Getting to the Start
I stayed in a hotel that was not a Disney Property and 8 miles away from Epcot (the start line). I was fortunate to have a good friend who was such a good sport about getting up at 3:15am with me every morning so we could be out the door at 3:45am.
Traffic was crazy. And even though I was only 8 miles away, we still wouldn't arrive at the race entrance until 4:20am. By that point, I still had a half mile walk to get to the start line (when there are 27,000 runners for the half marathon and 17,000 runners for the full marathon, a half mile walk will take you about 30 minutes to get through). Not a big deal, but I'm really glad I left enough time so that I didn't panic while sitting in the sea of traffic.
Go, Minnie!!
I had never been a stunt runner before, but I decided to wear a costume for the races because it was, after all, Disney!! Apparently, my Minnie Mouse ears and pink tutu became an easy target for spectators to find me and shout for me amongst the crowd of traditional runners.
Miles and Miles
Some people will criticize the Disney races because there is a lot of highway and backroad running. And they are right! However, when you do get to run inside the amusement parks (for the Half, it was Epcot and Magic Kingdom; for the Full, it was all 4 parks), it is the fastest couple of miles you will get through. You lose yourself in the magic and fun of the park. You get distracted posing with the characters. And you have tons of spectators cheering you on. It's AWESOME!
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E
Word to the wise, when you are doing the Goofy Challenge, it's all about endurance and not about time. This was an initially difficult concept for me. Surprising, since I'm not a fast runner and should be used to people passing me. However, it was a little blow to my ego to let SO many people run past me. Luckily, I carried an aid...a camera. Sure, there would be a little bit of a line, but taking pictures with the characters became a welcome break and opportunity to catch my breath. In addition, every character would have a Disney Assistant who would take your picture for you. It turned into a new game for me where I felt like I was collecting playing cards. Oooh, I don't have a photo with that one yet!
Water, Port o' Johns, and Medic Stations
It was a well organized and supplied race. There were plenty of options along the trails and I was beyond thankful. In addition, the Medic Stations were supplied with everything that I could think to need including aspirin, antacid, feminine products, and gels to relieve muscle tension.
Spectating
Even without the CheerSquad packet, Disney does a GREAT JOB of mapping spotting points and directions for spectators. Though it was my friend's first time coming out to spectate a race, he managed to easily chase me down at each of the points with the directions provided on the race website. Because of the darkness during the first hour of the race, his son's glow-in-the-dark Buzz Lightyear toy played doubled duty as an aid so that I could spot HIM on the trail.
Recovering Between Races
In a nutshell, do nothing. All I did was eat, sleep, and stretch. I spent a little time in the pool to help bring the swelling down in my muscles. I also wore compression tights during the day. I went to bed at 6:30pm the night before the marathon to ensure that I was well rested for it.
So, How Did It Feel to Run 39.3 Miles?
Admittedly -- not bad at all. I ran at a slower pace than usual. This strategy left me feeling good for the race. When I got tired, I'd stop and take another photo with a character. By the time the camera clicked, I'd feel fresh enough to take off again. I was a little hungrier during the marathon than I typically am, but I took advantage of the free bananas and paced myself with gels at every 4th mile. And as far as letting lots of people pass me in the beginning of the race, I was passing all of them at the end.
Overall Summary
If the Goofy Challenge has been on your mind -- JUST DO IT! And have fun with it. You'll be glad you did.
By the way, here's a video of me making a bee-line for Goofy who was standing at the finish line so that I could get a high-five as I crossed (just look for the pink tutu around 0:20-0:22 seconds). That's what 39.3 miles looks like on me. Just call me SUPERSTAR!
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