WDW Half Marathon – WDW Marathon Weekend 2017

Hi all – so better late than never right?

So we’re having a little WDW Marathon Weekend in July right now and I’m here to recap the WDW Half Marathon, or umm I guess the lack there of.

So we left off after the 10k with me having a really great time running but feeling pretty crappy due to a cold. I was just feeling crummy but since I’m a sucker for pain, it was off to the parks for some fun at the Studios before some dinner at Rizzo’s and then we called it an early night.

The Half Marathon was the next day and it was suppose to be wet. The plan was to run with Jenny and just take it easy and enjoy the run. The rain though was the x-factor. Rain + my cold had me debating if it would be better just to go it alone to get it done and get dry and resting sooner or would it be better to run it slowly, as long as I wasn’t getting chills, and enjoy the unique run experience with Jenny.

So that was what I was thinking as I laid out my clothes to take my traditional flat Katherine pre-race around 8pm and then… the news came out that the race was cancelled.

To say “it came out” was an understatement. Within 5 min it felt like every social media channel, every race webpage/program and every email had been updated or sent. It was quite impressive. It was plastered on every wall. Not to mention everyone runDisney twitter peep had reshared and helped spread the word. They even got sandwich boards out to all the resorts to make sure people were informed.

There was some confusion at first, as happens with these things, but by 9 it was clear. The race was cancelled and we would have options for refunds or tickets which would become clear later that evening.

I had a mix of emotions upon receiving this news, but overwhelmingly I was relieved. I was not going to have to tough out this race through a cold and have to deal with who knows how much rain. I also didn’t have to worry about waking up early, getting to the start, to only find out then that the race would not proceed. Instead, Mother Nature smiled upon me and runDisney made a decision the night before. I was going to get to sleep! 😀

This however was the first race that I had signed up for that was cancelled. It was weird, but Disney did all they could to make it right and to keep us safe and for that I will be forever thankful.

I texted Jenny and we met up (with out SO’s in tow) for some drinks down at the Pop Century pool bar. I think we were both relieved for the break. She was staring down at the final 24hr before her first ever marathon and me with my cold. After hanging out, enjoying some drinks, and exploring Pop Century for a bit we parted ways to hit the hay.

During the Dopey Challenge I always take Saturday as a down day. I don’t plan any park time and keep plans loose. Usually it’s – run the half marathon, shower, nap, and then try to walk around and loosen up the legs. This year I had penciled in some time to go check out Disney Springs since it was the first time I had gotten to see it since it reopened.

So instead of running the half marathon, I slept for I think 10 hours. I was out. I woke up to a social feed full of inspiration though as people had created their own half marathons to complete the Dopey Challenge. Did I feel guilty about not running the 13.1? A little but I listened to Mother Nature and my body and just gave in to the sleep. It was worth it.

So we woke up late in the morning and then in the early afternoon the Wookie and I headed to Disney Springs. One place I really wanted to check out was the Hangar Bar. I’m a huge Indiana Jones fan and also a huge fan of kitchy and well theme bars so obviously we had to check it out.

We got in pretty quick and I was able to get a hot toddy which felt pretty good. It was overcast outside and a little cool so the heat, lemon juice, and the whiskey did the trick.

We then had to go home because it was also my dad’s birthday and we had reservations at Flying Fish. I made sure we got there a little early so we could check out the Abracadabar. It is probably one of my favorite bars. The theming is so rich and elegant and the bar is just really low-key. 

We grabbed a drink and then headed to our dinner reservation. It had been awhile since I had eaten at this restaurant but it was just as good as I remembered. The meal was a little heavy on the oil but tried to just enjoy the meal and not think too much about the 26.2 mile journey awaiting me.

It was a early dinner and it was time to head back to lay out the final flat Katherine for the weekend and get myself mentally prepared for the tour of all 4 parks in some chilly temps.