#10-miler

Run Army Strong: Kyle Runs the Army Ten Miler

As my marathon training winds down (it’s this weekend, guys!), I’ve sort of been struggling to keep my head in the running game.

Life gets busy sometimes, and priorities change. Motivation changes. I made the decision a while back that following the marathon, the next couple of months were going to focus less on racing and more on my other fitness goals. Running just isn’t giving me the same…

It Takes Discipline to Make Any Kind of Progress

Last year was hard for me. I ran a half-marathon in October, but getting there was tough. I had bursitis in my hip from stupid things I’d done to myself the previous summer, so training was slow, steady, and careful. One thing I try to track is my summer-to-summer progress in terms of running. Take last year to this year, for instance. With my hip injury, I had to stay pretty inactive. So, for…

Friday, October 3 – Sunday, October 5 | The runDisney Tower of Terror 10-Miler is nighttime villain laden race, starting at 10:00pm in Hollywood Studios and heading out into the Twilight Zone, also known as Osceola Parkway, to the Animal Kingdom entrance and back to the dark trails of ESPN Wide World of Sports. It’s here where the course really flattens out, but throws in twists and turns, with dark dirt trails and lots of road texture changes for a few miles. Once you exit Wide World of Sports you are in the home stretch, ready to greet the cheering crowds in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You enter through the Main Entrance and head to the stage of Lights, Motor, ACTION! to Streets of America and past the ABC Commissary, in front of Sorcerer Mickey’s Hat, hard left down Pixar Place, right into the now closed Backlot Tour, backstage, through wardrobe and a dizzying disco tunnel for the finish in the shadow of the hulking Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Phew! Check out the Tower of Terror 10-Miler Course Map in PDF  to follow along my detailed description of the course, later in the post. Take a look at the elevation chart at the bottom of the map. While not hilly or strenuous, the elevation gains and camber will play a role in your pace.

EXPO

We usually go the expo mid afternoon to around dinner time– you know when everyone else is touring the parks or eating dinner. Both lovely activities but we are not expo hounds– the merch is usually the same old stuff, varying slightly from year to year and crowded with long lines. Not really too appealing, although out of desperation I scooped up my New Balance 1400 WRC’s– so there’s that– last-minute purchases. If this is your first race, the expo is worth carving out time for and to explore, otherwise your paying top dollar for ordinary running gear that can be found online on Amazon for less. We’d much rather spend time stopping at Yum! Yum! Cupcake Truck and scoop up one of their delightful cakes (usually some dessert named cupcake like Churro or Tiramisu).

We try to catch the speaker series with Jeff Galloway or Tara Gidus– who, by the way, ran a 1:14 in this year’s Tower of Terror 10-Miler– just under 7:30 minute mile, for a 2nd place Age Group finish. So, yeah, she definitely substantiates her profession and day-job. This time, she talked about urine– a favorite topic of hers and most Registered Dietitians I would suspect, as it is a good indicator of hydration. I felt unreasonably proud of my own urine color from this point forward in the weekend. Tara would be proud, I assume. Or not. Enough about pee, right? Okay. Onto costumes…

COSTUMES

The costumes people wear are elaborate and slightly concerning given the anticipated hot weather of this race– but much credit to the guys in all back long sleeve shirts and pants, with white skeleton bones painted on AND a hat! The usual fair of fairies, princesses and Halloween villains definitely delight, but some efforts outdo even Disney themselves. Then there was this ironic guy in a Newport “Alive with Pleasure” 80’s running get up. I ran after him to get the pic. I might flat out steal his idea one Halloween.

WEATHER

Carb Loading on homemade waffles on Friday morning!

Most years this race is hot, sticky and humid. No surprise here– the beginning of October is still summer weather for Florida, with heavy dose of humidity and the looming, unpredictable hurricane season. The real surprise was the 68 degree weather with (relatively) low humidity and cool breezes. Warm enough where layers are unnecessary, as you still sweat, but not profusely. There were no yellow, caution or red, danger flags to be seen. Only a green, go-ahead flag and a few cool breezes just before 11:00pm, especially heading out of ESPN Wide World of Sports. In preparation we ate more chia, drank sports drinks and water and ate a cramp busting foods like bananas– several days leading up to our race.

Living in Florida and knowing the specific hydration, nutrition and acclimation routine for hot weather is helpful, as is knowing what not to do… Restraint goes far too. So why is this race my nemesis? Sometimes I get in race mode and fail to exercise restraint. For instance, I knew I shouldn’t ‘race’ this race at my typical race pace, but always attempt to do so. This year, my summer training consisted of speedwork, core and cross-training to improve my fitness and then, in the fall, I begin to extend my speed over distance. As we usually have warmer weather for this race, I decided that the Tower of Terror would be used as training run– my first long run of the race season and I wasn’t going to run it like I would run in February, five months later. My goal was to run this around 8:00 minute miles (my typical long run pace as the training season goes on). I was determined to restrain myself and run this race or slower, with in my ability. I found a new Mickey Miles Podcast listener to run with and was hoping that chatting the miles away and pacing with a buddy would help me.

MILES 1 – 4 | Minor Elevation Gain/Loss + Camber

The first part of the course starts with a straightaway for about 400 feet, before turning a hard left onto a clover leaf, gaining elevation with lots of camber leaning right into the shoulder. This is short-lived and after which runners find themselves on Osceola Parkway, approaching a slight downhill right before completion of the first mile. I didn’t mind this start, as it serves as a quick and effective warm up for the first mile. We stayed 15-30 seconds below pace goal for that first mile, which was in part to the first mile being a banked climb and waiting for runners in our corral to space out.

From mile one through two we scooped up as much water as we could, since we knew there were no water stops from after mile 2.25 to mile 4. The stretch of road, mile one through two, also had another minor elevation gain by way of an overpass, but nothing arduous at all– really a welcome change from perfectly pancake flat races. Right after the second mile and the Animal Kingdom entrance, a banked left turn puts you on course for the second leg of the out and back. Keep running the tangents and stay on the inside lanes for this turn. The shoulder proves to be flatter and much easier to run, however still some camber exists here. Entertainment was much less impressive than previous years and made the out and back a little tougher to digest.

Mile two through mile four crosses back over the same overpasses; exactly at mile three and just before mile four. A few characters were strewn along the course, but nothing like we’ve come to expect from these runDisney races. The medical tent always makes me wince a bit, although very comforting if you are in need, especially since the next part of course is all about texture changes with lots of twists and turns. By this point we have settled into our pace and are running, chatting and, per my training, my body is thinking that my ‘nice little run’ is about to near its end. Wrong.

Waterstop Count: 3

MILES 5 – 7 | Twists, Turns + Texture 

Around mile 4.75, the course veers right and onto a dirt trail leading into ESPN Wide World of Sports. A welcome change was the removal of the acorn-sized gravel that lined the haunted trail to ESPN WWoS Complex, in previous years. The underlying dirt was well-packed and slightly damp, preventing dust-up. The trail is darker than the paved guests roads, narrow and flat, though being a dirt road, naturally occurring variation exists. I widened my running stance a bit. I enjoyed the softer landing for the ~.30 miles until I emerged from the woods bathed in the stinging glare of bright, white fluorescent lights (oh what a lovely spot for the race photographers– I can’t wait to gaze upon that glamour shot) and onto the concrete sidewalks leading to the track.

The track is rubberized, which can feel slightly tacky when running in humidity and turnover is slowed. In previous years, I responded in kind, slowing at this part, taking a few seconds to regain composure on the softer track. This year, I still felt strong and kept trucking. From the track, runners head back to the concrete briefly before a hard left turn onto the warning track on the WWoS baseball field. The mixture of dirt, sand and clay help give baseballs grip– running shoes too. I did mention texture changes… Exiting from the baseball field, another hard left and onto slightly uneven concrete and asphalt give way to paved roads once again around mile 6.5 through 8.6.

Waterstop Count: 3

MILES 8 – 10 | ROADWAYS + HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

We kept the pace here, despite my legs starting to feel heavy. Mentally, my mind was ready to slow down around mile 7.5-8 and my body began to feel the limits of its training at this pace. My running buddy helped encourage me, reminding me that it was almost over. And just like that, we were on the smooth road surface, heading towards the last leg of the Tower of Terror 10-Miler! This is definitely helpful and incidentally, right after the cool breezes came in, so the mental race/push started to take over once again and I felt a second surge coming on.

As an aside, but preface to managing that second surge: In my experience, the beginning of the race is very mental, establishing pace, shaking out nerves and gauging the rest of the entire race, watching the field start to spread. Then the middle, where you find your pace and rhythm, turnover is smooth and confidence is high, however long in the bulk of miles. Finally, before nearing the end, where muscles and mind start to itch and twitch getting restless to finish. You give yourself that last pep talk, where you nearly chastise your heavy legs for wanting to call it day, then your mind screams, “Are you kidding me, what the hell was all that training about?! You really can’t finish the last few miles– just a few miles! Suck it up and give it a last push”.  

And then, it’s here. The surge, your pep! It’s right here where you need to manage that surge, in which you get a boost, not to be confused with a brand new pair legs. Use your serendipitous verve on this course cautiously; coming off mile eight, that same cambered clover leaf and now, right hairpin turn that got your butt in gear at the start, is the last test of your energy. We kept an even pace here and tempered the excitement of nearing the finish with restraint!

Waterstop Count: 1

MILES 8.5 – 10 | HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Now, with the main entrance of Hollywood Studios in your sights– open up and commit to your final push. The last mile and half or so, we picked up the pace, hitting 7:30-7:38 through the Streets of America, down Commissary Lane, in front of the Sorcerers Hat (the DJ and crowd helped) before turning a hard left onto Pixar Place and, conversely, a hard right through Backlot Studios. This is a test of agility and speed, not exactly what one looks for at the end of a race, so we slowed again. Though I suspect my exceedingly kind running buddies (Erich and Emerson) could have powered through.

The last half a mile is determined to make you sick. Heading behind Hollywood Studios guests areas, into the true backlot, where costuming and design weave their magic, runners head through a tunnel used on the now defunct, Backlot Tour. This dark tunnel, with reflecting disco balls, plays a disco version of ‘Twilight Zone’ and all sense of time and speed disappear… I know I slowed at just at the 9.5 mile point, having spent through my second wind too quickly, and suddenly it was all annoyingly appropriate.

Here in the tunnel of terror, the Twilight Zone Intro is playing on repeat in all it’s lamé glory: “Beyond it is another dimension – a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the Twilight Zone.”

Shadows, indeed. Emerging from the backlot, in the shadow of the Twilight Zone, I kept a pace– certainly not the pace I was running at even five minutes earlier. I definitely was not as chatty as I was the rest of the race and perhaps my running buddies got a slight reprieve. Stymied by fatigue and disco balls, I saw the end of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler finish and crossed the last tracking mat at 1:23, for a pace of 8:18 minute miles. My Garmin said 10.22 miles, but clearly we didn’t run all the tangents and did criss cross the course to get a character picture or water.

I look back and instantly love this course and my effort. More over my restraint. The course isn’t your normal 10-mile road race, but stops shy of actual obstacles and has one of the best after-parties! There is no better way to kick off race season for me than with this race, which presents its own unique challenges and ignites that competitive spark that the languid and easy-going summer seems to dissipate.

AFTER PARTY | Affectionately MILES 11 – 15

Everyone, myself included, likes to complain about the 11th mile of this race, from the finish chute to the bag check. It’s about another half mile or so, with a slight grade. I understand the logistics, though it might be done in a limited other number of ways. I appreciate the walk to cool down and keep my legs moving, while my heart rate continues comes down. This year we saw unseasonably cooler, less humid weather, but in more regular years, the heat can have a profound effect on the body, elevating heart rate and blood pressure. Coming to a halt after running ten miles, is never wise, let alone in the heat. Gradually bringing your heart rate down to a lower resting rate is suggested, so this walk serves a few purposes and if walking an extra half mile is deal breaker…

I will complain about the six measly stairs heading out of bag check (Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular) into the fray. Who made the rise on those steps two feet? Not cool. All joking aside, we emerged from bag check and went to our respective restrooms to compose ourselves– I’ll admit, I straight up took a bird bath, with wipes and my hotel provided Mickey Mouse soap and reapplied make-up. I can be tough and girly all at once– with no shame!

Donning my lipstick and mascara for the after party– I had some beers (Caution Runners: Beers Ahead!). Next, I rode the race’s namesake– The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror! I do so reluctantly, but always after this race. Last year, Mickey Miles Podcast Co-Host, Michelle goaded me into it and this year fellow Mickey Miler, Stephanie pulled me onto it with equally reluctant, Janee. I had an awfully amazing time and I mean that in the most literal way– it was both awful and amazing. It’s true, just like the pain of racing or the sudden drop of the most dastard ride in the world (to me)– it’s the people that make it awesome.

If there was one thing about this race after party that I might complain about– it is the fact that although the party ends at 4:00am, a lot of rides and attractions we wanted to hit closed early, around 3:00am. No matter, we finished the night with Star Wars where just our group got boarded by Darth Vader and Emerson was the Rebel Spy (#JoinTheRebellion)! My husband and I bid our friends adieu and walked back to our car, parked at the Swan/Dolphin in valet. I am also proud of my husband, who had not run any distance past five miles– but managed an average of pace 8:45 minute miles for the race and came away feeling fine. Great start by both of us to the race season! Hope you enjoy our recap.

Can't wait. Tomorrow morning we head down to Orlando for RunDisney's The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-miler. I'm targetting 1:25:00 finishing time or faster if legs and lungs allow. 

Here are photos I took while running the 2009 Yankee Homecoming 10-Miler in Newburyport, MA.

As it is every year, this race was a steam bath. Temps near ninety, and humidity that made the air like a wet carpet. But the crowd support was fantastic, with people cheering, hosing us down, and high-fiving us as we ran by. I ran with a camera, and took pictures as I ran. (Yes, I took photos as I ran. I didn't stop or slow down. After all, I was in a race!) If you click on the “Play” button in the center of the photo below, you can view my slideshow, and get a first-person experience of the 2009 Yankee Homecoming 10-Miler in Newburyport, MA: