The View from Scopa Towers

Hi Folks.

First allow me to thank Deb for inviting me to participate in this new phase for AllEarsNet. I’m pretty excited on the opportunity to share some insights with all of you and hopefully help in any way I can to assist you in your Walt Disney World Trip planning activities.

So what’s new? Well recently Walt Disney World announced yet another race in their Endurance Series and I’m pretty excited about running in it.

This brand new race is called The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K (8.01 miles).

This race is to commemorate the 13th Anniversary of the opening of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction at the Disney/MGM Studios theme park. Actually my family and I were there the first day the cast members donned their bellhop costumes. I hope to tell you what that day was like.

This race is pretty cool because it takes place on Saturday, Oct. 27th at 9 P.M. That’s right…at night.

I’ll talk more of this race next time including how to register and recommend how to prepare to run in a WDW sponsored race. Over the last 18 months I've run in eight WDW races and have learned a lot and I want to share my "education" with you.

Oh there’ll be other topics we’ll cover and I hope you’ll feel free to contact me here as to what you would like to hear from me. As I prepare for my trips, experience them, and learn from them I will share my experiences with you in the hope of helping you with your own trips.

Just as Deb has graciously invited me to share my thoughts with you I’m inviting you to my blog and to encourage you to let me know what you think of it and of course WDW.

Mike

Okay gang I’m back and I have registered for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K.

Oh yeah.

I’m really excited about this race because not only will be the first time I’ve ever run a night time race in WDW it will be the first time I’ve run a night time race period. As far as I’m concerned my 5 A.M. 10K runs never qualified as running at night.

13K is an interesting distance because most runners, when training, stick to the usual 5K or 10K courses because basically those distances are popular for most road races.

Of course anyone who has trained for distances no longer than 10K should not worry. The adrenaline realized while running a WDW sponsored race will more than carry them those extra two miles.

So how do you register for this race? Well you go to
the official event page and click on the Register link in the upper right hand corner.

This will bring you to the registration page. The registration fee for the 13K is $65 and the fee for the 6.5K race is $40. The fee includes entry to the special party at Disney-MGM Studios.

Non-runners can purchase tickets to the party as well. The cost is $25 per ticket.

This party runs from 9 P.M. to 1 A.M. Three attractions will be open during this party.

Of course the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is one of them, as will be Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring AEROSMITH. Rounding out this trio will be The Great Movie Ride.

Hmmmm…looks like there will be an incentive for the runners to finish the race as fast as possible ‘cause the race will be cutting into party time.

I’m anxious to see the exact course map for this 13K race. I do have my own thoughts on exactly how this course will run.

My guess is that the course is similar to the course laid out for the Race for the Taste…except it’s backwards.

I’m thinking the race will start in Disney-MGM Studios near the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and make its way out the park and along the road to Disney’s Wide World of Sports. The runners will then sort of backtrack and come back to the theme park through the rear entrance, make their way through the Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show, then weave through New York Street, go past the Sci-Fi Drive-In Restaurant, head for Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat and eventually end up on Sunset Blvd to finish back at the Tower.

Sounds awesome to me.

So…are you thinking about it?

Are you saying, “Gosh that sounds like fun!”

You’re right. It does sound like fun.

Before the fun part comes all the training and planning part in all of this.

Of course a lot goes into the planning of a Walt Disney World race trip. It’s not your basic everyday visit with Mickey.

Next time I’ll tell you about my plans.

See you then.

Mike

Well there have been some interesting developments regarding the Tower of Terror 6.5K and 13K races. I know that many people were hesitant to register for either one of these races because for awhile there were no indications as to what the minimum pace would be for each course.

Considering that there are entry fees involved can you blame anyone for not jumping forward blindly without first determining if in fact they can do the pace that the Disney race folks will require for each distance?

Well I’m happy to tell everyone not to worry. The pace requirements have been posted and they have made everyone smile.

Regardless of which race a participant enters the pacing requirement is the same. The requirement is to complete the course in 2 and ½ hours.

That means those doing the 6.5K distance are looking at about a 38 minute per mile pace and those doing the 13K race are looking at about a 19 minute per mile pace.

My guess is that once everyone saw that pace requirements the registrations started pouring in.

A little bird told me that the longer course may have quite a few surprises for the participants and I’m looking forward to that myself.

By the way, the start time for the race and party at Disney/MGM-Studios has been pushed back to 9:30 P.M.

For those who usually run in the morning or mid-day that start time makes for even more of a challenge

Every race that I have run at WDW has started anywhere from 6:00 to 7:30 A.M. so this will be quite different for me.

Oh yeah, don’t let me forget to tell you that there is a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party event scheduled for the night before the race on Friday, October 26th and if you’re wondering, yes I plan to go and I already have my ticket in hand.

I figure that I might as well stay out late Friday night and sleep in on Saturday morning because I’ll need to be well rested for the race on Saturday night.

Will I see YOU there?

Training Tip

If you are new to running or are returning to running after a long layoff your first priority should be to find the best running shoes for your needs.

The absolute best way to insure that you will select shoes that will work for you is to go into a store that specializes in running shoes and do the following:

• Tell them of your running plans. Let them know what your goals are and how far you plan to run per week.
• Have them measure your feet so that you will be sure to get the proper fit.
• Let them know if you have and issues with aches and pains in your legs, ankles, back or feet. That can help with the selection. Running shoes fall into classes that are designed for special needs such as cushioning and stability.
• Finally, have them observe you walking so they can see how your gait works and how you naturally land on your feet.

A running store staffed with knowledgeable people will go far in getting you off on the right foot…no pun intended.

Try all the shoes suggested and go with the most comfortable fit.

It may take a week or so before you know if they are the right shoes for you.

Once you know you have the “right” model for you it may be worth getting a second pair and rotate them as you train.

There’s so much more to talk about as we train.

Mike’s Training Notebook

If you’re interested my training regimen now has me at the point where I’m running one hour a day at least three times a week. I’m not worried about pace for now. My objective is to slowly build up my stamina. I’m taking my time and so should you.

Let me ask one more time...

…Will I see YOU in October?

Well everyone, for those of you still undecided as to whether or not the 2008 Walt Disney World Half-Marathon is for you, time is growing short.

It doesn't appear that the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 6.5K or 13K races are in any danger of having it's registration being closed soon but the focus for me today is the WDW Half-marathon.

At last check the registration database was at 95% full. My guess is that registration for that race will close during the first week in June.

It's important to remember that committing to the WDW Half-marathon goes much deeper than many people think.

First off there is the physical commitment to the event and that means more than committing to a day in January to cover some 13 miles in under 4 hours.

The physical commitment requires devoting a considerable amount of time towards training for the event.

It's not really all about doing the race on that particular day as is the training for the race.

When you commit to the race you are "signing up" for an extended period of time of serious training. That is a key point to keep in mind....make that a critical component in the decision making process.

On the day of a WDW sponsored racing event there are many smiling and happy faces. This year alone I saw about 14000 smiling faces on the morning of the WDW half-marathon. More were smiling than others. Before the gun had gone off I could look around and pretty much tell who had trained properly for this race and who hadn't.

Nervous smiles mean there is some doubt as to whether enough training hours were put in.

When you train for any race you not only build stamina but you build confidence.

I can tell you that if you train and prepare for the race then your confidence level will spawn so much enjoyment that when you cross the finish line you may not even feel like you've covered some 13 plus miles.

Here's something else to keep in mind. If you train well enough then something very unusual will happen to you during the half-marathon. Your confidence will combine with the adrenalin rush and you will hardly notice the first 5 to 6 miles of this race.

The first half of this race heads up World Drive to the Magic Kingdom Auto Plaza, the Ticket and Transportation Center and into the Crown Jewel of WDW...the Magic Kingdom.

With so much going on and so much excitement in the air you will be quite energized...especially when you turn up Main Street, USA.

Personally, I feel the real race begins when I find myself running back towards EPCOT. It is at that time when I thank myself for investing all those hours in running. It is at that point when you really call upon your training and stamina to get you through the race.

So invest in your training time well...for the reward is priceless.

Most importantly...do not rush your training...steady as she goes.

So do we have a deal? Promise me you'll put in the time training an I promise you that you will have a great race day experience.

Sounds like a deal to me

Once you decide to take up a running program you need to focus on a couple of things, most importantly your running gear.

Of course the prime focus should be on comfort. That means comfortable running shoes, shorts/pants, and a top that wicks the moisture away from your body. Can’t forget the socks.

Comfort rules.

It may take time for you to figure out what works best for you. I have some advice…TAKE THE TIME!

Before spending hours grinding out the miles you need to be 100% sure that you will be as comfortable as possible with what you are wearing during your workouts.

That's half the battle...being comfortable. If you start off comfortable then you will insure that your workouts will start out enjoyable as well.

Once you have your running gear all selected and have found everything to be just right for you, my guess is that you may be thinking about getting one more piece of equipment.

This piece of equipment is a key component in your training. It might help answer a few questions for you like, “I wonder if my conditioning is improving.” or “Am I making any progress with my training?”

Let me guess. Is this component a runner's watch?

You’re thinkiing, “Of course Mike! The watch will help me train.”

Well, yes it should.

However…keep in mind that the watch can also serve as a double-edged sword.

Imagine those old cartoons where the main character is trying to decide on a path to take. On his right shoulder is a reduced image of himself all dressed up in white with a halo hovering over his head. That angelic version of himself is trying to point him down the right path.

On his left shouilder is another image of himself this time all dressed up in red and sporting a set of devilish horns. This particular image is not in his best interest and is trying ever so hard to push him down the not so right path.

Well, your watch could very well serve as either angelic or devilish in your pursuit of training to get healthier and aim for a particular race.

Now the good watch, the one who would reside on your right shoulder with the halo is saying, “Okay now let’s be sure that we do this right and not to be too overanxious.
What we will do is just start me when you begin your workout and then just forget about me until you finish and then stop me at that point and I’ll be happy to tell you how long you have been ruinning.”

That sounds like a plan...the right plan.

Then there’s the evil wicked watch figure on your left shoulder and he is whispering some bad advice into your ear.

“This is gonna be great. Once you start me we’ll really be rocking. I want you to constantly check in with me as much as possible. Keep track of how far you are going and how fast you are going. Now remember, you want to get better so if when you check me and I tell you that you’re not going fast enough I want you to pick up the speed and try harder."

“Remember, I am here to help you.”

Uhhhhhhh,,,,no!

Don’t believe him.

The worse thing you can do is become too buddy buddy with your watch. That's a buddy you don't need because it could lead to problems.

If you constantly monitor your watch while you work out then you may find yourself subconsciously pushing yourself to perhaps do that first mile a bit faster or cover a distance that much quicker or just do something too fast too soon.

Over time your conditioning will bring you to the point where you will run faster and stronger and feel better at the end of the run. You, and not your watch, will do that for you.

If you are constantly checking your watch during your workout and figuring out how fast or how slow you are going then you will add unnecessary stress to your workout.

Worry about your watch at the end of the workout.

The watch should be used as a tool to help you gradually improve your conditioning.
Use it to help you properly assess your workouts and to prevent yourself from overdoing it.

Here’s an example. If you start out in a walk-run combination type of workout use the watch to time your walks and runs…For instance…you may want to use a 4 to 1 ratio of running 4 minutes and walking 1 minute. Use the watch for that purpose to time how long you've been running or walking and not how quickly it has taken you to get from point A to point B.

Also, use it to measure your overall workout time. For instance, today you will workout for 30 minutes and tomorrow you will work out for 32 minutes.

Constantly change your course. This will prevent you from subconciously keeping track as to how far you have gone within the workout. Worry about that later and measure it later.

I am not advising you not to use a watch…I am advising to not use it in a way that results in you taking two steps forward and one step back because it may push you to an unecessary injury.

Next time we'll take this further as I will get into the reason why I have brought up the subject of the watch as being friend and foe...it's known as the Walt Disney World race pacing requirements.

We are all creatures of habit so it becomes quite a challenge for us to start a running program that impacts our daily or weekly routine.

But before you begin your new routine you need to figure out how best to transition into it.

If we are talking about adopting a serious running program in which you will approach 25+ miles per week then the planning process becomes a bit more involved.

So what do you do?

The first thing you do is to create a “routine calendar” which basically is a document that gives you a snapshot of your present routine.

This calendar should represent a typical week for you.

It should include…

…sleeping habits such as about what time to you go to bed at night and what time you wake up in the morning…

…eating habits such as how many times you eat during the day, when you eat, and how long you usually take to eat…

…the time you leave for work and when you leave work to come home and what time you get home…

…when you do shopping, any type of shopping like grocery shopping or clothes shopping…

…those special nights which you have designated as “date” night or dining out night…

…nights for watching your favorite television shows…

…days and times you presently visit the gym…

…family times that are set aside each week…

…house and garden chores like laundry, mowing the lawn, etc.

Quite a lot to think about isn’t there?

Let’s not forget weekends.
Weekends are important to note because we all have our Monday to Friday routines which hardly change but the weekend routines can vary. Do the best you can for Saturday and Sunday.

By now you are thinking, “Mike aren’t you going a little bit overboard with this calendar thing?”

The answer is definitely not because I cannot tell you how many friends have told me that they had to abolish any thoughts of running because they just could not “fit it into” their schedule.

In most instances they would from time to time try to get in some running but never could find themselves getting into a good rhythm.

Now this is due to one of two things, either they really have a difficult schedule and would find it impossible to figure out any kind of routine adjustment to help them get into a running program or they really weren’t serious about running in the first place.

So if you are serious about running this hopefully will help you get started.

So what do you do with this calendar once you’ve finished putting it together?

Look for gaps. That is, are there blocks of unoccupied time that jump out at you? For instance does it seem like every day there is one hour, the same hour that is always open?

If so, is it a time during the day when you could see yourself being able to get your gear on, do your miles, clean up and get back into your day? If so you may want to think about that possibility.

As you look at your calendar is there anyway you can shift some of your weekly errands or chores so as to adjust the week so that you have a consistent block or open time for at least three days a week?

Only you can answer that question.

For most people there are three choices for when they do their running.

For some people, like me, the choice is the morning option. This works well for those people who consider themselves “morning people.” I happen to be one of those people and I do most of my running in the morning, the early morning.

The early morning option is best for me because nothing else can interfere with my routine. If my first action of the day is to go out and get my running in then that means unless I oversleep there will be no “domino effect” from other events that will endanger my routine.

It does make for a long day as my job roles now include waking up all the roosters in town to make sure they announce the coming of the next day. I probably should get a paper route and earn a little extra cash.

Morning runs have pros and cons.

Running in the morning means breathing in fresh air, especially if you run before rush hour begins.

Running in the early morning in the summer means you avoid high temperatures.

Running in the morning gets your heart pumping and gives you a jump start for the day.

However there are some drawbacks.

If you run in the morning that means you need to get up in time to stretch and get your body ready for exercise. You just cannot jump out of bed and fly out the door…not good.

Running in the morning means cold temps during the fall, winter, and spring months so then the question is how cold is too cold to run?

Another occupational hazard of running in the morning is the company you run into.

I happen to live in New Hampshire and some of the courses I run go into some real rural areas.

I’ve been running in the morning for about 10 years now and I have had some interesting close calls.

One morning while running I was hailed down by one of my town’s finest because he wanted me to know that 15 minutes earlier there was a black bear sighting just a ¼ mile from where we were talking. Thank you officer.

Another morning I was running and an old farmer drove up to me in his 90 year old pickup truck to warn me about a moose he had spotted down the road and that the moose had it’s offspring with it. I changed my direction.

One time I was running and as I turned the corner I was surprised to see what I thought was a cardboard cutout, in great detail mind you, of a beautiful deer with magnificent antlers.

The cardboard cutout took off.

Another morning I remember running and as I approached a slight hill I thought I had seen a beautiful white cat walking along the side of the road…until I got close enough to see it was a white skunk.

I crossed onto the other side of the street.

Of course it wouldn’t be New Hampshire if I didn’t see an occasional wild turkey or I should say several wild turkeys out for a stroll.

We grow them tall up here so they can be brazen.

There are two instances that will always be at the top of my memory regarding my morning runs.

The first one happened about five years ago. I was running on an early Sunday morning, around 5 A.M. or so. There were no cars on the road.

As I was into my second mile I was in a somewhat rural area and as I made my way around a bend I noticed what was either a wolf or a coyote crossing the road. I always forget which of the two is the larger animal but I can tell you this four legged creature was the size of a Great Dane.

Luckily this animal did not see, hear, or smell me. I’m not sure if we would have had a confrontation but I wasn’t about to encourage one. I did an immediate about face and backtracked. My pace was pretty good that morning.

So, does it sound like you want to run in the morning?

Let me tell you one more story.

This took place about three years back during October. Now, as you can imagine, it’s at 5 A.M. in October so it’s still dark and a bit chilly.

My plan was to run somewhere between three and four miles that morning.

I’m into my first mile and everything seemed to be normal except that as I turned up one road I heard something I had never heard before, a wolf howling.

I thought that was pretty cool.

I saw this as entertainment and wondered to myself how long this entertainment would last.

It didn’t last long. After a few minutes it stopped.

Then I thought, “Wait! Wolves howl only while standing still or sitting down so that means…”

A slight wave of fear came over me. Was this howler on the move and would he have any reason to want to join me on my run?

I didn’t know but these are the things that go through your mind on a dark road on a dark morning after hearing a wolf howl….and then stop his crooning.

From the moment the howling stopped I frantically looked around for something like a broken tree branch to make my trusty companion.

I found something to give me a bit of confidence if things got a bit exciting.

What I remember most however is that for the rest of my run I found my head swiveling around like that of an owl trying to be sure I was not going to be caught be surprise.

Most of the time I kept looking over my right shoulder.

Nothing happened but since then every time I go out to run I know that there could be company waiting for me.

But my present schedule pretty much dictates that morning runs are best for me so I’m stuck with them for now, and the surprises that await me every morn.

We’ll talk about the mid-day and late-day routines next time and hopefully all this information will help you determine what best works for you.

* * * * * * *

Mike’s Training Diary: Presently I am running about 5 miles every morning…or at least every morning I run…I do take days off. My total miles for June is 95 miles which is the most I have run in one month in almost two years.

My pace is about minute to a minute and a half slower than I would like it to be and I know what the problem is…my weight.

The less weight I push the more energy I have and the more energy I have the faster I can go.

So starting this week I am going to limit my caloric intake and really start focusing on the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K.

Down the road we’ll explore running and weight.

I’m trying very hard to practice what I preach and not over train so I expect I will slowly transition into a 10K (6.2 miles) distance over the next month. My plan is to be in the 8 mile range by early September. It doesn’t make any sense; trust me, to push it any faster than that because peaking too soon is something we all want to avoid.

Happy Fourth everyone.

We have talked about the pros and cons of running in the morning. The morning running routine is definitely for morning people who, like me, love to jog in the pre-dawn hours and ward off the creatures of the morning.

But if morning runs don’t work for you let’s look at another option: the mid-day routine.

For many years I maintained this type of routine. At the time, it was probably the best routine for me. I worked for a company that encouraged physical fitness so every building had a locker room and shower facility.

What was also important was that I really didn’t need to punch a clock. Whenever I wanted to take time off during the day to run I could do so.

I usually would run either just before or just after the traditional lunch hour…mostly after wards because I hated crowded locker rooms.

I would hit the locker room at about the time everyone was just buttoning their last button or lacing their last shoelace to return to work.

It made for a long morning but if I went out somewhere between 12:30 and 1:00 I would usually get back to my desk sometime around 2. Of course in those days I was not training for a half-marathon so my runs were usually no more than one hour long.

What is nice about a mid-day routine is that it allows you the best chance of training all year long…something quite difficult for the morning routine.

In the dead of winter the best time to run is during mid day when it’s probably the warmest….and you can see your footing.

Not so in the early morning hours….cold temps mean more layers and also a greater chance of “Whoops!” icy spills.

For a lot of people being up and about for a few hours is just as important as stretching.

For many the mid-day routine works best for them because they can function best at that time of the day.

The other thing to keep in mind is fuel. If you run during mid-day then you at least would have had breakfast so you’ve got some “fuel in the engine”…not so when you run in the morning.

Not to be forgotten is the Sun. Some people hate to run in the Sun while others draw energy from it…if you are among the latter then this may be the right routine for you.

Are there drawbacks?
Let’s see.

Well it DOES interrupt your day and for some people that is not a good thing. However others prefer that “break in the action” and gets them through the day knowing that they will be able to give themselves that special time they need each day.

Another drawback to the mid-day means that those lunch hour errands are now shoved to the end of the day. There’s a domino effect here…if you do those errands after work then that chunk of errand time will delay your getting home.

Running during the day also means you must allow time to pack your running gear in the morning before you leave for work. Of course you could do this at night instead of the morning.

The other thing to consider is traffic. Now unless you are living in some rural area or near a track that you can run on you are going to have to deal with traffic which means dodging these vehicles with which you must share the road. This also leads to another health issue; exhaust fumes.

So that’s about it for the mid-day routine.

Does that work for you?

There’s one more option and that of course is the late day routine.
This workout time could be right after work or even later than that.

Let’s look at the pros and cons of this option.

A late-day routine allows you to work out the stress of the day. Many people look forward to their late-day workouts for that very reason.

Also for some they need to have most of their day behind them before they can relax and work out. If there are things on their mind then it takes away from the enjoyment of the workout….sort of like “unfinished business” that needs to be taken care of before the workout can begin.

We have talked about fuel. If you do your running late in the day then you have already enjoyed two meals and should have plenty of energy to burn. If you are someone who needs that fuel then the late day routine will work best for you.

The drawbacks are pretty obvious. There are more people out and about in the late afternoon and early evening so crowds and traffic may be an issue.

Of course with traffic comes the exhaust fumes problem too, unless you do your running on a treadmill or a track.

One of the drawbacks of a late day routine is it’s vulnerability to being bumped. That is, sometimes a day comes along in which one thing leads to another and the whole day gets put out of whack, especially your best laid plans to run.

The later in the day you do your routine the more likelihood of that routine being wiped out simply because of delays or unforeseen issues that force you to cancel your workout.

Finally, the late-day routine may not prove to be a good choice because there will be those days that just wear you out to the point where you are just in no condition to do any running.

I’m sure there are a many other pros and cons I’ve overlooked regarding morning, mid-day, and late-day running schedules.

What’s important to note here is that regardless of what I do or your neighbor does or your friends do it’s what works best for you and your schedule that will offer you the best chance for success.

If you’re not sure which routine works for you then give each one a chance. This means trying a routine for a full week before passing judgment on that routine.

Also, don’t forget that even combo routines will work for you….maybe a few morning runs…then a few mid-day runs…then late day runs. You may even find that your work week routines are different than your weekend routines.

You make the choice and stick with it.

Next time we’ll talk about runner identities…I’m a snowball.

What about you?

Mike’s Running Journal

For those of you training for either the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K and/or the 2008 Walt Disney World half or full Marathon I thought I’d let you know where I am in my training.

I’m currently running about 5 miles every other day. Each time I go out I am adding anywhere from 1/10 of a mile to 2/10 of a mile to my distance. Actually I’m not adding distance as much as I am adding time.

Each time out on my “on” days I am adding one more minute to my workout. That amounts to about 3 to 4 minutes each week.

It’s a gradual build but it works wonders for the stamina and I am beginning to see some subtle gains in my pace. On my “off” days I just run between 2 and 3 miles.

I am about 65-70% ready for the Tower of Terror 13K race (about 14 weeks away) and 40-45% ready for the half-marathon (about 27 weeks away)..

I’ll revisit these numbers each time we meet and I encourage you to take a look at where you currently are in your training as well and if necessary revise or adjust your training to be sure you are ready for your targeted race.

MagicMeets 2007

MagicMeets is less than a week away. I plan to be there and am pretty excited to see everyone.

If you are going to MagicMeets please stop by and say hello, especially if you are intending to run in either the Tower 13K race in October or the WDW half or full marathon in January.

Harrisburg, here I come!

As most of you are now into your own running program it’s probably a good time for you to take a look at yourself and see what kind of a runner you are.

Discovering your running identity is important because it will help you to understand how your body works as a machine when you train or run.

Once you have identified your running identity you will also be aware of what to expect from your body regardless of the distance you will run in upcoming races.

It also does wonders for your confidence because you will feel better about yourself simply because you will know more about your limitations.

Here are the three running identities.

The Turtle

Okay, the connotation that comes to mind is the word “slow” but that’s not what I am implying here. The turtle is known for having one speed and one speed only. It’s not slow and it’s not fast but steady.

This identity has nothing to do with pace it’s just that there are runners out there who are pretty consistent when they run; never wavering from a basic pace.

These runners will run close to the same pace regardless of whether they’re running a 5K distance or even a marathon with maybe a slightly slower pace for the longer distances.

I’ve known many people like this and the one thing I have noticed is that most of these runners all have the same pre-race routine. This routine includes some special warming up and stretching exercises. Thus for the beginning of every run they are in their own designated warm-up state.

During their runs mile one will be covered in the same time or within a few seconds as miles, two, three, four, and so on. Consistency is the key word here. There is no significant speeding up or slowing down for these folks. “Steady as she goes!” is their battle cry.

These runners fall into a rhythm and never leave this rhythm.

This works for a lot of people because to them it is an injury prevention approach to running. That is, you are less likely to pull a muscle or hamstring or injure yourself if you maintain a steady pace. For some people it’s natural to have a steady pace and for others they actually work at it.

So are you a turtle?

The Rabbit

If you’re wondering the answer is “Yes, this runner’s identity has a lot to do with speed.”

I’m sure you’ve heard people say, “Oh he’s the rabbit for this race.”

The rabbit is that type of runner who starts out fast. For the first portion of the race this runner is untouchable, the pace is quick, as if this runner is shot out of a cannon.

In some cases the rabbit is there not to win but to help a friend or, in team competition, to help his teammates.

For instance let’s say you are a running coach and you have a team of several runners with their own specialty.

As a coach you might throw in your two-miler specialist in a 10K race to speed up the pace for your 10K runners and perhaps subliminally get them to run faster.

Rabbits don’t always win…in fact they hardly win.

Why? Well, let’s face it; you cannot keep up that pace for too long.

Many times I’ve seen rabbits in races, including all the races I’ve ever participated in at Walt Disney World.

These runners zip by me during the first or second mile but for the most part cannot keep up that early pace and soon settle down to a more comfortable pace.

Rabbits run the risk of injury especially if they do not warm up before a race. If you start off fast then your muscles and body should be well warmed up to best avoid a pulled muscle.

One of the reasons I am glad I’m not a rabbit is that I would not just worry about injury but I would worry about running out of gas before covering the race distance.

I’m not a rabbit…are you?

The Snowball

That’s me. I’m a snowball. That is my running identity.

I didn’t realize I was a snowball until one day some 30 years ago while running in a local 5K race. At each mile marker there was a race official yelling out the split times as we crossed each marker.

When I hit the second and the third mile splits I noticed that my times were quite different. How different? Well my third mile was over a minute faster than my first mile.

Ever since that race I started to pay attention to this aspect of my running and to this very day the same holds true for any distance I run. The first mile is always my toughest mile and I think it has a lot to do with my preference to use that first mile as my warm-up time.

During the 2006 Walt Disney World Half-Marathon I noticed that the difference was even greater. My first mile was something like 95 seconds slower than miles two through five.

So why do I use the term snowball? Well, picture yourself standing at the top of a mountain and making a snowball and rolling it down the mountain. It starts off slowly and gradually picks up speed. That’s what some runners do as well.

For those types of runners there is a certain point in every workout where their running rhythm begins to click and they actually go on something that they call “autopilot.” When you hit that point and everything is working well…your breathing, your muscles, everything, it is at that time that you’re probably running at your optimum speed.

So when you start a race you’ll have all three kinds of runners and what you will see is the rabbit who leads the pack from the start and running like there’s no tomorrow. Then there is the turtle that is very consistent and maintains a steady pace throughout the race.

Then you have the snowball who is nothing like the turtle but sort of a reverse rabbit…maybe we should call this runner a “tibbar” or rabbit in reverse.

You’re body and its approach to exercise, stamina, and running determines what kind of a runner you are. I don’t subscribe to the philosophy that says you can adjust your identity to whatever you want it to be.

It’s a natural thing so embrace whatever identity you are because it’s what’s best for you.

So which identity fits your running style?

Mike’s Training Diary

The dogs days of summer are upon us and we al have to be real careful that we don’t over do our training.

Heat and humidity can do a job on you so constantly hydrate yourself all day.

I’m presently trying to run every day but alternating long days and short days. I had to do a little catching up due to some time off I took will at Magicmeets. We’ll talk a bit about that in my next visit.

I am closing in on six miles and this puts me right on schedule for the TZTOT race in October. My pace is also settling down into what is normal for me.

The pace is not as important as stamina. I have a good idea as to how long I need to be able to run by October's race and that is my objective.

We have so much to discuss between now and October and now and January.

One important discussion is what I call “Taking a Break” and we’ll discuss this next time.

Happy running everyone.

How appropriate that MagicMeets interrupted my training regimen.

This “stop in the action” reminded me that no matter how hard we try to maintain our routines that sometimes scheduled and unscheduled events will impact these routines.

Events could be in the form of vacation, a crazy work schedule, or something unexpected that plays havoc with our daily or weekly routine.

So when that happens what should we do? How do we get back? More importantly, what should we NOT do?

Well, again I need to emphasize that everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. Above all play it cautious to avoid a setback.

So when we run into these times when we find our training interrupted what is the first thing we should do?

The first thing is to accept the fact that you should not expect to immediately pick up where you left off.

I’ll use my own experience as an example.

The day before leaving for MagicMeets I had a very good run in the five to six mile range and felt pretty good after the run.

However, between the drive down, my several days there, and the drive back I really hadn’t run except for maybe a 2 mile jog one morning.

When I returned home I was ready to resume my training.

This had to be done right. Too many times in the past I got a little too anxious and ambitious upon coming off a “break in the action.”

What resulted was a setback as I asked my body to perform like a machine that just needed to be turned on again…no, it doesn’t work that way.

My rule of thumb is that the amount of time you take off from your training should dictate the amount of time you should take to get back to where you were before the interruption took place.

Again, this works for me….but I can tell you that it also seems to work for a lot of friends of mine…so maybe there is something to this philosophy.

So my plan was to take about a week to get back to where I was before the interrupt.

How?

Well I think that most of us are capable of at least going out and running at least ½ of what we were doing before the interrupt.

For me I went out and ran 5K (3.1) miles for my first day, then, as each day came I added not miles but time to my workout. I added about five minutes per day and within seven days I was pretty close to where I was prior to my trek to Magicmeets.

I was prepared to stretch it out to 10 days if need be but I listened to my body at the end of every day and it told me I was moving along slowly enough so not to worry.

I just didn’t want to try and take one step forward prematurely and have that result in two steps back.

So just a little tip that could go a long way…don’t rush back too soon…you may end up injuring yourself.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 6.5K/13K Course

I do have a lot of work to do as the TZTOT 13K is only about 2 ½ months away.

I’ve revised my training plan so that I will be in the 6-7 mile range or better by the end of August.

As a matter of fact, I have recently gone out and run 7 miles so I’m already there. It’s just a matter of getting used to doing 7 miles once or twice a week, while doing a few shorter runs the other two or three times I go out.

It doesn’t hurt to assess your training schedule and adjust it accordingly.

For those of you who are planning to participate in the 6.5K (4.1 miles) or 13K (8.2 miles) events you may be interested to know that there is some “noise” about the course being posted sometime soon.

As soon as this happens I will let you know as I’m curious as to exactly where we will be going.

Some of you have emailed me and have asked if I have any idea as to exactly where the course will take us.

My best guess is that the course will essentially be a double-back course that is normally used for the Race for the Taste except that we will not finish in EPCOT.

Here is a description of the course taken from the TZTOT 13K Event Info page:

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ 13K is an 8.1 mile night-time road race that will end in the shadows of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction at the Disney-MGM Studios. The course will also feature Disney's Wide World of Sports® Complex, before returning to Disney-MGM Studios where the course will feature the Lights, Motors, Action™ Extreme Stunt Show and then down New York Street, past the Sorcerer's Hat, to an unforgettable finish at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™.

I expect that due to the overwhelming response that we will all begin the race in the MGM Studios parking lot. My inclination is to believe that again, due to the number of participants, we will then continue along outside the park to Disney’s World of Sports.

When we get to Disney’s World of Sports we may find the course eventually heading back to MGM Studios, however here’s where we are looking at two different ways of entering the park.

One option is to enter through the back entrance of MGM near the Tower of Terror. There is an access back there and other races have used. As you enter the park the Tower is on your left.

The other entry is from the other side of the park in which the participants will run through Lights! Motors! Action! Stunt Show and then through the backstage area before running down the Big City Streets area and then over near “Buy the Book” and the Sci-Fi Drive-In Restaurant, past the Commissary and then run clockwise around the Sorcerer’s Hat in front of TGMR then either over to Indy Jones and then to Sunset Blvd or go directly from the hat to Sunset Blvd.

I would think that the finish line would be in the park although I have never run in a WDW race in which the finish line was inside the park. Usually the runners are crossing a finish line in that park’s parking lot.

Well, let’s hope we soon find out…I’m excited.

But I need to get back to my training.

But before I go let me address this “take a break” issue a bit further. It really is important for anyone training to give their body a rest when your body “talks” to you.

If you find that your legs, knees, ankles, feet, or back give you pain then take a day off and give those areas some rest.

Pain speaks volumes.

Here’s another indicator that you need a day off. Remember our discussion on watches and how evil they can be? Well, they can be your friend too.

Once you have settled into a comfortable pace for yourself you will begin to notice if during a run whether or not your normal pace is in fact happening.

If after two miles you notice that your pace is off by at least a minute then you are overtraining and your body is telling you that it needs a day or two off to replenish and rest.

I guarantee you that if you rest from time to time then you will find your training to be a lot easier and also more productive.

Listen to your body. You don’t have to run every day.

Take a break.

Blogging from Orlando

That’s right! I’m taking this blog to Orlando for a week or so and plan on blogging a bit more frequently while down there. So if you are in need of a WDW fix I hope I can help fill that need.

It looks to be hot while I’m there so you just KNOW that I’ll have to be sure to keep my body hydrated.

Can you guess what I will depend upon to keep me hydrated?

Like there was any doubt!

Happy training!

Put your hands together because I actually got out of bed on this morning at around 5:30, put on my running gear and went out at 5:45 to run around the resort.

It had been at least a week since my last workout and I had no idea what to expect. My whole body was screaming at me until I hit Alligator Bayou over at Port Orleans Riverside.

I ended up running a bit over 40 minutes and felt great at the end of the run. However I am definitely behind schedule for the Tower of Terror 13K and when I return home I will be working hard to train for that race.

I had finished my run, showered, and got dressed in time for us to shoot over to EPCOT for Extra Magic Hour Morning

Here’s the latest on the deconstruction of Mickey’s arm/wand from Spaceship Earth.

There were two lines to get into EPCOT. We got into the line on the right side…it went almost to the bus depot….want to see?

The lines moved fairly fast.

Once we got in we went over to Soarin’ and grabbed a FastPass and then went in line. For the third time in a row Carol got us top row center. I may have to start renting her out to folks who want that top row center experience.

After Soarin’ we had a light breakfast and then rode “Living with the Land” to kill some time before using our Soarin’ FPs.

This time our luck ran out and we ended up center but second row instead of top row.

By the way, the next time you experience Soarin’ I suggest you watch the screen very carefully. If you count only 8 hot air balloons then you are not watching close enough.

If you do not see six fighter jets then you are not watching closely enough.

We walked over to see Nemo and Crush. Does anyone else out there just love that Starfish?

From there we went over to visit Figment. We took in “Honey I Shrunk the Audience" since it was the Imagination Institute’s annual....

We then walked back to the Land for lunch at the Garden Grill. We were early so we watch “Circle of Life” first.

Then we had lunch with farmer Mickey…

After lunch we visited Innoventions. We checked out the Rockin’ Robots…

…we played that IBM game and that pizza game (think goodness it was virtual pizza) and a few other things before checking out Mouse Gear. You never know when a neat new WDW shirt will show up.

Now since this was a surprise birthday trip for Carol I tried to get ADRs for all of her favorite restaurants. In order to do so I had to sometimes book meals a bit close together….like a late lunch and early dinner.

This was one of those days. We tried to eat light for lunch because we were going to the Kona Café for dinner.

We got into the car to drive over and when I started the car up look what I saw on my rear view mirror…

That explains the two glasses of ice tea and two glasses of water I had at lunch.

We drove over to the Polynesian Resort. My three favorite resorts are Pop Century, Port Orleans, and the Polynesian Resort.

Here’s a cute picture.

Look again, the tiki on the left is outside and the tiki on the right is inside.

Did I mention why the Polynesian Resort is one of my favorite resorts? A picture is worth a thousand words.

Let me take this opportunity to put in a good word for the Kona Café. It is one of the better restaurants in all of WDW and especially when it comes to teriyaki ANYTHING.

It is one of the few sit-down restaurants in WDW I love so much I will actually dine there alone when I do solo research trips. The bread is very decadent.

So Carol and I are eating and we are thinking about where to go and what to do next. The heat of the day (remember what the mirror said) had really taken some energy out of us so we decided to return to POFQ and do some laundry and check up on email and try to recoup some of that energy that the sun was draining from us.

Besides tomorrow was Carol’s birthday. You always want to be well refreshed when waking up in WDW on your birthday.

In a few weeks we will be within 100 days of The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. As this century mark approaches I’m beginning to sense some anxiety out there.

No I’m not a psychic but I do receive quite a few emails that all seem to echo the same cry. Many of you are asking yourselves if you can really do your first half-marathon.

It’s only natural to wonder about such a feat as running some 13 plus miles so let’s talk about how we are going to accomplish this quest.

I’ve gone through this too so I know what’s going through your minds.

One of the questions I remember asking myself was exactly in the words at the top of this entry, “Can I Do It?”

Sometimes you need to nudge yourself or challenge yourself in order to accomplish something you have never dreamed of ever doing.

Regardless of whether you are a novice or seasoned runner, doing your first half or full marathon is a bit ominous and can generate some anxiety.

I think there are several thresholds of anxiety that come into play. Let’s explore them:

• Pace Anxiety – This is above all the biggest worry for most first time half-marathoners. Its one thing to complete the distance but to maintain a minimum pace just adds another layer of concern. We’ll address this concern in the next few weeks and talk about the best ways to increase your pace and to avoid the dreaded sweep bus.

• Run Anxiety – This is the anxiety I had to deal with during my initial training for this distance. I had this personal goal of running the entire distance. My fear was that my stamina would fail me and I would have to walk a portion of the race. I have great admiration for anyone who can cover the distance walking in the allotted pace. I can’t do it. To this day I have this run anxiety and my way of dealing with it is simply to run as slow as I have to so as to conserve enough energy to run the entire course.

• Distance Anxiety – Let’s face it, 13 miles is quite a distance to run, walk, or run/walk and for anyone who has never even come close to a double-digit distance, it’s downright daunting. We’ll need to address this anxiety later in this blog. One thing I want everyone to keep in mind is that the mental aspect of covering this distance plays a key in the ever important area of confidence. Once you have convinced yourself mentally that it’s in your grasp then the rest is easy.

• Injury Anxiety – If you’ve never done anything quite like this before then you may not know what to expect once everything is over. You could be concerned that you may be setting yourself up for some health issues. The best thing to do is to do the best job preparing for the event and take some steps in the post race hours to insure there are no recovery issues. We’ll talk about this as well and I can speak from experience as to the right and the wrong things to do before and after the race.

For now, let’s talk about this distance anxiety.

Some of you have asked if it is necessary to be able to cover the half-marathon distance during your training for the race. That is, should you at one point go out and actually run the 13.2 miles?

That is a very difficult question to answer.

When I was training for my first half-marathon my training goal was to get to the point where I would run no more than 9 or 10 miles. I did not want to over train.

I must confess however that I did cover the distance a few months before the race; but it was purely accidental and was not planned…which makes it a not so smart thing to do. I went out on Labor Day 2005 for a leisurely run. When I went out to run that day I wasn’t concerned about time or distance and just decided to take it easy. It’s important to keep in mind I never intended to run more than 8 miles.

I ended up running 13.6 miles. How did it happen? Well when I approached the 8 mile mark I felt good so I decided to go another mile. This happened for several miles and when I finally returned home from my run I had covered well over 13 miles.

I was excited but at the same time a bit concerned. My concern stemmed from what my body was telling me. I was pretty tired, not sore, but tired, and my legs were shaking a bit. I had not prepared to do this distance on this day…had not spent the last day or two adding a few more carbs to my diet nor had I hydrated more so than usual and my body was basically telling me, “Mike, we need to talk. You have to let me know about these things!”

I was very tired. I was curious as to just how many calories I had burned I went to this calorie burner calculator and plugged in the data.

I had burned more calories during my run than I take in on an average day. No wonder I was dragging.

Although I was somewhat dehydrated, quite tired, and very hungry I thought to myself, “Well I know I can run this distance,”

But I also realized something else.

I realized that if I had left the house that day planning to run that distance that I probably would not have been able to do it. I wasn’t ready to tell myself; “Okay, today I do 13 miles!” In an actual race adrenalin takes over and adrenalin did play a part in my run that day but it was not a factor until I had 8 miles behind me.

Walt Disney World races have this uncanny knack of pumping adrenalin through you before, during, and after the race. This adrenalin plays a huge factor in everyone’s ability to finish their race.

I also realized that I didn’t have to run that distance to prove to myself that I could do the distance.

That’s so important for everyone to understand.

You don’t have to cover the distance prior to race day.

Last year while training for the 2007 Half-Marathon I never went beyond 8 miles in any run and from Thanksgiving thru New Year’s I ran but 12 times and averaged 7-8 miles a run.

So my advice to everyone who is training to run their first half-marathon to seriously think about capping off their training distance at 9 or 10 miles and here are my reasons.

• You don’t want to over train. Believe me, this is very important. My philosophy is that if I’m going to over train at all it will happen during my race. I won’t risk injury before race day.

• You are in unchartered territory. If you’ve never run these distances before then you don’t know what your body requires in terms of recovery. It’s a learning experience which means that it’s a gradual learning curve so no leaps.

• The adrenalin factor. Believe me when I tell you that adrenalin will play a part in your race day performance. It will give you an energy boost. That adrenalin rush is hard to come by during your training. Besides, if you wait until race day to cover the miles and then realize you’re about to do it, the rush is even greater. Wait for it.

• Disappointment. That’s right. You are more likely to FAIL at running the distance during training than you are during the race. Do you need that? If you try to cover the 13 plus miles and come up short by a few miles you will doubt yourself on race day. Don’t take that chance.

Trust me!

Well my 10-day trip to Walt Disney World has reaped havoc on my training. Prior to the trip I was at 7 miles. I am now at 5 miles and I have the 8.2 mile Tower of Terror race to run in Orlando on October 27th. On top of that I am having knee issues with my left knee.

This means I have to allow for more off days yet build up my stamina. If you experience any pain then take precautions to prevent it from getting any worse and spread out your workouts.

For me I ice down my knee for 20-30 minutes after my run and I’m giving the knee a 72 hour rest between workouts.

So my new plan is to run one day and take two days off. Each day I run, however, I will extend my run by about 3-5 minutes.

By mapping out this strategy on paper I can see that I’ll be in the 7 – 8 mile range by late October.

I will practice what I preach and not push myself to do the 8 miles prior to race day. If it happens it happens but I’m confident that if I am at 6 or 7 miles by the day I take off for Orlando then I should be ready.

For those of you who aren’t aware, the Tower of Terror race course maps have been posted. Go here to see the 6.5K Course Map and here for the 13K Course Map.

Next time we’ll talk about how to approach the half-marathon distance so it does not seem so daunting. There are some tricks you can use to ease your distance anxiety.

We’ll also talk a bit about how to relieve your pace anxiety. Pace and distance anxiety go hand in hand.

Happy running

I remember a long time ago when I started running that I had no idea as to what it took to run several miles. I remember being in awe that my High School track team had a few guys that could run two whole miles.

I remember thinking to myself, “Man that’s something I’d never be able to do.”

Such are the thoughts of a husky high school track man who tossed a cannonball (shot put), Frisbee (discus), and spear (javelin) for his track team while his teammates just ran, ran, ran.

Of course distance, and the difficulty of running a distance, is all in the eye of the beholder.

Two miles seemed like an awfully long distance to run. I figured I’d have to lose 100 pounds and eat only celery and carrots for a year to be able to run that distance.

About ten years later I started running and I remember that it took me forever to get to the 5K (3.1 miles) distance. When I did get to that distance I remember saying to myself, “So what’s the big deal?”

I had not passed out when reaching three miles…I had not collapsed from exhaustion or dried up from thirst. More importantly, in my mind I had realized that it wasn’t just a physical hurdle but a mental hurdle as well that had stood in my way of attempting this distance.

I then went out one day and decided to try and run four miles.

Piece of cake.

I had finally understood that long distance running was very much linked to the working cooperation of the mind, body, and spirit.

You need all three to accomplish whatever distance you want to attack.

The Mind

When I say the mind I mean lots of things. First and foremost you have to believe in yourself that you can cover the distance you set out to run. This means confidence or self-esteem or whatever you want to call it. Basically you have to believe in yourself and say, “I can do it.” Although the mind is only one of the three components it definitely means more than 33% of the formula. Without confidence in yourself you don’t have a chance.

I’m serious.

For everyone who is attempting to run their first half-marathon my belief is that all would not have committed to this feat unless they had some confidence, no matter how small or how large, that they could do it.

You know what they say, “If you put your mind to it…”

The Body

Obviously this is the physical part of the formula. You have to train for the distance. You just can’t walk to the Start on race day and expect to be able to do it without paying your dues beforehand.

When it comes to the body part of the equation, and by that I mean the training aspect, it’s very much like a marathon in itself. When you train for a long distance race it takes time to gradually build your stamina and strength to the point where you can safely attack this objective.

Of course this is much easier accomplished when you have the self-confidence and belief that you can do this.

The mind, belief, confidence, or whatever you want to call it, serves as the catalyst in this adventure and helps to launch a sensible and steady as she goes training program.

Then the body or physical component comes into play with the training required to fulfill the mind’s belief.

Once you have the confidence and the stamina established all you need is a little spirit to get the job done.

The Spirit

The word “spirit” to me means emotion, excitement, adrenalin, call it whatever you want. Let’s face it; none of us want to do boring things. Doing either the Walt Disney World Half of Full Marathon is far from being boring.

As a matter of fact I would go as far as to say that somewhere in the neighborhood of 75% of those who do either one of these races will find the experience to rank up there as one of the top ten highlights of their life.

Sure it’s boring to train all year and get ready for the race but there is a pot of gold at the end of this training rainbow and it is the very indescribable race day.

It’s surreal, it’s exciting, it’s thrilling, it’s a rush…I’m running out of words to describe what you will feel on that day.

My point is that EMOTION will play a big part in this adventure and EMOTION will carry you to success and will supplement the Body and Mind portion of this formula.

Sure I call it spirit…but its emotion.

You need all three…Mind (confidence), Body, (physical stamina), and Spirit (emotion) working as a team to get you to the Finish.

About the Distance

A half-marathon is 13.109379 miles. That seems a long way doesn’t it?

I remember talking to a lot of people going for their first half-marathon and constantly hearing “I don’t know! 13 miles is a long way!”

Yeah…it is…but don’t think of it that way…don’t picture it as a mountain you can climb but instead…see it as several hills.

Huh?

Yeah….hills…they are much less ominous.

While training for my first half-marathon I remember stretching after a 9.5 mile run and thinking, “Hmm, I still have to run another 4 miles or so to get to the half-marathon distance. Gee it’s like running several 5K races.”

When I thought about that I said, “That’s it! I just ran three 5Ks…all I have to do is run one more.”

I also thought about how it takes me several miles to warm up…namely four and thought, “Heck, once I’m warmed up all I have to do is eight miles.”

So then I was thinking in terms of not only four 5K runs but three 4-mile runs.

Then when I looked at the course and saw that basically it was a 10K from EPCOT to The Magic Kingdom and 10K back to EPCOT I thought, “It’s also only 10K distances and the first one is running to TMK so that should be fun.”

I kept on viewing the distance differently than THIRTEEN MILES…trying to suppress the thought of covering a double-digit distance (DDD).

DDDs can really deflate your confidence so you need to look at them differently.

So when you address either the half-marathon or marathon distance think of it in terms of several components and try to focus on one component at a time….it’s easy to look at several hills than one huge mountain.

That approach helped me tremendously in getting over the mental hurdle of running that distance.

Remember, the physical hurdle pales in comparison to the mental hurdle.

Mike’s Training Notebook

Well, it’s October and the Tower of Terror 6.5K and 13K races are fast approaching.

The 13K race serves well as a milestone for those training for the WDW Half-marathon as the 8.2 mile course should be in line with what everyone is running these days on their long runs.
For myself I have been hit with some knee issues lately and these issues have forced me to cut back a bit on my training.

While dealing with these issues I thought it best to discuss them here in case some of you are also having some problems.

For those of you who may be experiencing some discomfort or soreness please listen to your body. It may be telling you that you are running too much…actually, it may be a sign that you are now running distances that require you to reassess your training schedule and perhaps extend your time between runs.

For instance, I know that my knee likes to remind me that once I hit the seven mile threshold that I need to rest at least 48 hours before running again…otherwise I’m in trouble.

So I listen.

Everyone has a threshold and when you get into the longer distances you need to recognize your threshold as soon as possible and adjust accordingly.

In the last two weeks my runs have been mostly in the seven to eight mile range but this week I put in a 10 miler and it had been a while (like since January) since I had compiled a DDD so I had to be careful, especially with my knee being sore anyway.

So I gave myself 96 hours off before running again.

I know my knee would appreciate my decision as well as the preventative maintenance I’ve been following this last month.

It’s called “icing down the knee” and it would not hurt everyone to consider this as we close in on the end of the year.

Major League baseball pitchers are usually wearing a ton of ice on their shoulder and elbow after a game to keep down the possibility of injury to those joints. Ice will cool down the joints and go a long way towards preventing inflammation.

Remember that if you are bringing your body into uncharted territory (DDDs) then you have no idea how it will respond to the rigors of long distance running.

We do know however that icing down after a workout is a good idea so play it safe and ice down and be sure to give yourself plenty of rest between workouts.

For more information on knee issues and treating them go here.

Next Time

We’ll concentrate on the ToT races and put together a plan that discusses what to bring to Orlando, what you can expect a day or two before the race and on the day of the race and we’ll also look at what you may want to follow as a guideline regarding your activities the day before and the day after the race.

Yes imagine if you will that the end of October is coming fast and that means the Walt Disney World Twilight Zone Tower of Terror races are fast approaching as well.

I hope all of you who are intending to run that day, erh night, are putting together a plan for this and next week; a plan that will best prepare you for your adventure.

As you get closer to race day it's important to look at a schedule that works best for you in preparation for the race. This takes a lot of thought and the plan may vary depending upon such factors as time of year, day and time of the race, and race distance.

The objective is to put together a plan that discusses training within a week of the race, what to bring to Orlando, what you can expect a day or two before the race and on the day of the race and some guidelines and suggestions as to your activities the days before, day of, and day after the race.

I’d like to share with you what my plans are and along the way hopefully get you to think about just how your week will run.

If this were any other typical WDW sponsored race I’d have an easy time planning but it’s very atypical. We have Start Time of 9:30 P.M.

Training

When workouts get into the high numbers we all must listen to our bodies and recognize what is best in terms of rest between these workouts. Everyone has a certain threshold in which their body says, "Okay, well if you're going to take me out for this distance then I should warn you that I need X number of days off or I'll be screaming at you."

It gets even more important as you close in on race day. You want to remain finely tuned but you don't want to overtrain or injure yourself.

Only you can determine how many workouts and how many miles in works best for you before race day. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa.

The safe bet is to not throw off your schedule. That is if you run every two days then maintain that schedule for race day. Your body is used to it so there should be no problems.

Running Gear

Just as with any other trip to Walt Disney World it’s a good idea to start choosing your travel gear a week ahead of time.

For runners the important thing is choosing the most comfortable running gear for the environment in which you will be running.

If you rotate your running shoes, that is alternate using two pairs and switching them every day, then you may want to continue with this practice. It’s probably not a good idea to bring down a brand new pair. They may be too stiff and not broken in.

Bring the pair that you feel is most comfortable and never look back. Your feet will thank you.

Same with socks. Don't experiment with new socks. Use a pair that you know will not cause blisters.

It’s late October but it’s Florida so bring a nice light pair of shorts and if possible bring a pair that is made with material that will wick the moisture from your body. I always bring two pairs of shorts because some days one pair just feels better than the other.

A short sleeved running shirt will be in order for an evening run in Florida. Long sleeves may be a little warm for you. Again, one made of material that wicks moisture may be something to consider.

Let's mention one more piece of equipment; bring a hat or visor…not to keep the sun out of your eyes but the rain in case Mother Nature wants to slap on yet another challenging component to the race.

This is important especially if you wear glasses or contacts. Imagine running at night and not being able to see where you are running. That notion frightens me.

Internal Clock Adjustment

A 9:30 P.M. start time is quite different than the time I normally run so I have some work to do.

Since I am an early riser I am already adjusting my daily routine so that I get used to staying up later and sleeping as late as I can.

How does the 9:30 P.M. start sit with you? Are you comfortable with it? Do you need to make an adjustment? If so, do it gradually.

If you arrive in Orlando next Thursday then you have two nights to do any late adjustment and might I suggest attending Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on the 26th and staying out to the wee hours of the morning.

You’ll sleep later the next morning and hopefully be well rested for the race that evening.

When to Arrive

That is a matter of preference. I like arriving Wednesday or Thursday for Saturday races. I prefer at least two days to get acclimated to the Florida climate. It’s also nice to get settled in and get at least two good nights sleep before the day of the race. Some people prefer to arrive the night before the race. Everyone is different.

Do what's best for you.

Concerns

I have some concerns.

What concerns me is the footing and the lighting for the courses, especially the 13K distance.

Unlike other WDW races I have participated in over the years, this one will find it darker at the Finish than at the Start.

With this in mind, the start time, artificial lighting, and footing concerns have led me to approach this race far differently than any other race.

This is not a race in which I will be shooting for my best time...especially with bigger fish to fry in January. Now is not the time to get hurt.

I would suggest to all who are participating in either the 6.5K or 13K race to not be too concerned about how quickly you cover the distance.

Enjoy yourself and be safe.

Mandatory Packet Pickup -- Updated Location!

This just in from the race corordinators...the location for Packet Pickup has been changed.
Here's the note:

Please note that the mandatory packet pick-up location has changed. Mandatory packet pick-up will now take place at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island in Motion Friday, October 26 from 3pm - 8pm, and on Saturday, October 27 from 10am - 4pm.

If you purchased extra party tickets or a commemorative pin in advance, you may also pick these up during packet pick-up hours. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13k & 6.5k event merchandise will be available for sale during packet pick-up, as well as during the race at Disney-MGM Studios.

Reader Tip

My thanks to Chad Swanson who sent me a pointer to Hal Higdon's website.For more information on knee issues and treating them go here. Higdon is the author of Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide.

When you go to the site navigate to the page that discusses how to train for the specific distance for which you are training.

Thanks Chad.

Meet and Greet?

So how many out there would like to meet after the race and have a group photo taken of us with our medals?

If so please plan to meet near the Tower of Terror sign that leads up to the garden. You know the sign.

I'm assuming everyone will have finished their respective race by 11:30 so we'll try to gather between then and 11:45.

We’ll take a group photo and I also encourage anyone who is doing their first race to send me a photo of themselves proudly showing off their medals. I will proudly post your picture here.

Blogging from Orlando

Speaking of posting, I hope to be posting daily blogs during my ToT trip so don’t forget to come visit me here every day beginning late next week. And for those of you going down to run or cheer on the runners please come up and say hi.

…there’s a signpost up ahead…it says, “Next Stop! The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13K race.”

Woo-hoo.

First an apology for my absence.

Buckle your seatbelts however, because from here until the aftermath of the d2008 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend we are on for quite a ride.

Thoughts on my Tower of Terror Trip

On Friday of my trip Len Testa and I took in the newly refurbished Haunted Mansion. If you plan to go to WDW soon and want to be surprised about the new enhancements to HM then you may want to skip the upcoming bulleted list, if not then read on:

• The first notable change was in the stretching room. The audio seemed to completely surround me. Also as the room starts to “stretch” you could hear squeaking sounds. Oh and our ghost host showed us (with better lighting) his way out.
• One more thing about the stretching room…are those gargoyles saying something?
• Once in the doom buggies the fun really began. As we entered the corridor we saw some stairways with candelabras…that’s new.
• The left side of the corridor/hallway has very long windows and it seems it was thundering and lightning outside.
• There were many new pictures adorning the walls.
• There also seemed to be eyes following us on our journey.
• Then there were the stairs…seemed taken out of an M.C. Escher painting with footsteps appearing and disappearing at the same time…upside down.
• The séance room had a fresh well lit assortment of instruments and Madame Leota…the new Leota…was floating in her crystal ball about four feet higher than I recall in the past. There is a flaw in this room…look for it.
• The attic was very different as special photographs told us about the famous Masey family and we learn quite a bit more about the Widow Masey.

From there we toured the Caribbean with some swashbuckling pirates. We noticed that this attraction has some deliberate debris placed in the water. Look for it the next time you ride this attraction.

We then strolled over to Tomorrowland and rode Buzz Light-Year.

Here's proof...

Then while I made a few phone calls Mr. Testa rode Astro-Orbiter.

As we were leaving the Magic Kingdom I was accosted by some wild woman.

Here is one of the scarecrows that adorned Town Square.

We then took off to visit the monorail resorts…first stop the Contemporary…work coming along fine on the new DVC addition.

From there we shot over to the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Neither one of us had ever seen Victoria and Albert’s so we ventured over and looked into the restaurant. If you ever saunter over to V&As to check out the menu bring some smelling salts… for when you gaze at the prices.

From the GF we walked to the Polynesian as were we were meeting friends for lunch.

Along the way as we past by Luau Cove we checked the Scopa family brick…looks worn.

Lunch was at Kona.

From there it was time to head to Pleasure Island to pick up the race packets.

I ran into many friends there.

From there I drove some friends to All-Star Sports to check on the refurbished rooms.

Check them out.

From there it was onto TMK and the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party where I ran into my friends Matt, Marissa, Sara, and Josh.

The party was just like the last two years. We did our trick or treating and did a few attractions and saw the fireworks...

...the Villains Mix and Mingle....

...and the BOO-To-You Parade.

I was kind of fading and had a race to run the next day so I headed back to my room. I did run into Batman and Robin at the Ticket and Transportation Center.

I fell asleep about 12:30 A.M.

Saturday morning I spent in Epcot with a friend who I hadn’t seen in almost two years.

One of the "Can't Miss!" off the beaten path places everyone should visit is the mini-museum devoted to the history of Epcot. It just behind Club Cool.

Be sure to visit this exhibit, especially if you are a Horizons fan.

By mid day we each had commitments to attend to. He went to PI to get his race packet and I met a young lady by the name of Deb Wills for lunch at Fresh at the Dolphin…highly recommended….both Ms. Wills and the restaurant.

After lunch I went looking for some pins in Epcot before going back to the room to rest before the race.

I tried to nap but it must have been the rolling thunder that kept me awake.

The Race

I headed to Disney MGM/Studios around 7 P.M. and met about a dozen of my friends at the start line.

The race was really building up…thought it was going to rain. The weather was mild.

The race was late in starting because of traffic snarls and runners being held up.

The race began just about 9:50 P.M. or 20 minutes later than scheduled. But if you want to be real technical the race started 50 minutes late from the originally scheduled start time.

As expected it was a dark and at times a challenging course. Somewhere around Mile 2 the course was diverted into a gravel road. Thanks to some rain a few days earlier there was a portion of this road that offered a few sections with mud.

It was along this portion of the course that the runners were provided with entertainment in the form or volunteers who were dressed as insane asylum escapees. I’m sure it was entertaining for many of the runners but for me I questioned why this entertainment was focused on this area of the course when it was most important for the runners to concentrate on the footing…the uneven ground…the mud…and those poorly lit portions of the course.

The 13k (8.2 mile) course finished in the MGM Studios theme park. Runners came in through near Sid Cahuenga's then turned left to go up Hollywood Blvd and down towards the Commissary and the Sci-Fi Drive-In restaurant before heading toward the Lights! Motors! Action! Stunt Show stadium. From there we weaved our way through the Backlot Tour route.

The course also winded through some off-stage areas before coming out somewhere near Sunset Blvd. and then taking a right to go to Hollywood Blvd…then once on Hollywood Blvd. the course headed towards the front of the park and took a left at Crossroads and then made it’s way up the hill to the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater and then eventually finishing just behind the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Courtyard.

This race was described as the first Annual Tower of Terror 13K which suggests it will return in 2008.

Hopefully the feedback the race organizers get from this race will provide some improvements in next year’s race.

If in fact this race returns next year here are some suggestions I have for the race directors.

• Regardless of whether packet pickup is at Pleasure Island or Disney’s World of Sports the setup should be such so that the line flow should be packet pickup, shirts, and tickets. This year there was some backtracking involved and people were bumping into one another. I truly think the pickup should be at the WoS.
• Begin the race earlier in the evening. I would suggest moving the start time to 9 P.M. or even 8 P.M. Most of the runners struggled because let’s face it, it’s Walt Disney World and curbing your daily activity to save energy for a nighttime race doesn’t work for everyone.
• Also, for those participating in the race, there was little time to enjoy the party afterwards. With an earlier start there is more opportunity to enjoy those attractions which are open for the party.
• Some consideration should be given to the medals. The 13K participants and the 6.5K participants both received the same medals even though the 13K participants ran twice the distance and paid more for registration. At least maybe change the ribbon color and décor to identify the course covered by the medal wearer.
• Regarding the course, there should be two corrals at the start with the 13K corral up front and the 6.5K corral at the rear. When the race started there were 6.5K participants in the midst of the 13.5K participants. This made for an awkward start.
• I’m sure I speak for most of the 13K participants when I say to scrap the gravel road portion of the race. It is difficult enough to run at night without worrying about an uneven surface. A slight adjustment in the course still allows the finish line to remain where it is.

After the race several of us had a late dinner/early breakfast at Picabu’s at the Dolphin Hotel…at around 2:30 A.M.

I got back to my room around 3:30 A.M. and after a much welcomed shower hit the pillow about 4 A.M. but never really got into a deep sleep.

I was up at 7:30 and spent the morning strolling around Pop Century in search of information regarding the beginning of the Legendary Years Phase for this resort. All I could find was some refurbishing of the Generation Gap Bridge.

I called up Disney Dining and was surprised that I was able to make an ADR at Boma for dinner that evening. I was planning to dine with some friends from the United Kingdom who favor the restaurant.

I headed into Epcot and had lunch with Beci Mahnken of MEI & Mouse Fan Travel®
At the Garden Grill in the Land pavilion. It was a very enjoyable and restful lunch.

I then went on a search to locate a special Halloween pin for my wife but came up short.

In the late afternoon I left Epcot and drove over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge where I met my friends for dinner.

We checked into Boma and waited to be called.

When our little gizmo buzzed and flashed we went to the podium where we were surprised to be announced as “Boma Family of the Night.” This meant we were escorted into the restaurant serenaded by drums and were seated at the front center table and made our way to the food before everyone else.

It was a nice final meal for me as Boma is one of my favorite restaurants and my company was exceptional

We then went to Epcot with plans to watch Illuminations before finishing the night at Beaches and Cream where my companions had visions of attacking the Kitchen Sink.

However after seeing the Oh Canada! film I felt the fatigue suddenly hit me. The past two days were finally catching up to me. I knew that sleeping just seven hours over two days while touring the parks and putting in an eight mile race would lead to fatigue at some point. This was that point.

I bid my friends farewell and would see them again in January for the WDW half-marathon.

I passed through the International Gateway and made my way along Boardwalk, stopping to capture my last photograph of the trip.

It was one of my shortest yet most intense WDW trips because of many factors, mostly of trying to squeeze so much into a few days. If I could have done it over I would not have done the MNSSHP the night before the race. I hope someone besides myself learns from this experience.

However, I came away from the trip with the satisfaction of knowing that I made each moment count as I spent 90% of my time with friends and it seems that more and more that seems to be the most important part of my WDW trips…to share the joy of the Disney culture with those with whom I care about.

One thing for sure….it made me even more excited to look forward to Mousefest.

Speaking of Mousefest

Are you ready? We are less than a month away and those on the Mousefest Organization Committee, Sponsors, and everyone else are working very feverishly to get everything in place for this annual event.

I’ve been making a list of things I have to do and this is the week I need to complete some tasks.

One of my tasks is to prepare for a new meet this year. It takes place on Thursday, Dec. 6th at 1 P.m. at the Tomorrowland Terrace in the Magic Kingdom. The meet is called “Mousefest 101” and it is geared towards helping first time Mousefest attendees understand what Mousefest is all about and how to get the most out of the event. I will be joined by Mark Goldhaber who is co-hosting the event with me.

If you are coming to your first Mousefest please try and attend this meet. I’m sure it will help you enjoy Mousefest.

A Word about January

We are about eight weeks from the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon.

Where should you be? Well, I’m thinking that for those of you planning to run in your first half-marathon that you should be in the 8-9 mile mark right now.

At this point you should be taking note of your pace.

Over the next few weeks we’ll talk about what you should consider as we close in on the race, be it your first half or full marathon.

For now as you get into the 8 or 9 mile workouts consider giving yourself an extra day or two of rest between these workouts. Your body will appreciate the gesture.

Sometime in the next few weeks we will all be receiving race information from the race organizers. This information will include a waiver sheet and a booklet that explains just about all you will need to know about the race.

Keep your eye out for that chunk of mail.

I’ll be back in a few days, and that’s a promise!

While preparing for my first Walt Disney World Half-Marathon a few years ago I could not get enough information to please me. Actually I could not find enough help to ease the angst I had as I trained for my first half-marathon.

So today, I am hopefully about to ease the angst of those of you doing your first WDW Half-Marathon by performing Part I of a two part mind dump of just about everything I think that would help you next week.

So here we go.

The Training is Over

There’s not much more you can do to prepare. All the training is “in the bank” and now it’s time for you to just do it, be it the 5K, half-marathon, full marathon, or even the Goofy…it is time.

Whatever your conditioning is today is what it will be on race day.

By now all of you should have received your Marathon packet which is your marathon weekend booklet as well as your Official Race number Pick-up Card and Waiver.

So let’s take a look at how all this will unfold next week and cover some aspects of getting ready for the 2008 Walt Disney World Half-Marathon.

Race Garb

You never know what to expect for weather in Orlando in January. For the most part, there is a fairly good chance that it will be dry but the temperature on race day is harder to predict. I have seen the temperature on race day to be as low as 42 and as high as 80 so you need to prepare for anything.

So what should you bring?

Here are some thoughts:

• Running shorts. Your thighs generate a lot of heat so if the temperature is high on race day you definitely want to run in shorts instead of running tights, sweat pants, or running pants.

• Running tights. This is an option a lot of runners opt for because they are light yet will keep you fairly warm in case start time temperatures are low. I always pack my tights in case I need them.

• Sweatpants. The only issue with sweat pants is their weight. Of course if you plan on discarding them during the race then go for it. Remember, as you sweat these babies get heavier.

• Wicking shirt. Many runners prefer to run in material that draws the moisture away from their body. Wicking running shirts can do this for you.

• Sweatshirt. If the temps are cold at the start you may want to bring a cheap sweatshirt that you can discard sometime during the race.

• Socks. This is a tricky one. Use whatever kind of socks you’ve been running in. Don’t change now.

• Running hat. Some runners prefer to run in a hat to keep the sun out of their eyes. Keep in mind that a hat also works to trap heat so that has to be a consideration.

• Running watch. Of course.

• Running shoes. You should be running in shoes that you have broken in already. Hopefully you’ve been running in them at least a month or so. If you use insoles for your shoes for comfort then by all means use these for the race.

• If you have concerns about rain then you may want to invest in a rainproof running suit and just bring the top to the race. Waterproof running suits are not cheap so think about this before you buy.

Above all be sure that whatever you feel most comfortable in is what you should wear. Be sure you dress for the weather too.

Marathon Weekend Itinerary

Here is a general idea of what you can expect a few days prior to the weekend, the day of the race, and a day or two after the race.

Thursday

Thursday is the first day of the Health and Fitness Expo held At Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex. The Expo is open from Thursday to Saturday but the busy day is Thursday where most runners show up to hand in their waiver and receive their racing pack. This all takes place at the Milk House at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. All runners will