On Sunday August 31, 2014 I ran the Disneyland Half Marathon.  This race was my first half marathon three years ago and was my original mid-life crisis. I’m back celebrating the third anniversary of my mid-life crisis and my third runnerversary.

This race is not a goal race for me. I’m here for the hardware.  I’m in the middle of training for the Marine Corps Marathon next month, but anytime I push a safety pin through tech fabric before a run, it’s hard not to shoot for a PR. Since my current half PR is this race from last year, this will make a reasonable gauge in fitness improvement over the last year.

The course remains unchanged: The first four miles are in Disney’s California Adventure and Disneyland.  The next five miles is an IKEAesque path through the streets of Anaheim, past the Honda Center to Anaheim Stadium.  The last four miles is a fairly straight run back to Disneyland and the finish line in front of the Disneyland Hotel.

Pre-race

We arrive at Disneyland at 4:00 am. This is the third consecutive 4:00 am Disneyland arrival and the sleep depravation is staring to catch up to me. My wife Laura did the 5k on Friday morning.  I ran the 10k yesterday and I’m back to finish the Double Dumbo Dare with the Half Marathon. Also because I ran the Walt Disney World Marathon in January, this race is the second half of the Coast-to-Coast challenge.

Eighteen thousand people run this race. The lines for the port-a-potties are epically long.  I decided to hit the toilet at the parking structure.  I’m not the only person to have that idea.

One of those aforementioned 18,000 people is Docket Rocket.  Docket and I continue our tradition of running Disney races and not seeing each other. I think this is the third one. At least this time we weren’t in the same group photo and not see each other.  That was embarrassing.

Last year, I joined A Snails Pace Running Academy, a club associated with my Local Running Shop. Although this was not a goal race for me, it was for a fair number of Snails.  For some, this was their first half marathon.

A Snails Pace Running Club.

Mile 1-3

Race announcer Rudy Novotny sends us on our way, and the runDisney Wall of Humanity™ I’m in the middle of starts lurching forward. The corrals are so big and road is so narrow, there’s a group pace and it’s set by the slowest member of the corral. Cueing off the line from the Jungle Cruise ride, the guy next to me says, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the back side of people!”

In the parks, I find myself running alongside Elvis Presley in the white ’70 satin jumpsuit and cape.  He’s got a speaker blaring his music for the crowd to enjoy. In Tomorrowland, I pass Jimmy Blalock, a friend from law school.  Jimmy is younger and faster than I am.  I wonder why I’m passing Jimmy until I see that he appears to be running this with a figurative ball and chain around his ankle.

Mile 1 – 11:31

Mile 2 – 10:14

Mile 3 – 10:22

Miles 4-8

We leave the Disney compound and head out onto the glorious streets of Anaheim.  This leg makes a serpentine path from Disneyland to Anaheim Stadium. My running club sets up a tent in the parking lot of Anaheim stadium.  The week before the race, Joy Bunting, the director of the club said she was bringing donuts to Anaheim Stadium.  She asked me for my order.   As I head out on the streets of Anaheim, I begin thinking about this donut.

For entertainment, Disney places high school marching bands, cheerleaders, and other acts out on the streets. On the streets I saw a mariachi band with dancers.  Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the dancers were middle school boys juggling machetes.

The course passes Ganahl lumber yard. Since the street in front of their business is closed, their employees set up an unofficial aid station. This year they were handing out red licorice under a giant, “Take Candy from a Stranger!” sign.

Mile 8 of this race is a classic car show. Disney invites car clubs to park their cars on the course.  The cars are segregated by make (ostensibly to maintain order) and then year. This year, between the Fords and the Chevys, Disney dropped a bunch of mixed make cars all from the 1970’s. I ran by a guy who was beaming with pride as he stood next to his fully restored 1974 Ford Maverick. I thought, “I used to drive one of those to junior college in the ‘80’s.  Who would want to restore one of those pieces of crap?”

I hit Anaheim Stadium to find my rage levels starting to rise.  Snails Pace is there.   But no Joy, and more importantly, no donut!   I’m not a happy Snail at this point.  A Disney volunteer puts a Clif packet o’ goo in my hand.  Honestly I’d rather have a donut.

Mile 4 – 10:26

Mile 5 – 10:20

Mile 6 – 10:23

Mile 7 -  9:58

Mile 8 – 10:25

Miles 9 to 13.1

Like last year, the course takes a lap around the warning track of Anaheim Stadium, and like last year, Disney has invited the Boy and Girl Scouts out to fill the lower level of the stadium to cheer. Last year, I confused the undulating crowds in the stadium for the finish line and mentally fell apart on the last three miles.  This year, I began to chant FINISH LINE! FINISH LINE!  in my head to keep myself running.

As I left the stadium, I looked at my watch. It said 1:40 and the mantra in my head changed. Now I was chanting PR! PR! PR! As I head back towards Disneyland, I spot a spectator in street clothes, freshly bathed, and with the finishers medal around his neck.  (Am I really that slow?)  I point at his chest and yell at the guy, “I want one of those!”  He yells back in a Texas drawl, “Go git it!”

As I passed the mile 12 sign, I told myself that I had about 10 minutes to go and that I could do anything for 10 minutes. Except for holding the plank position, I can do anything or 10 minutes, and so no matter how badly it hurt, I was going to run for 10 more minutes.

I’m pretty sure the last half-mile or so of the course is lined with spectators screaming their brains out. I’m pretty sure that they were waving signs, beating drums, ringing cow-bells and applauding.  I’m pretty sure of this because my singular focus was to keep running.  I was only marginally aware of my surroundings.  I saw the mile 13 sign and dragged the last bit of energy out of my body, sped up and crossed the line.  2:17:05. A shiny new PR!

Mile 9 – 10:27

Mile 10 – 10:58

Mile 11 – 10:32

Mile 12 – 10:26

Mile 13 – 10:10

Last .1 -  0:47 (8:48 mm pace)

Bling Shot & Runner Chow!

Me with Snails Pace Coach Kevin Mullen and his wife Nora

Deep Psychological Insights

Those of you who have read my race reports in the past know that this is where I insert some deep thought or psychological insight gained from training or running.  Today I have none.  Really. Between the stress of changing jobs, winding down parts of my law practice and folding other parts of it into a law firm, teaching at Fowler School of Law and my daughter’s writing homeschool curriculum, I have not had much time for deep psychological insights. I’m lucky to have time to run.

Fitness wise, I appear to have plateaued. I eeked out a 1:25 improvement from last year.  My weight is pretty flat. I’ve been at 240 lbs. for this last year.  After losing 140 lbs. the last 35 just won’t want to go away.  I think I like to eat too much.

Next Race

My next race is the Chapman University 5k over Columbus Day weekend.  I’m sure I’ll be looking at Jimmy Blalock’s backside there.

Rick

Congrats on the PR!  LOL. At least we tried to meet this time. See you at Disney. Hopefully.

Let't try harder next time!  :P

Congrats on the PR!  LOL. At least we tried to meet this time. See you at Disney. Hopefully.

Very entertaining report, Rick!  Congrats on the race PR.

high school kids juggling machetes?  Do the parents have to sign a waiver for that?

Poor "Maverick" guy...glad you did not tell him your thoughts out loud...you might not have finished, he might've run you over... 

Sorry you missed Damaris again.

5K on Friday and a 10K on Saturday...that is do-able for me....I might have to consider an FE for this one next year.

I'm reading about the port-a-potty lines then see this picture of the crowds underneath. You weren't kidding about the lines being long.

Congrats on the new PR!

Enjoyed your race report tremendously.  After reading the report, and viewing the finisher's photo with banana in hand, the only thought in my head was, "Rick wishes it was a doughnut!"  Congrats on the PR.

Great report!  I've never done the Disneyland Half, although I did Tinkerbell a couple of years ago.  It was fun, but too $$$ now.

Sorry you missed Joy and your donut!  Joy was one of my coaches a while back when I ran with the Snails!  "Remember you are a snail, not a turtle" is some good advice I got from her.

Congrats on the PR and thanks for a really enjoyable read.  This was my first race ever too, way back in 2010.   Such a fun event.