Hi friends! I am planning and preparing for the 10K again this year and have to ask what your thoughts are on the course?? Last year we started in the Epcot lot and wove around and through the park. I had a really good experience and thoroughly enjoyed last year's 10K! This year, the start is in the MK parking lot. I'm thinking this will be a long stretch of road all the way to Epcot, and I have to admit I'm not looking forward to that. Give me some positives!!
I usually have a hard time not getting too enthusiastic and often start to run faster than my training plan says.
When running at non Disney events, I usually decide on a strategy based on pacers. For example, to run 10k under an hour, I followed the 60min "rabbit" for the first 2km then pass him and never wanted to see him again... I also did not pass the 50min "rabbit" so I knew I wasn't going crazy fast!
I read on another thread that there was "Galloway pacers" but I don't train that way. Are there "constant speed" pacers? If so are they at the beginning of every corral or mini corral? Do they have a posted finish time on them? Meaning, if I follow one, stop for photo along the way and then see another pacer, will I then know where I stand compare to my original corral?
All this is super good information! I'll keep training my inner pacer or else I risk compulsively be looking at my phone during the run. But knowing that there are multiple Galloway pacers with the same finish time will help, I would probably have been confused, or freaked as you said, as well.I believe that all Galloway pacers, even the ones with finish times faster than I can imagine do only the run/walk method. I do not know if any other pacers who do run only will be there or not. Closer to the weekend the list of pacers and their intervals and corral assignment should start leaking onto social media.
My experience:
For Tink weekend there were multiple pacers for certain popular finish times that started in different corrals. There was a point at mile 4 or 5 that I came up on one group after a long character stop line that I did and passed them and then came up on a whole different group with the same exact finish time signs as the first group a little while later. Because I think they started one corral apart. My finish time was 3 minutes better than their expected time but I finished way in front of them because I started a corral before the first group. If that makes any sense (I basically had a big negative split due to character stops front loaded in my personal race.) So I'd say it's possible to use them as "markers" of how you are doing BUT to be aware of what corral these groups start in so you don't freak yourself out if it seems really off. Using your own garmin/watch/app is going to be your best bet.
For today's long run I had a goal to test some gears and fuels.
Gear wise I ended up with water bottle and phone in my sticky hands by fear of ending with a belt aroud my ankles... Anyway.
I was trying Clif Shot Energy Gel (hence the sticky hands) and was curious about the fuel they provide during the WnD half. I found by reading through other thread that it seems to be Clif but is it Clif Bar, Clif Shot Gel or Clif Blocks?
For today's long run I had a goal to test some gears and fuels.
Gear wise I ended up with water bottle and phone in my sticky hands by fear of ending with a belt aroud my ankles... Anyway.
I was trying Clif Shot Energy Gel (hence the sticky hands) and was curious about the fuel they provide during the WnD half. I found by reading through other thread that it seems to be Clif but is it Clif Bar, Clif Shot Gel or Clif Blocks?
For today's long run I had a goal to test some gears and fuels.
Gear wise I ended up with water bottle and phone in my sticky hands by fear of ending with a belt aroud my ankles... Anyway.
I was trying Clif Shot Energy Gel (hence the sticky hands) and was curious about the fuel they provide during the WnD half. I found by reading through other thread that it seems to be Clif but is it Clif Bar, Clif Shot Gel or Clif Blocks?
For today's long run I had a goal to test some gears and fuels.
Gear wise I ended up with water bottle and phone in my sticky hands by fear of ending with a belt aroud my ankles... Anyway.
I was trying Clif Shot Energy Gel (hence the sticky hands) and was curious about the fuel they provide during the WnD half. I found by reading through other thread that it seems to be Clif but is it Clif Bar, Clif Shot Gel or Clif Blocks?
Like others have said, gels are what they provide for fuel. It's only at one stop (somewhere around mile 8 or 9) so if you need more than that, make sure to bring your own. When you're training, make sure to try different flavors from different companies to find what works for you. They also will have water and watered-down Powerade (the yellow flavor) at water stops.For today's long run I had a goal to test some gears and fuels.
Gear wise I ended up with water bottle and phone in my sticky hands by fear of ending with a belt aroud my ankles... Anyway.
I was trying Clif Shot Energy Gel (hence the sticky hands) and was curious about the fuel they provide during the WnD half. I found by reading through other thread that it seems to be Clif but is it Clif Bar, Clif Shot Gel or Clif Blocks?
I did my fastpasses on Monday (I check in at Pop on 11/3) and managed to get Flight of Passage twice! Once Monday evening 11/6 and again Wednesday morning 11/8. And I got two Frozens. Those were my top priorities!
I'm sad Splash Mountain will be closed, but maybe they'll manage to finish refurbing it and open it early... unlikely, but I still hope so.
I'm going to Animal Kingdom multiple times on this trip, and am thinking of completely skipping Hollywood Studios. I usually never skip a park but honestly... Hollywood Studios seems like it's a major construction zone! And I love Animal Kingdom. Looking forward to seeing AK at night again; I used to LOVE the Expedition Everest Challenge (and especially post-race party) because AK at night is so pretty!
Where are pictures opportunities vs water stops vs bathroom stops? Sorry if that sounds weird. Ideally, water stops would be just before entertainment so I could fuel and drink while waiting for a picture. Then, maybe once, bathroom break (can we use the park's bathrooms or just porta potty?), allowing for a good readjustment of the carrying gear.
They don't publish the specific locations of the pictures, water stops and bathrooms ahead of time. You can use the park bathrooms though, which is really nice.Where are pictures opportunities vs water stops vs bathroom stops? Sorry if that sounds weird. Ideally, water stops would be just before entertainment so I could fuel and drink while waiting for a picture. Then, maybe once, bathroom break (can we use the park's bathrooms or just porta potty?), allowing for a good readjustment of the carrying gear.
Thanks for the super good answers on gear and fuel. I won't count of the Clif Gel as this is what I tried yesterday and, well, nope.
After reading all this and looking at past events maps I am currently contemplating the following:
Where are pictures opportunities vs water stops vs bathroom stops? Sorry if that sounds weird. Ideally, water stops would be just before entertainment so I could fuel and drink while waiting for a picture. Then, maybe once, bathroom break (can we use the park's bathrooms or just porta potty?), allowing for a good readjustment of the carrying gear.
As far carrying food/fuel does you running gear have pockets? I've even tucked Clif Chews into the waste band of my shorts and they will typically stay put.