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Disney 2012
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We booked the race retreat... as Mr CS says we're only doing it the once we may as well have all the trimmings...I just need to make the switch from porridge to bagels & peanut butter for my breakfast.
Ooooh we got our costumes yesterday... Mr CS was looking at them on the internet at the weekend... we did consider Belle & the Beast but there is a good chance the dress would get tangled up in my legs so we went for Woody & Jessie instead... need to make a long wool plait to hang off the back of my hat and work out how to keep the hats on our heads. Oh and I need to get some jeggings as I figure jeans under the Chaps would be horrendous to run in. We could get some strange looks when we go out for a test run in the costumes
CazSoul - I have been doing exactly that - always porridge previously but I have tried peanut butter on bagels for the past 3 runs - my stomach is still undecided.
Go for it on the test runs!!! I would love to see someone doing that! And if anyone does give you strange looks, they are just grumpy.
I can't believe I am so excited and there are still 4 and a bit months to go......
My tummy is still undecided too... I kept burping peanut butter at the weekend... not very pleasant. Hopefully it's just a temporary glitch and my tummy will come to love the bagel & peanut butter before the run rather than after which is what its used to.
Tell me about being excited, I can't wait... I am going to be unbearable by December. *bounce bounce bounce*
I'm thinking when we do the test run I might have to yee-haa at people as we run past teeheehee.
NN -
Food. In the mornings the food is snackish. I usually just have the bananas. Food afterwoods is quite good. It differs both days.
Coffee - I don't drink coffee, I have the hot chocolate or tea, sorry can't help there.
route - same as everyone else, but I usually head out towards the end.
massage - this isn't included in the price, and have never tried it, but you don't want a full on sports massage after a race anyway, just a gentle rub down really. I'm a skins and bath person myself.
NN
I've used the post race massage after all my Goofys and it costs a dollar a minute they normally go to a max of 15mins but will strecth it out to 20mins.
I think they are worth it especially on the Saturday when you have a marathon on the Sunday !
madaussie and slowfoot - many thanks for the info.
I think we will probably go for it.
133 days to go according to the website...........
i`ve never had the massage,, i just get back to the hotel pool and enjoy a nice dip before heading back to the park for the rest of the day
the disney hotels open their foodhalls for us to use on race days so i still have my porridge on the morning of the race, buy a milk and use theit mircowave
hmmm, guess I should be following this thread too.
chalk up another goofy competitor
Can't say I saw the race retreat when I did it last year in sub-zero temperatures. It's probably at the area after you get off the buses so you'll still have the long walk to the freeway and starting pens.
Never bothered with food before any of the races to be honest. Had a bagel and Dole fruit cup after the marathon along with a hot shower and I felt fine and spent the day wandering around the parks enjoying the sunshine and temperatures towards double figures!
Just be prepared for the cold. Bring warm disposable clothing, bin bags etc. You might not need them but on the off chance you do, they help slightly. Always good to get in pens A and B with a sub-4 hour expected time as you start at 5:40am compared to everyone else at 5:50am. Still a good few 100m run/walk to the start line as well.
Wish I had put in for the Goofy this year for the cool looking Donald Duck medal. Got last years full set and they're fantastic.
As for the aforementioned flights, I got caught up in the snow chaos that closed Gatwick last year but did manage to fly out the following day. Lost a day of my holiday but better than not making it at all.
Might be wise booking a second refundable night at an airport hotel (assuming you're staying overnight in the first place) just in case as they fill up very quickly when flights get cancelled.
I've been considering booking the race retreat but wondered if it was worth it ? Do they have showers in there cause I can imagine that will be the thing I will be looking forwards too the most
Some people speak highly of the race retreat but in my opinion, it's a lot of money to possibly sit down, get breakfast which may be within an hour of the race start and shelter for a brief time.
If money is no object and you're only doing it the once, then go for it.
It may have been a better deal if Goofy runners got a decent deal on using it for both events. Sure they were charging something like $100 for the half and $150 for the full rather than saying $150 for both if you are doing the Goofy Challenge.
I personally caught a bus around 4am from Pop Century and it took half an hour to arrive at the start parking area, so only about an hour outside anyway (less time taken to walk the distance to the start) - doesn't give you that much time for your $150 or whatever it costs now. Portaloo queues are no worse than other events - 5 to 10 mins tops to get into one and the're good for keeping the possibly chilly wind off you. Probably slower driving yourself as the buses have dedicated lanes and there's a lot of others on the road at that time of morning doing the same thing.
I flew out on the Wednesday before the races but didn't arrive until 7:18pm EST and got to my hotel just over 3 hours later. Had to be up for the 5km race a few hours later. The extra day helped but I'm sure someone else on the forums went out the day before and completely missed all the snow.
We're flying out on the Wednesday that way (in theory) we're not having to rush about at all before the races.
Like you say Scott the retreat is a lot of money but we are only planning on doing it the once so we may as well make the whole thing as pleasant as possible. Think Mr CS plans to get to the race retreat as early as possible to get maximum value for money LOL. And I know full well I need something to eat beforehand as a hungry Caz is not a happy Caz.
We did a race at the weekend and I ate 4 hours before the start which was way too early... I was stood on the start line wondering how many jelly beans it would take to take the edge off my hunger..Never started a race with a rumbly tum before. 
It's amazing how important food planning is - as I have said I really suffered without strong coffee and porridge last time - and hubby is one of those skinny people with a super-fast metabolism so he constantly needs food before and during a long run - he had bananas, chocolate and eveything else that was offered on the way round last time!
It is probably one of the most important things to plan for at Disney, for us anyway.
Do any of you veterans have any tips on surviving the goofy?
Cazsoul -we are flying ba out of Gatwick on the 4th - are you a southerner ?
I'm not a veteran but I did it last year and I was surprised how much the excitement and sheer childish glee at the characters and Disney entertainment along the way carried me through - especially through the last 6 miles of the marathon. However, maybe not all runners are as excitable about Disney as I am - my excuse is that I have kids of 'that age'.....
Jeff Galloway said to take it easy during the half to survive the full.......
I would also welcome any other tips.
There's also the fact that if it's bloody cold, you'll freeze to death should you stop running
I did all 3 races and didn't really have too many problems with them. Did stop quite a few times during the marathon to have my photo taken with various characters (really should have done this during the half as a lot of them are the same and in roughly the same places) and the run the marathon properly.
Maybe it's just me but they felt like training runs to me. Might have been due to the early starts being akin to the time I go for my 20 mile runs and then having most of the day to yourself rather than starting at 10-11am, finishing mid afternoon when it's generally a lot warmer than at 5am.
(Also had a couple of character breakfasts booked the days after the 5km and half which meant I had to finish these to get there on time)
The cold did help with the running as it kept the edge off it although there's one stretch of road after the Animal Kingdom where the wind is chilly regardless. Since you're not noticing any sweating, you feel cooler it's easier to run although some people did mention the cold getting into their joints and making it hard going at times due to them stiffening up.
Nope sorry Minnie, I'm a Yorkshire lass... we're flying Virgin from Manchester.
NN, I can see me taking someone out when I spot a character and excitedly point them out to Mr CS although I have already said to him that if the queues are too big to get our photo taken with characters then we don't have to stop....unless it's Eeyore and then I don't care how big the queue is we're stopping. Oh and obviously if we see Jessie & Woody on the Saturday when we're in fancy dress then we'll have to stop for that photo op. Most of the characters you see dotted around the parks anyhoo, apart from Mickey... I know you have to go to his photo spot in Magic Kingdom and I don't recall seeing Eeyore other than in the parade
My normal time for a half is 2:20 so we're looking at around the 2:45 mark to leave the legs fresh for Sunday. I did a half earlier in the year with a friend and as I was running at her pace (finished in 2:40) my legs still felt fresh at the end and there wasn't any aches the next day... I did have a bit of hangover though teehee.
Positive thinking Scott.... it is going to be perfect running conditions...not to hot & not too cold... just right (to quote Goldilocks).
Yorkshire lass here too!
Virgin from Manchester too!
But earlier because the only way I get to do these races is to take the kids on holiday!
I saw Eeyore on route last year!!!
Oh no....the excitement has started again......
Mickey is around in a few places. During the runs, he'll generally be in Safari gear in the Animal Kingdom (possibly near the train) and in golfing gear near the Grand Floridian.
Easy enough to find him at MGM studios or Hollywood Studios (depends what you still call it) around the magic hat and inside some building connected with art near the Little Mermaid show (had Toy Story and Up characters there too).
Got Snow White and Dopey in Epcot during a race, Princess Tiana etc, Cinderalla / Prince Charming etc generally hang out just before you go through the castle; Donald / Daisy appear around the place; Power Rangers, Darkwing Duck etc at MGM; Pirates in one of the backlots, Baloo and King Louie usually in the Animal Kingdom etc. Saw Mary Poppins by the Grand Floridian during the half but not during the full.
Met Eeyore years ago possibly in the Magic Kingdom near Ariel's Grotto.
Jessie and Woody are usually near the Runaway Mine Train / Splash Mountain should you need them.
Few characters appear after the races for photos although at certain times. Think Goofy / Donald appeared about 20 mins after I left for the bus and others had been there before.
Nevertheless, walk around the parks with your medals on for a couple of days as others will be and you can get photos taken wearing them that way if you want (or better to wear the Goofy one as they are heavy and clank a lot - I kept the others inside socks in my bag and put the on whenever I wanted a photo).
Chip N' Dale frown upon a Donald Duck medal
You can always go to a character breakfast and meet some of the characters as well. Did one at Chef Mickey and one at the Grand Floridian.
Crystal Palace is a good place to meet Pooh, Eeyore etc although it was closed for renovations last year in January as was Test Track, Splash Mountain, some noodle place near Space Mountain etc so check what shuts seasonally for maintenance etc.
I'm not bothered about Test Track, we did it when we were there in 2004... I was glad we'd fast passed it as I'd have been peed off to queue for ages to go on a ride that basically equates to English roads... cobbles, pot holes, wet, cold, fast, slow... yep I do that on my journeys into work.
*bounce bounce bounce* Eeyores on the route... *bounce bounce* Teehee.
I saw Pooh at the entrance to Epcot... I got a cuddle off him...
And Rafiki wiped a (pretend) booger on me... eeewww!! But I can't remember where we saw him... I know he was stood with Pocahontas and Mr CS was too shy to get his photo taken with her... I've told him this time I want some photos of him with characters.
I was going to do that, take my Goofy medal out with me so if I spotted Goofy in the parks I could get my photo taken with him & the medal.
How many weeks is it still to go??? I can't wait...
Is anyone else doing their first full marathon this time or are Mr MM and I the only 'virgins '?
Mr CS is a marathon virgin. I've only done 1 so its all still fairly new to me too.
17 and a little bit... (not that you're counting ATOM) ooooh the real training kicks in soon then... *rubs hands with glee*
Dis (Mrs ATOM) is running her 1st (and only) marathon, concentrating all her efforts on the marathon alone.
I've been told I'm doing the goofy as I have done a few marathons before!
7th Goofy
8th Disney marathon
Amazing - well done for achieving Perfectly Goofy status!
ATOM - hmmm.......Mrs Atom may get the Disney bug and return for more.....
I said last year I would only ever do Disney once...but now I'm hooked.