for the day. We are all smiling because we are done with the crowds and the people. ;-) I want to register for Dopey and have the marathon be my first full, so I am going to work on getting my times lower so that I can have a good corral for those. I didn't submit a time for Enchanted because I didn't know it was going to make such a difference. Live and Learn!

Next race was supposed to be this weekend, just a 5k on Fort Jackson with Team RWB, but I have been down with the stomach flu since Monday night. I'm on doctors orders to be off work today, and quite honestly still don't have any energy, so no 5K for me. Praying that my energy returns by Monday so I can get a couple quality runs in before the 7th, as I have the Run Hard Columbia half on the 7th. I am excited for that one, even though I am dreading the Gervais Street hill!

 My miles for the month of February are no where near where they should be for the 2015 in 2015, but I have the rest of the year to catch up!