I can't speak to the health challenges you face. However, runDisney events are extremely friendly to slow runners or walkers. I wanted to mention a few things that you may be looking at as part of Princess.
1. Please remember that any time you spend in line for photos and/or bathroom stops counts towards your total time on the course. So if you take 16 minutes to run and/or walk a mile and spend 10 minutes in line for a character photo that mile really took you 26 minutes. At that pace it won't take long before you're in danger of being swept. There will be other shorter photo opportunities during the race. And if a character photo is a very important part of your race experience, remember that you can get post race medal photos with the characters after the race when you don't have to worry about being swept.
2. I'm assuming that you're concerned about possibly being swept, so I will explain what I witnessed in multiple Star Wars Dark Side races. While in line for a photo op with the Emperor's Throne from Return of the Jedi around mile 3 of the 2017 Dark Side 10K, the race people on bikes came up and told us that the balloon ladies were 5 minutes behind. And when the ballon ladies arrived we had to either get out of line and keep pace with them or stay in line for the photo and be swept. I was third in line so I knew I was probably safe to get the photo, but I also knew that I could keep pace with the balloon ladies if absolutely necessary. I got my photo and a few minutes later I saw the sweep take place. The buses pulled up and blocked runners from being able to continue once they reached that point. RunDisney does sweep. However, they also definitely tell you if you are potentially at risk of being swept.
This year during the Dark Side half, I was in line for a photo with Darth Vader and they told us that the ballon ladies were 8 minutes behind us and this particular line was 4-5 minutes long. I knew from previous experience that I could stay with the balloon ladies if I needed to. I mention this to remind you that photo lines will cause your pace to be slower and if that pace falls too far behind the balloon ladies, it will result in being swept. You will know during training how you're pacing in comparison to race pace. If that puts you at risk of being swept, you may have to skip in race character photos if finishing is more important to you.
3. In regards to finisher medals and challenge events. RunDisney does give out medals to all participants even if they are swept. However, the challenge medals are
only awarded to those who finish all the challenge races. So if someone finishes the 10K and is swept during the half, they will receive the 10K medal and the half medal, but will not receive the challenge medal.
I have walked 5K's in the past but it has been a couple years. I have never been a runner. My plan is to walk/run as much as I can and just do my best. I am finally using my gym membership and trying to go at least 3-4 days per week. I work 7a to 7p and some days after work the gym just is not in the cards.
I've had to balance my most difficult time of the year professionally with training for the Star Wars Dark Side races at Disney World the past 3 years. On many nights I had to remind myself that I would be very glad that I paid the price to train when I really wanted to go home after 10-12 hour work days. Yes, it's hard. But the payoff does come. As an FYI, I followed the Galloway plan all for those races. Following it will help you finish.
My current plan is to get into some sort of condition and build up my stamina before I try to tackle the whole running thing. I have been at it now for a couple weeks and some days it just seems like two steps forward and one step back. My question is... is that normal? At what point should I be moving on? Maybe I am being too hard on myself and not giving myself enough time.
I think it's pretty normal to feel that way. Obtaining fitness takes time. I've often heard Jeff Galloway talk about how the twice a week maintenance runs help you maintain the fitness and that the long runs gradually and safely help you build up to the distance required on race day. You keep your "distance" fitness for roughly 2-3 weeks after that distance. So just keep going. Trust the training. When I first started out training, I had to repeatedly remind myself that I didn't need to run 13.1 miles today, but on race day. Some days will feel harder than others. And listen to your body. It's okay to slow down if you need to. Jeff Galloway often says you cannot do the long runs slow enough. Just get the distance in.
After this period of getting my body prepped for the horror that is to come I plan to do the JG interval training.
As you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you will start to notice that you really are doing it. Two steps forward and one step backward is still a net gain of one step. There are many people who say "I would love to run a half marathon, but I can't do it." You have already started working towards doing it.
Thanks!! I figure that even if I can't run the whole think none of the preparation will kill me. Any activity is good no matter how bad it feels at the time. lol I didn't mention that I am walking 1.5 miles and doing it in about 40 minutes. I hope to start some intervals in the next week or so. I also ordered proper running shoes so I'm also waiting on them.
And as an added incentive I am also telling everyone I know so that if nothing else shame is my motivator. Oh and the $$ I paid to register.
No one should really care about how fast or slow you run the race. Just do the best that you can. Your primary competition is against that version of yourself that is terrified to start this. Crossing that finish line is an emotional experience. Be patient with yourself and just keep moving forward. If you put the work in, you will improve.
