Official 2017 Star Wars - Light Side Half Marathon Weekend (Jan 12th - 15th, 2017)

Some of them may not have selected to be in Corral A and have been given it.

I started in Corral G. As I was waiting for the start, one the ladies mentioned that her friend lost her bib that would have placed her in our corral and was in turn given a replacement bib that was actually an "elite" number. She started there in the back of the corral as RunDisney didn't change the corral when giving her the replacement bib.

My husband has always been a Corral A runner for the 10Ks after his first race (I think he was in B then but he only had 1 timed race under his belt then) There is always hinderances. The Stormtrooper Crew has been a hinderance as they want to be in the front for photo op at the start line but then clog the start line. He passes them and doesn't see them after the first quarter mile and he runs a 51 to 55 minute 10K. He's learned to deal with it over all the weekends we've done at this point.

Crowding pretty much will always be an issue at the start of any RunDisney race!
 
Some of them may not have selected to be in Corral A and have been given it.

I started in Corral G. As I was waiting for the start, one the ladies mentioned that her friend lost her bib that would have placed her in our corral and was in turn given a replacement bib that was actually an "elite" number. She started there in the back of the corral as RunDisney didn't change the corral when giving her the replacement bib.

Then my issue with those people would be why do you have to start in corral A? You are allowed to move back to any slower corral. If you knew you were in G, you should be considerate and start in G.
 
Yeah, I've been wondering if it's a nutrition thing. I drank water at every stop, as usual, so I don't think it was that. I did eat the Clif Shot at mile 8, so I thought at the time I was good on fuel. But I probably should have eaten something else... I think I get too stubborn about slowing down to eat sometimes.

Is that all you consumed during the race? Is that normal for you during the events where you hit a wall? I would definitely consume more. Now I'll mention that there are some people who just don't need the nutrition. My brother barely does for a Half. But for others, I've read that you want to start at an hour, and take something every certain number of minutes after. It's worth reading more about and working it out for yourself going forward.

OH and do you normally use the gu stuff? My brother destroyed what looked to be a PR in a marathon by taking some sort of gu that he wasn't used AND not drinking enough water with it. He said he could feel all the liquid in his body just heading to his gut. Poor guy. If you picture the non-Arnold guy from T2; how he looks and acts (constantly going forward letting nothing stand in his way), that's totally my brother. So for him to have gut problems is just mind-boggling.



Then my issue with those people would be why do you have to start in corral A? You are allowed to move back to any slower corral. If you knew you were in G, you should be considerate and start in G.

I would be terrified to start in A! No matter what was on my bib!
 
Okay - finally a bit of time here at work to write up how our weekend went.

First, our drive down was mostly uneventful. The harriest part of the drive was the Grapevine (isn't it always?). It was clear weather until right before the Grapevine. It started raining a few miles before the climb. I was really worried that it was snowing up at higher elevation. As I was driving, I could see the thermostat lower degree by degree. It did get down to about 32 degrees and I think wet snow was coming down. Boy was I nervous driving. Luckily, nothing was sticking to the ground. Got over the summit and by the time we we came back down the mountain, it was all clear. Phew!

We got to the resort around 4pm. Checked in and headed straight for the expo. Since it was our first expo, we have nothing to compare it to. We didn't have much time to look around as we had 6pm dinner reservations. Picked up our packets & pins(we guessed right on shirt sizes.) We came back after dinner to look at the official merch. Didn't realize that there would still be a line to get in at 7:15 pm on Friday night! They were sold out of the 10k I Did It shirts. I really wanted an ornament, but I pretty much knew that they wouldn't have any ornaments by the time I got there. I only purchased the medal pins.

We tried to go to sleep early that evening but it was a little hard with the music from DTD as we were in the Frontier Tower facing DTD. I initially woke up around 2am. Fell back asleep for a bit but woke up around 3 for good. I tried to stay in bed, but just got up around 3:30 or so. DH woke up closer to 4:20/4:25.

It was a very easy walk to the start of the race. We left our room around 4:45 and had plenty of time. We even got one picture in the trash compacter. If anyone can swing staying at the DLH, I highly recommend it for race weekends. Though it might be better to avoid the towers facing the race/DTD.

We made our way to corral B and waited about 20 minutes or so. Great singer for the National Anthem!

I'm glad I made the decision to wear a short sleeve shirt. The temps were cold but not frigid. Took off my throw-away long-sleeve and left it on the side railing right before the start. Was pretty comfortable from the start.

DH & I tried to stay together for the race. HOWEVER, he had this really bad habit of trying to zoom in between people to get in front of them. Ugh, that really annoyed me as his pathways were not always available to me, so I had to run around people to catch up to him. I tried to tell him that steady was the better course, but he kept doing it. We definitely had to do a lot of dodging around/between slower runners/walkers. We stopped briefly for selfies at several mile markers and iconic spots (Mickey Fun Wheel, IASM.) We decided to wait for R2D2/C3PO and BB8. I think we waited around 40-45 minutes total for those two stops. While we were in line for BB8, a very worn-out woman runs to the front for the line. Apparently, her husband?/boyfriend? ran ahead and waited in line. She made it just in the nick of time, but she was completely out of breath/very tired looking. I think it was sweet that her husband did that for her. What great photos they'll have!


In the end, I loved running through the parks and having the CMs cheer us on. It was our first run ever, so I have nothing to compare it to. But it was just an awesome experience all around. DH has already blocked off time for next year's run so Light Side 2018, here we come!
 


DH & I tried to stay together for the race. HOWEVER, he had this really bad habit of trying to zoom in between people to get in front of them. Ugh, that really annoyed me as his pathways were not always available to me, so I had to run around people to catch up to him. I tried to tell him that steady was the better course, but he kept doing it.

Ok, I know this wasn't your situation at all with your hubby, but it reminds me of a couple that was I was running around during the HM. A couple in their sixties: husband was obviously an experienced runner who kept running about 10 feet ahead of his wife who seemed to be struggling. Every so often he'd turn around and run backwards and encourage her to run faster. When she didn't catch up, he'd run back to her and start the process all over again. If it works for them, fine. I just know I couldn't have that constant pressure on me and feeling like I was holding someone back for a whole race. I finally passed them after half a mile of watching this go on. But they did finish ahead of me, so what do I know? (I had GI issues from mile 7 on and walked to the finish.)
 
They were sold out of the 10k I Did It shirts.

I saw those on Saturday, FWIW. Always check back, especially for the i did it shirts.

I pretty much knew that they wouldn't have any ornaments by the time I got there.

Do you mean the big things that looked like shoes? If so, there were a ton of those on Saturday, too. I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you feel sad, but for the future it's good to know that rundisney is getting much better about bringing more stuff out.

I was in the official merchandise area 2 hours before expo close on Saturday, and they were stocking the Tervis and the stainless steel bottles, and they were commenting on how THAT was finally ALL of them. So they are definitely holding things back each day, it seems, and restocking.

It was a very easy walk to the start of the race.

I bet it was! :)



Every so often he'd turn around and run backwards and encourage her to run faster.

I would lose it if someone was doing that to me. We might not be married by the end of the run, LOL. (heck, he might not be alive by the end of the run! I get CRANKY when I run a Half!)

Also, running back to someone on a course? Just all the no.
 
So I downloaded my photo pass photos today (we had Light Side Lounge so photo pass was free)

I apologize to anyone that might have passed me in the half! I look as miserable as I felt! Here is the side by side of me from the 10K and the Half...after the 10K, my husband, friend and I went to Warner Brother Studios where I was in the Sun and somehow I'm still like 10 shades paler at the half!

IMG_2757.JPG
 


Ok, I know this wasn't your situation at all with your hubby, but it reminds me of a couple that was I was running around during the HM. A couple in their sixties: husband was obviously an experienced runner who kept running about 10 feet ahead of his wife who seemed to be struggling. Every so often he'd turn around and run backwards and encourage her to run faster. When she didn't catch up, he'd run back to her and start the process all over again. If it works for them, fine. I just know I couldn't have that constant pressure on me and feeling like I was holding someone back for a whole race. I finally passed them after half a mile of watching this go on. But they did finish ahead of me, so what do I know? (I had GI issues from mile 7 on and walked to the finish.)

I would punch my husband in the face if he did that. I love my husband very much but that wouldn't work for me. This is why we don't run together very often outside of certain circumstances where he will be ok going at my pace (like when I accidentally signed him up for the Jingle Jungle 5K in 2015 when he was going to run the Half that night)
 
I saw those on Saturday, FWIW. Always check back, especially for the i did it shirts.



Do you mean the big things that looked like shoes? If so, there were a ton of those on Saturday, too. I'm sorry, I don't mean to make you feel sad, but for the future it's good to know that rundisney is getting much better about bringing more stuff out.

I was in the official merchandise area 2 hours before expo close on Saturday, and they were stocking the Tervis and the stainless steel bottles, and they were commenting on how THAT was finally ALL of them. So they are definitely holding things back each day, it seems, and restocking.

Were the ornaments the ones with Yoda? They had the generic runDisney ornaments when I was there but not the special Light Side ones. Oh well, it was just not meant to be.

I think we were in the parks for most of Saturday. But if I really want something at a future expo, I'll keep it in mind to check back on Saturday.
 
I also learned that you can return any official race merchandise purchased at the Expo to World of Disney with a receipt within 30 days. This helped as I purchased the 10K, 1/2, and Rebel pins just in case I liked them better than the ones I preordered at registration. They were the same, so I returned them easily at World of Disney.

It also can't hurt to check back for something you want, but they don't have. I was thinking about the I Did It 10K shirt because I loved the design. Because I'm tall and they can sometimes quickly run out of my size, I picked one up and put it in my shopping bag just in case I decided to keep it. Once I decided not to get it, I took it back to the table.
 
Were the ornaments the ones with Yoda? They had the generic runDisney ornaments when I was there but not the special Light Side ones. Oh well, it was just not meant to be.

Ah, no. I suppose they were just the normal ones.
 
So here's my problem with that. I did the 10K, and I average about 9:00/mi, so I was fair and I picked corral B because I knew I couldn't keep up with the 7 minute milers and didn't want to block the course. I guess I was the only one that wanted to be considerate because the first leg down Disneyland Drive was all about getting by people who had absolutely no business being in corral A/B. Like, what goes through your mind when you're 5'5'' pushing 250 lbs and picking corral A? You're creating congestion with your pace and putting people who were there as a reward for themselves and wanted to be competitive with their times at a disadvantage. I'm all for being respectful and inclusive. I lost 91 lbs and even at 182 lbs I knew I would be a hindrance for others up front so I placed myself farther back. Once we got into DCA it was smooth sailing but up until that point it was all about dodging people that couldn't keep up and I found that to be very frustrating as someone who really wanted to run. I finished at 00:58:59 but knew I could have shaved off around 4 minutes easily without having to deal with that. Aside from that, loved the races and had a great time at the expo and parks - just wish people would think of others :)
I don't think you understood what I meant. Put yourself in the corral that you are supposed to be in, but be as close to the front of that corral as possible. Like I was in F/H for the 10K and half and I made sure that I was as close to the front of that corral as possible. I was not advocating lying to get in closer corrals that you don't belong in
 
Yeah - she stopped at a med tent or two to reapply. It was more an issue of not testing the costume before the race. Cardinal rule: always do a test run! The shorts under the skirt were a little too short and she ended up with the dreaded chub rub. I always test my base layers and on race day use body glide anywhere I think there might be a possible issue
I wear compression shorts under my bottoms just to avoid the dreaded chin rub! lol
 
I've started a trip report (that actually starts with the WDW marathon weekend - as it was :() that will include Light Side and then eventually Dark Side if any of you all are interested: Coast To Coast and Back Again. Link is also below in my signature. Sounds like a lot of people had GI issues (so sorry!); I didn't but I had my very first race injury and medic tent visit, so it seems like the Force was not with many of us. But what a great weekend overall! :)
 
No GI issues for me this year. But I did have some problems last year the night before the 1/2. Didn't cost me the race, but still worried me. I feel for those who were unable to run because of those. My biggest fear for Rebel last week and Dark Side in April is some sort of issue that ends my race weekend and thwarts my Kessel Run dreams.
 
Now that I have some time to reflect on the weekend here are my thoughts:

First, I was sick with a stomach bug before leaving and woke up with a sore throat the day we flew out to CA. The first couple days home were pretty miserable. But the cough lingered the entire weekend keeping me up a lot at night. This plays in with the running.

I drove down from my parents on Thursday. I had planned to be there Wed & Thurs with the kids and my parents, but swapped that when the weather was so crummy and I'm glad I did! It would have been miserable with the kids (and my mom) on Thursday. Arrived at Stovalls, checked in, parked and headed to DTD. Ate lunch at Earl of Sandwich. Then in to Disneyland. Played in the parks a bit, then we hit the expo for packet pick up. We dropped stuff off at the hotel then dinner at Wine Country Trattoria which was delish and rode Radiator Springs Racers and Soarin'. Then home and to bed.

Woke up Friday morning and headed to Storytellers Cafe for breakfast, but was feeling pretty crummy. Went into CA Adventure and met Minnie and took some pictures. Can't remember if we even rode a ride. Went to Disneyland and did lots of character hunting. Ate Mickey shaped beignets. Went back to CA Adventure to see the Frozen show. Ate something I think. Went to expo to get taped were a friend from college met me and we chatted for an hour in line. Home and sleep.

Early wake up call for the 10K. Had actually slept ok without too many coughing fits the night before. Absolutely loved the 10K course, but was bummed not to see the Rebels characters on it. (Ezra told me they were at the finish during the half, but we were slower than normal being sick so I think we missed them.) I will say that a kid cut off my running partner, who cut me off in the process of trying not to trip/fall on the kid and I nearly ate it. Like I heard the collective sighs from other runners as they watched me stumble. Somehow I managed to catch myself and save the race weekend...and my dignity. Ate back at the hotel, showered and rested. Ate a delicious linner at California Pizza Kitchen. Then bed.

Slept horribly before the half. Literally got 3 hours sleep, but no rest for the weary. Up and at it. The half course was good. There were some stretches I found a little boring, but I appreciated it was flat and the great support from the people of Anaheim. I don't know who the saints were with the Red Vines, but that was a huge boost. All the bands were awesome, and the cosplay peeps really boosted my morale! It was super hard on 3 hours sleep being sick and undertrained. My friend didn't want to keep running and I just wanted to finish. She rallied a bit at the end at least! I didn't want to move much afterwards I was so exhausted. But shower and a nap and then I headed in to Downtown Disney and hung out at Starbucks while my friend took medal pictures. Two friends from college came by to visit with me at Starbucks and it was really fun to catch up. Then I headed to meet friends at Steakhosue 55 for our celebratory dinner. Steakhouse 55 was awesome! Great food and wine! But I was exhausted afterwards and ready for bed.

The next two days were with my parents and kids in the park. Best Western Stovalls was great! Those beds are seriously some of the comfiest beds I've had in a hotel in a while! the breakfast was decent, althoughs ome days there were more options then others. The location was pretty convenient. Even my mom didn't mind the walk. I'd stay there again. I would ask not to be in a room by the laundryroom as that was one of the things that kept me up before the half. Otherwise it was great.
 
I will say that a kid cut off my running partner, who cut me off in the process of trying not to trip/fall on the kid and I nearly ate it. Like I heard the collective sighs from other runners as they watched me stumble. Somehow I managed to catch myself and save the race weekend...and my dignity.

Oh goodness, I'm glad you didn't fall!

And I'm terrified that it was my kid who was running alone. Tall redhead? If so, I'm so sorry. Either way I'm telling him your story to make sure he knows he must be kind and thoughtful on the course.

I don't know who the saints were with the Red Vines, but that was a huge boost.

I know, right? I've never taken candy from a stranger (ha at their sign) before but I did then!

Best Western Stovalls was great! Those beds are seriously some of the comfiest beds I've had in a hotel in a while!

Ooh good to know.
 
Oh goodness, I'm glad you didn't fall!

And I'm terrified that it was my kid who was running alone. Tall redhead? If so, I'm so sorry. Either way I'm telling him your story to make sure he knows he must be kind and thoughtful on the course.

It was not a tall redhead! It was a younger kid, so probably pretty close to the age limit for the 10K, although I can't remember what it was. He was trying to get back to the adult he was running with. I appreciate you cautioning him with the story. (Although I'm pretty sure it's impossible for one redhead to trip another...we tend to stick together! ;) )

I know, right? I've never taken candy from a stranger (ha at their sign) before but I did then!

I did take a mimosa once from a stranger on a race course. My husband was appalled at that, but it was more in jest than anything else and they were pouring them for all the runners. Normally I pass up snacks because I don't care for Twizzlers and they seem to be popular ones. But I asked for two Red Vines and told them thank you and that you don't get those in East Coast races!
 

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