The Cinderella Royal Family 5k.
At 6:15 in the morning.
Now as someone who normally has to be dragged out of bed at 8 am and drink about 6 cups of coffee before I'm fully awake this was a super freaky experience. But I did it! And not a drop of caffeine either. So proud of myself.
So, 3: 30 rolls around and my alarm went off. I headed to the bus stop in front of the hotel (Pop Century in case you were wondering) and boarded the bus with the other runners. It was a charter bus which was weird to me, not sure why. With 7000 runners participating in the 5k that morning and a full 25,000 doing the half marathon a few days later it's really the only thing that would make sense. But anyway...
The bus got to Epcot around 4:30, so we had some time to kill. Luckily, they had a DJ there keeping everyone's spirits up and eventually the time came to head to the corrals.
Corral D! I wasn't in the last corral! Hooray! Now I know it's a fun run but I really didn't want to be in the last corral. As it was the first person to finish the race finished before my corral even started! It was a little kid too, couldn't have been more than 10. And was wayyyyyyyyyyy ahead of anyone else too.
The course went around the parking lot and then through the world showcase before winding around Spaceship Earth before heading back out to the parking lot. We hit Mile 1 before we even got into the park.
As we went thru the world showcase you could get your picture taken with Mushu and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. There wee a few other character stops too but nothing that stood out to me as much. I didn't stop for any of them cause the lines were crazy long!
Around Mile 2 my right foot swelled up but as soon as I stopped power walking and started running it went away. Which is when I decided I needed new shoes cause I'm fairly certain that's not supposed to happen.
I saw Spaceship Earth straight ahead and knew I was almost there!
After a quick circle around, the finish line was past a little curve back in the parking lot. Once it was in view I pretty much sprinted! Crossed the finish line, got my very first medal and headed to the bus!
And then sent this super awesome picture to everyone!
All in all, I learned quite a few things from my very first race.
1. Hydrate the day before! I was really thirsty when I got off the bus which is not a good sign. I was really happy when I saw they had tents set up with food and drinks. Which leads me to another point...
2. Bring the right equipment! I had a wrist band that held my ID and a debit card, both of which I considered not bringing until I got that little piece of magic fabric. Saved my day! Also, I carried my phone along with me in my hand which worked out well since I wanted to take pictures along the way but before the race I kinda wished I had something to hold it in. Of course, the best solution would probably have been to get running pants that had pockets.
3. Wear the right shoes! I have been running in Inov-8 shoes which are pretty minimalist, they have very little cushion. I bought them on the suggestion of my brother who used to run cross country and tends to know more about athletic stuff that I do. And they had been doing fine but during the race I found that they weren't too great for long periods of time. The fact that I was standing for a full two hours before I started didn't help but still. A few hours after the race I went to the running store at Downtown Disney and asked the sales guy for some better shoes and he set me up with some Brooks Adrenaline shoes which I've heard great things about.
4. Sit down before the race! As I mentioned, I was standing for abut 2 hours before the race. I did see some people sitting but I was like "No, I'll be ok." Nope. Gonna sit next time.
5. People are awesome! I was so inspired by the people around me. I talked to a girl who had broken her back in 2 places last year and was running her first race since. I also saw a guy with a shirt that said he was celebrating his 80th birthday. And I know it's kind of their job, but there were so many cast members out and cheering us on. I must have high five a dozen strangers as I ran past. And there were also cast members who just stood back and looked bored out of their minds which makes those that were enthusiastic and encouraging all the better. The volunteers were great too. I just thought "If this is how they are for the 5k, it's going to be awesome for the people running the half marathon in a couple days!"
6. Actually run! I found out that I'm pretty speedy when I actually run. I was passing all sorts of people when I was running. But then I started walking and that's when my foot swelled up. I'm probably running too fast and not pacing myself properly which is why I'm walking so much of it. Something to work on.
Also, a side note: don't wear flip flops the day before the race. I was walking to the restaurant at my hotel and stepped on some twigs and ended up getting a splinter in my foot which I couldn't get out. So cover all your bases and just wear shoes!
All in all I had a blast! runDisney really knows how to do things right, even for the 5k which was not the highlight of their weekend. And it definitely makes me excited to do the Glass Slipper challenge next year. And now that I have an Annual Pass I can register early! And this gets me excited for my future races. I have the Gate River Run on March 15th and then Expedition Everest with my sister in law on May 3rd. After that though, my schedule is empty until October which I think I need to fix. I do train better when I have a race on the calendar. And then my first half marathon (which is my goal by the way, to run a half marathon before my 25th birthday in January) is going to be the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in November. I might even get my friends to join me for the 5k that morning, make it an event. Now I just have to convince them! Wish me luck!
How did you feel after your first race?
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