2017 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend

[roxymama]

I don't understand people who get hung up on other people's paces. Thinking about your own pace....sure that's normal. But worrying about other people's???

The thing is...how I feel when I'm running my fastest right now feels strangely a lot like how I felt running my fastest a year ago at a slower pace. Because when it's all said and done isn't running just about how you personally are feeling in any given moment out there? What if paces and numbers didn't exist? My 9 or 10 may feel a lot like someone else's 13 or 6 or 12 if we're all going full out, trained or not. I mean I know there are people on this board that run their "easy" days at way faster paces than my "easy" days but don't we both know how nice "easy" feels and aren't we literally experiencing the same thing no matter the number?

I don't like people who are surprised when they think I'm faster than I look and I don't like people who are concerned about me being slower than I look. How about we take "how I look" out of the equation??

PS: thanks for letting me crash your thread again, I had to vent

 

[AbbyJaws2003]

I don't understand people who get hung up on other people's paces. Thinking about your own pace....sure that's normal. But worrying about other people's???

The thing is...how I feel when I'm running my fastest right now feels strangely a lot like how I felt running my fastest a year ago at a slower pace. Because when it's all said and done isn't running just about how you personally are feeling in any given moment out there? What if paces and numbers didn't exist? My 9 or 10 may feel a lot like someone else's 13 or 6 or 12 if we're all going full out, trained or not. I mean I know there are people on this board that run their "easy" days at way faster paces than my "easy" days but don't we both know how nice "easy" feels and aren't we literally experiencing the same thing no matter the number?

I don't like people who are surprised when they think I'm faster than I look and I don't like people who are concerned about me being slower than I look. How about we take "how I look" out of the equation??

PS: thanks for letting me crash your thread again, I had to vent

THIS! 100% agree!

 

[Kender]

Sounds like the couple was ignorant. It's unfortunate that their conversation was loud enough to intrude on and offend other runners. Since they seem to have prided themselves on their own training (at least well enough to criticize the supposed lack of training in others) I wonder if this was their first half marathon? If you've never participated in a half marathon you are likely to have stereotypes in your head of what a runner is supposed to look like that won't be dis-proven until you go to a race and see for yourself that the speed of a participant is not correlated with their weight. The implication that larger runners in their vicinity were merely incapable of moving any faster is likewise a pernicious stereotype that incorrectly elides weight with health or ability. Certainly sounds like it's their first Disney race- since Disney races tend to have a high percentage of first timers.

While these are all things you could have educated them on (in addition to different race strategy for Challenge participants, the fact that some of these runners participate in several races a year, so their slower pace may be because they are treating this race as a "fun run" rather than an attempt to PR), the middle of the race course would hardly have been the appropriate place to do it, so I think ignoring them was the right call. If they had been deliberately abusing runners- like they were shouting insults or something, that would have been a time to speak up. But since their race strategy wasn't being a hindrance to you- more of an annoyance- keeping on keeping on sounds like the best option. Hopefully their race experience, and seeing the bodies of all shapes and sizes who finished faster than they did, will have educated them on how little their stereotypes reflect reality.

I spent some time before I ended up far away from them due to finally having room to do a run interval (I gave up in the narrow section; it was causing me more grief and stress trying to maintain intervals and get to the right and left depending on what interval I was on) trying to decide if they realized how loud they were being. Like... you know that way some people will not so subtly discuss something they don't like in a voice they know others will hear it?

I ended up just giving them the benefit of the doubt it was meant to be a "private" conversation and they had no idea they could be overheard. Doesn't irk me any less, but at least I'm not believing that they were trying to be upsetting.

I'm sure if I said anything, it would have been some snide comment that would have made me no better. Early morning Kender is usually a very grumpy Kender. Especially coming out of a narrow section of the race route that stressed her out.

I am glad I can vent this here. It's not something I've really run into with rD events yet while on the course so it really has been eating at me over the past week and a half. The support for every runner is what made me fall in love with the races and it just was a shock to hear anyone say something so negative about other runners. We all go the same distance. How long it takes to get there is no one's concern but our own.

I also think you're right. It does seem like it must have been their first half based on their comments. I feel like we all know that nothing is truly private on those courses. What you say will be heard and they were insulting all runners regardless of size (I'm not so sure if they realized they were insulting larger runners as well, but they most definitely were by assuming they wouldn't be faster based on size alone).

 

[JulieODC]

Ugh how obnoxious!

Anyone listen to the Runners World podcast? Last weeks episode was about "nontraditionally" shaped runners - it was really good, and the comments the guest woman has received were jaw dropping. If you can't say anything nice....

 

[ChandlerPea]

I'm not a new user, but I have to create a user name to answer this thread. Unfortunately I traveled with a friend that was also so concerned how others appeared. She was driving me nuts with all her nonsense comments. I am dreading my Tink trip with her (we had planned to get our pink c2c together).

 

[Kender]

I'm not a new user, but I have to create a user name to answer this thread. Unfortunately I traveled with a friend that was also so concerned how others appeared. She was driving me nuts with all her nonsense comments. I am dreading my Tink trip with her (we had planned to get our pink c2c together).

Thinking on this more... I wonder if it's projecting? Like the horrible comments are a person's own worst fears about how others perceive them?

Or maybe some people are just terrible. Or all of the above.

If it were a friend of mine, I couldn't take another race weekend of such nonsense. I'd be telling them to stop with the negativity and focus on the positive. Like getting to run through a Disney park and not be told to walk

 

[bumbershoot]

There was this couple walking behind me .... They were loudly discussing the more slender people who were walking and were not finished with the half yet.

See, I would have had the seriously confused puppy head tilt. They were walking, and they were criticizing people who were walking.

I personally feel that unless someone's racing style is a hindrance to you (such as sudden stoppers, speed demons weaving in and out without warning, etc), there's no reason to care what others are doing.

Agreed. (grr at sudden stoppers like Mr "I had an itch on my leg" in front of me...)

My neighbor has told me that I should stop running and start doing Crossfit because it is better for me and running isn't really doing anything.

Oh those crossfit people...they will be the first to go in the Zombie Apocalypse b/c they can't run more than a mile. And while my chiro does help me stay OK for running (and yoga and pilates and weights) and while I've gotten injured...he, too, gets majorly injured every 2 years or so, while doing CF.

During the entire event, I was so proud of each and every single person I saw, whether they were running, walking, even vomiting on the side.

Same.

Because I haven't said it in a few days, and because you might not have heard it, and because the walkers criticizing walkers need to be exorcised, I'll re-share what a spectator said as we entered into Epcot.

"This is a major accomplishment. This is a good day to be you."


He was just awesome. Love him. Wish I'd caught his nametag (uniformed CM).

 

[JulieODC]

I'm not a new user, but I have to create a user name to answer this thread. Unfortunately I traveled with a friend that was also so concerned how others appeared. She was driving me nuts with all her nonsense comments. I am dreading my Tink trip with her (we had planned to get our pink c2c together).

That's tough! I would try to come up with a prepared response that you can use the first time negativity starts - friendly, but to the point, and hopefully it will make her more self-aware in terms of the negative comments.

I also wonder if this kind of stuff really stems from insecurity...

 

[joan4mickey]

I'm going to step in on the conversation about other talking about others paces, body shape etc. I get what you all are saying about talking about others but I see post calling those people names like negative or ignorant....basically talking about those talking about other????
Seems a bit hypocritical. Or the pot calling the kettle black.
People talk and unless we engage them in a conversation we really don't know why they are talking like that. It could simple be some ones opinion and we wil have different options and some times we have to agree to disagree.

 

[sidrich]

I'm going to step in on the conversation about other talking about others paces, body shape etc. I get what you all are saying about talking about others but I see post calling those people names like negative or ignorant....basically talking about those talking about other????
Seems a bit hypocritical. Or the pot calling the kettle black.
People talk and unless we engage them in a conversation we really don't know why they are talking like that. It could simple be some ones opinion and we wil have different options and some times we have to agree to disagree.

Beg pardon. There's quite a difference between name calling and pointing out when someone was lacking in knowledge or awareness, i.e. ignorant. Everyone who does something for the first time is ignorant about certain aspects of it- like why slender looking people might be moving slowly on the back half of the course. There's a difference between making a statement out of malice and out of ignorance and I think it is an important one. If we don't acknowledge that it becomes difficult to understand why they might make such statements in the first place.

 

[keahgirl8]

I don't understand people who get hung up on other people's paces. Thinking about your own pace....sure that's normal. But worrying about other people's???

The thing is...how I feel when I'm running my fastest right now feels strangely a lot like how I felt running my fastest a year ago at a slower pace. Because when it's all said and done isn't running just about how you personally are feeling in any given moment out there? What if paces and numbers didn't exist? My 9 or 10 may feel a lot like someone else's 13 or 6 or 12 if we're all going full out, trained or not. I mean I know there are people on this board that run their "easy" days at way faster paces than my "easy" days but don't we both know how nice "easy" feels and aren't we literally experiencing the same thing no matter the number?

I don't like people who are surprised when they think I'm faster than I look and I don't like people who are concerned about me being slower than I look. How about we take "how I look" out of the equation??

PS: thanks for letting me crash your thread again, I had to vent

Agreed. Unless they're in my (or someone else's) way, or being rude, I don't care.

I'm not a new user, but I have to create a user name to answer this thread. Unfortunately I traveled with a friend that was also so concerned how others appeared. She was driving me nuts with all her nonsense comments. I am dreading my Tink trip with her (we had planned to get our pink c2c together).

Yikes. Sorry. I'm not sure I'd be able to put up with that. I might have to figure out how to run a lot faster or a lot slower than her.

Same.

Because I haven't said it in a few days, and because you might not have heard it, and because the walkers criticizing walkers need to be exorcised, I'll re-share what a spectator said as we entered into Epcot.

"This is a major accomplishment. This is a good day to be you."


He was just awesome. Love him. Wish I'd caught his nametag (uniformed CM).

That's great. I'm proud of everyone too. I really try to be encouraging to people I'm passing or people who are passing me. It's a great day for all of us.

 

[joan4mickey]

Beg pardon. There's quite a difference between name calling and pointing out when someone was lacking in knowledge or awareness, i.e. ignorant. Everyone who does something for the first time is ignorant about certain aspects of it- like why slender looking people might be moving slowly on the back half of the course. There's a difference between making a statement out of malice and out of ignorance and I think it is an important one. If we don't acknowledge that it becomes difficult to understand why they might make such statements in the first place.

Exactly. People over heard others talking, but there was no two way dialogue so no one really knows for sure why things were said or for what reason...so coming to this board and saying so and so said this or that and deciding why they said it and then posting here as to why is judging as well. We can't understand each other unless we have a conversation. I never said things weren't said, just Both side have said things that are insensitive. You may not agree with what I say, but we are communicating. Two people having a discussion.

 

[ChandlerPea]

I get what you're saying but my friend was just mean and obnoxious. And I agree that it was probably mostly from insecurity. Because throughout the weekend, not only was she obnoxious about the race, she was such a know it all about Disney (but mind you, only the Deluxe resort and dining) it was a real turnoff to be with someone so boastful.

 

[bearsgirl]

I get what you're saying but my friend was just mean and obnoxious. And I agree that it was probably mostly from insecurity. Because throughout the weekend, not only was she obnoxious about the race, she was such a know it all about Disney (but mind you, only the Deluxe resort and dining) it was a real turnoff to be with someone so boastful.

Wishing you the best of luck at the Tink with her!

 

[KenyaSierra]

Did anyone get the "Congratulations" email and try to register for 2018 with the link in the email? I keep getting a blank white screen and am wondering if anyone else has succeeded in using it. Thanks!

 

[Kender]

Exactly. People over heard others talking, but there was no two way dialogue so no one really knows for sure why things were said or for what reason...so coming to this board and saying so and so said this or that and deciding why they said it and then posting here as to why is judging as well. We can't understand each other unless we have a conversation. I never said things weren't said, just Both side have said things that are insensitive. You may not agree with what I say, but we are communicating. Two people having a discussion.

As the person who "overheard the conversation", I merely posted because I found it upsetting and wanted to talk it out as it is something I've never encountered at a runDisney race. I chose not to engage in conversation with them because I made the decision I would not have been able to discuss the matter calmly at the time.

But please. Feel free to keep reading between the lines and making judgements yourself about the insults I had to hear about myself and fellow runners around me.

 

[Nessats]

Did anyone get the "Congratulations" email and try to register for 2018 with the link in the email? I keep getting a blank white screen and am wondering if anyone else has succeeded in using it. Thanks!

Yes, but only after I went into the url and removed everything after /past-participants/. Then it went to a page with active links to register.

 

[KenyaSierra]

Yay! That worked perfectly- thank you for being so smart and for sharing your smartness!

 

[joan4mickey]

As the person who "overheard the conversation", I merely posted because I found it upsetting and wanted to talk it out as it is something I've never encountered at a runDisney race. I chose not to engage in conversation with them because I made the decision I would not have been able to discuss the matter calmly at the time.

But please. Feel free to keep reading between the lines and making judgements yourself about the insults I had to hear about myself and fellow runners around me.

My post was not in response to your post but to the posts that followed. It was not motivated to judge anyone but to make one aware of the things that are said and things that are done go both ways, and without communication much gets lost. Quick example, I have a friend with MD. She has a vehicle handicap pass. She parks and walks into the store and people make comments (label as you wish). No one can see her leg braces as she always wears pants, no one can see her physical pain as she is very reserved about who she shares with. Unless you know her on a personal level you know not what she goes through. That is the easiest and quickest example I can think of. My original comments were about how we should communicate to better understand each other.

I will share one thought I live by: I do not let anyone, I mean anyone, steal my joy.

I have written and rewritten this several times as my motive was not to judge. I could give you plenty of stuff to judge me as I am a very imperfect human. I can say the wrong thing or act in an inappropriate manner before I realize what I have done and need to make amends.

 

[bearsgirl]

I will share one thought I live by: I do not let anyone, I mean anyone, steal my joy.

Love this and am writing it in my journal of inspirational words.